Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the world, affecting over 70 million people worldwide. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the primary treatable factor for Glaucoma, and IOP measurements are critical for glaucoma diagnosis and management. The gold standard for measuring IOP is the Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), which is used by eye care professionals and requires a visit to the eye clinic. However, because IOP highly fluctuates, occasional measurements of IOP in the clinician’s office are not sufficient for proper glaucoma management. Studies show that continuous IOP monitoring resulted in a change of medical and surgical management in almost 80% of patients. Thus, there is a great need to develop a device that will enable continuous or home monitoring of IOP for better Glaucoma management.

We develop the MIMS (Microfluidic IOP Monitoring System) – an implantable sensor for self-monitoring of intraocular pressure, with a simple smartphone camera. MIMS consists of innovative technology that was developed and patented in Stanford University (by Dr. Yossi Mandel, our Chief Scientist). We’ve secured exclusive license to the Stanford patent and are currently working on 3 more independent patents to further protect the invention. A commercial prototype has been developed and initial results of preclinical tests (rabbits) are expected in few months. Feedback from the ophthalmology community is extremely supportive. Initial porcine eye experiment was published in a Nature Medicine Journal article and attracted much interest from leading Glaucoma experts worldwide, which consider the invention as dramatic improvement over existing solutions for Glaucoma diagnostics and treatment.

The string of FDA approvals and startup acquisitions in the minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) space has been one of ophthalmology’s more promising stories. In recent years, three MIGS startups were acquired for an average value of $0.5B each. Our product is a necessary add-on to any MIGS procedure, as well as other Glaucoma treatment procedures and in some cases Cataract surgery procedures, with total available market of approximately $2B per year and very little competition.