Eyeworld

Dr. Lindstrom said. "Rather than having to treat it, why not look for a way of selecting astronauts that are less susceptible to developing the syndrome?" Two things underlie ophthal- mology, the NSBRI, and NASA— innovation and entrepreneurship. This creates an ideal partnership to support astronauts and space explo- ration as well as ocular issues here on earth. With this in mind, Dr. Lindstrom introduced Dr. Berdahl to the Vision for Mars Challenge. "Bringing in John Berdahl, who I know has spent 10 years doing research on the relationship between intraocular pressure and cerebral spinal fluid [CSF] pressure, was a great decision," Dr. Lindstrom said. "A better understanding has already come from his research, and he is working on devices that he believes could mitigate the issue." Part of the Vision for Mars Challenge is the Space Medical and Related Technologies Com- mercialization Assistance Program (SMARTCAP), which "identifies and funds small U.S.-based compa- nies developing disruptive medical technologies." The winners of the SMARTCAP Vision for Mars Chal- lenge were announced in Feb. 2015 and included Dr. Berdahl's company Equinox (Sioux Falls, S.D.). See sidebar for more information. "We are working to develop a solution to balance the pressure in the eye with the CSF pressure," Dr. Berdahl said. "We have work- ing prototypes, and we are doing cadaver and animal studies now. We are hoping to get in to some early clinical trials in a year or so." "What this has taught me is to think much more broadly. I think a lot of the times the solution already exists, and it's just about applying the proper solution to the proper problem," Dr. Berdahl said. "There's no telling the principles that we can learn from other fields within medicine that can be applied to our own fields, or what we discov- er in our own fields that may apply to something as surprising as space medicine," he said. EW Editors' note: Dr. Berdahl has financial interests with Equinox. Dr. Lindstrom has no financial interests related to his comments. Contact information Berdahl: john.berdahl@vancethompsonvision.com Lindstrom: rllindstrom@mmye.com Five ASCRS members continued from page 9 Farid-Steinert* DALK Scissors 3360 Scherer Drive, Suite B, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 800-637-4346 • Tel: 727-209-2244 • Fax: 727-341-8123 Email: Info@RheinMedical.com • Website: www.RheinMedical.com *Developed In Coordination With Marjan Farid, M.D., With Special Thanks To Roger F. Steinert, M.D. Adoration of the Magi/Da Vinci ABBE 1358 Rev.A The Main F e a t u r e O f T h e s e Scissors Is That They Provide A Safety Platform For DALK Cases. They Provide Additional Protection To Prevent Inadvertent Perforation Of Descemet's Membrane During The Stromal Excision. In Cases Of Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK) Where A Successful Baring Of Descment's Has Been Achieved, Often Perforation Occurs During The Final Excision Of The Remaining Stroma Where A Few Remaining Peripheral Tags Of Adhesion Still Exist. The Platform On These Scissors Allows The Surgeon To Bluntly Dissect Those Peripheral Adhesions So That They Don't Get Cut Through And Perforate During The Excision - As They Would With The Standard Corneal Scissors. In The Video, You Can Appreciate The Platform Ahead Of The Cut Pushing Back Descement's And Holding It Away From The Cutting Of The Stroma. Additionally, The Curvature On These Scissors Works Beautifully All The Way Around As You Can Appreciate On The Video. Scan The QR Code To See. 8-03244-L : Farid- St e i n er t* D ALK S c isso rs, Left 8-03244 -R : Fari d- Ste i nert* DALK Scisso rs, Right Dr. Berdahl joins 4 other ASCRS members who have been selected for the Vision for Mars Challenge. Source: NSBRI Vision for Mars Challenge winners announced T he National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI, Houston) selected and funded 3 companies to further develop unique technologies that address visual problems in space as well as on Earth. These companies are Annidis (Grandville, Mich.), which has developed the Annidis RHA ophthalmoscope; Equinox, founded by Dr. Berdahl, who is developing the Balance Goggles; and Web Vision Centers Group (South Jordan, Utah), which will work with several vision lens companies to customize adjustable prescription glasses for spaceflight. EW

• Cover