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BACKGROUND: Measuring and controlling intraocular pressure (IOP) provide the foundation for glaucoma treatment. Self-tonometry has been proposed as an alternative to better measure IOP throughout the entire day. The novel EYEMATE-SC sensor is implanted in the suprachoroidal space to enable contactless continual IOP monitoring. The aim of the present study was to investigate the 1-year safety, performance and accuracy of the EYEMATE-SC in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients undergoing simultaneous non-penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS). METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, interventional clinical trial, 24 eyes of 24 POAG patients who were due to undergo NPGS (canaloplasty or deep sclerectomy) were enrolled. An EYEMATE-SC sensor was implanted during NPGS. Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) measures were compared with the sensors' IOP measures at all post-operative visits through 12 months. Device position and adverse events were recorded throughout the follow-up. RESULTS: 15 eyes underwent canaloplasty and 9 underwent deep sclerectomy. Successful implantation of the sensor was achieved in all eyes with no reported intraoperative difficulties. Through the 12-month follow-up, no device migration, dislocation or serious device-related complications were recorded. A total of 536 EYEMATE-SC measures were pairwise included in the IOP agreement analysis. The overall mean difference between GAT and EYEMATE-SC measurements was 0.8 mmHg (limits of agreement (CI 95%, LoA): -5.1 and 6.7 mmHg). The agreement gradually improved and from 3-month post-operatively until the end of the follow-up, the mean difference was -0.2 mmHg (LoA: -4.6 and 4.2 mmHg) over a total of 264 EYEMATE-SC measures, and 100% of measures were within ± 5 mmHg of GAT. CONCLUSIONS: The EYEMATE-SC sensor was safe and well-tolerated through 12 months. Moreover, it allowed accurate continuous IOP monitoring.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between rates of choroidal microvasculature dropout (MvD) change and rates of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) loss in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes. DESIGN: Cohort study from clinical trial data METHODS: A total of 91 eyes of 68 POAG patients with and without localized MvD at baseline with at least 4 visits and 2 years follow-up with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and OCT scans were included. Area and angular circumference of MvD were evaluated on OCT-A en-face and B-scan choroidal vessel density images during the follow-up period. Joint longitudinal mixed effects models were used to estimate the rates of change in MvD area or angular circumference and RNFL thickness. Univariable and multivariable regressions were completed to identify the factors contributing to cpRNFL thinning. RESULTS: MvD was identified in 53 (58.2%) eyes at baseline. Seventeen eyes (18.6%) eyes that did not show MvD at baseline developed it over the follow-up period. Over a mean follow-up of 4.0 years, the mean rates of change of MvD area and angular circumference (95%CI) were 0.05 (0.04, 0.06) mm2/year, and 13.2 (10.7, 15.8) degree/year, respectively. In multivariable models, the rate of cpRNFL thinning was significantly associated with the rates of change of MvD area and angular circumference (P=0.008 and P=0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of MvD area and angular circumference change over time were associated with concurrent rates of cpRNFL loss in POAG eyes.

Nitrogen is one of the most critical nutrients affecting algal cell biomass growth and thereby plays a crucial role in algal growth economics. Conventionally, all man-made nitrogen (N) sources are based on hydrogen derived from fossil fuels. This investigation examines the effect of a new N source, i.e., plasma-activated water (PAW), on yields of algal biomass. The N uptake rates of the algae for PAW were determined and it was compared with the conventional N sources. Four treatments of N source in duplicates were run to evaluate the potential of algae cultivation in batch microcosms (5 L). Mixotrophic algal cultures from a nearby eutrophied lake were incubated for 1 week with nitrate-N (NaNO3), nitrite-N (NaNO2), nitrate+nitrite (NaNO3+NaNO2), and PAW as sole N source in basal Bold’s media. Even though the cultures were not axenic, steady increase in chlorophyll and biomass was observed for all the cases studied. The highest biomass yield was observed in nitrate-N fed cultures, at an average of 32.5 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day), followed by a combination of nitrate+nitrite [27.1 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day)], PAW-N [26.6 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day)], and nitrite-N [22.5 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day)] fed cultures. Nitrogen uptake rates were similar in all cultures studied. The highest rates observed were in nitrite-N [4.05 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day)], closely followed by PAW [3.56 mg/( $\text{L}\cdot $ day)]. The results suggest that PAW can be utilized as a N source with pre-exposed cultures. The algal biomass yields of PAW were comparable to conventional sources although cultures with PAW showed signs of better uptake of N.