Diagnosing Cataracts

Cataracts arise from damaged protein in the eye.  Today’s diagnosis, with slit-lamp microscopes, can identify the condition once the proteins clouds the lens, but investigators at NASA and the National Eye Institute have demonstrated that dynamic light scattering, which uses a laser and a highly sensitive photon detector, to diagnose cataracts before they are apparent.  This approach relies on alpha-crystallin proteins as a biomarker. MORE  

Image Credit: Manuel Datiles and Technology Review