Charged Particles

[Wei Han]

I am speculating this new treatment.

1. Charge ions in solution form can be dripped on the eye and be absorbed. The floaters will be attached to some of these charged ions and therefore become active to electric field.

2. An small electric field pole can then be applied to the wall of the eyeball and attract the charged floaters out of the line of sight.

[Wei Han]

1. Alternatively, magnetic nano particles in solution can be dripped on the eyeball and be absorbed. The floaters will be attached to some of these magnetic nanoparticles and becomes positive to magnetic field response.

2. A small magnetic field is then applied at the wall of the eyeball attracting these floaters out of the line of sight or away from the retina.

[Larry]

Guest-Wei said:

A small magnetic field is then applied at the wall of the eyeball attracting these floaters out of the line of sight or away from the retina.

I don't know how plausible or safe it is to introduce charged particles into the eye. Still, I like hearing about new ideas. If I may ask, what happens when the small magnetic field is turned off or dissipates? Any thoughts on how to anchor the floater once it is moved?

I suspect the problem with most floaters is not so much that they are in the visual axis castings shadows on the retina, but that they are swimming around and our brain is conditioned to notice any movement. Unless one suffers from a monster floater blocking vision, I'd say just finding a way to firm up the vitreous and locking the floaters in place would bring a lot of relief to the average floater sufferer.

[WeiHan]

I agree that these idea are abit quite difficult to realise. Even to firm up the vitreous sounds simple but is really very difficult because alot of knowledge is required about the microscopic process.

Perhaps, the most simple idea is to developed a thin fiber like structure that will be inserted into the eye, attract the floaters to it and then simply pull them out. This idea is simple and is definitely achievable by the medical community presently if they are serious about it. Very little risk involved because fiber (like our hair) can't cause accidental damage to the eye. And when the incision hole is so small, chances of infection is almost nil. It is just like an injection. It is the most straight-forward yet safe way to remove floaters and is readily achievable. More simplier than vitrectomy. You can compare this like going to a dentist.

[Larry]

Somewhere on this board we were discussing using a needle. The thought of finding a way to attract the floaters to it didn't come up, so we were guessing it would take one needle insertion for each floater to be removed. Now your idea of using a fiber that attracts a charged floater would open up some better possibilities.

An ophthalmologist told me the vitreous is an intricate weave and a needle puncture would leave a trace behind. Perhaps the needle he was referring to was hollow and therefore needed to be a minimum diameter to suck the floater through it. It's a procedure he said they do when the floater is really really bad, and the trace left by the needle is the lesser of two evils.

Another factor would be the state of the vitreous. A case of mild syneresis means the vitreous has liquefied pockets (little pools) that the floaters swim around in; at least that’s my understanding of it from what I read. Such a treatment might require several insertions to get the basic floaters.

I agree finding a way to remove just the floaters would be much more preferable then getting an FOV. I have hope a practical option is around the corner for us all.

[WeiHan]

If the new method of inserting some tiny fiber structure to remove the floaters does not work easily, 25 g vitrectomy may appear to be the simplest method of all because with the removal of the vitreous humor, no further formation of floaters can occur.

I was seriously considering FOV unless a safer and effective method such as inserting a thin structure to pick out the floaters developed quickly or at least is in the pipeline.

I half suspected that poking a needle in will leave behind a trace and you confirmed that so the prospect of inserting something just to pick out the floaters becomes dimmer.

[Wei Han]

If the vitreous has not yet liquefied and will leave a trace with a needle penetration. Then probably vitrase can be used to partially liquefied the vitreous so that the needle can insert without leaving a trace. With these combination, floaters will be picked out safely, low risk.

[Larry]

Hmmm.... that's a thought; you might be on to something. I wondered if the best floater cure would involve the combination of two procedures.

Vitrase is still somewhat of a mystery and it's not marketed as a floater remedy. I don't know much about enzymatic vitrectomies; maybe if Vitrase was used as a coating on the needle its path might not leave a trace. I bet ISTA is experimenting with Vitrase every way they can think of, for they would be sitting on a goldmine if it could be involved in curing us of floaters.

[zzz]

I was wondering about a magnet effect treatment, a pos ion
attracting to a negative one or vice/vers. Someone pointed
out though that elements once introduced into the body can
change their electron/proton set up and have different qualities
than if they were outside the body. Iron is apparently one of
them. Iron in the body is not magnetic like if it were on the counter in a science lab.
I still cant believe that the body doesnt have some way of dealing with floaters.I wonder if the bonds that hold the clumps
together are slowly being dismantled but new ones are staying ahead of the process.Some people claim that their severe floaters did dissipate after a couple of years.Not mine though.
I wouldnt introduce any enzymes into the vitreous because
I would worry about dissolving the bonds that hold the retina system together. I think I have seen an improvement when
I take a multi vitamin.Could it be that some elements in vitamins do pin some of them down on the tissue at the edge
of the vitreous? We really need to get a REALLY bright grad
student interested into looking at this.The opt. establishment
seems to have better areas of research to focus on.
Meanwhile I will keep the vitrectomy{+ lense replace.}
in mind for the future.