New Device Simplifies Pink Eye Diagnosis

Pink eye can be a painful and embarrasing condition, and those who have suffered through it are familiar with the days-long process of diagnosis and treatment. Now, a device tested in Springfield could take the hassle out of it all. KSMU's Benjamin Fry reports.

It's about the size of a permanent marker, but it can save a lot of time, resources and money when it comes to treating conjunctivitis, or pink-eye.

Before the RPS Adeno Detector was approved by the FDA, it was tested at five clinics, including St. John's Eye Specialists in Springfield.

Dr. Shachar Tauber is the Clinic Director or Opthamology Research at St. John's.

"All across the board, it seemed to be something that was so simple in the beginning, ends up being so practical," Tauber said.

Throughout the study, people with symptoms of pink-eye were brought in and tested with the relatively pain-free device.

"We would with their permission take a small sample, basically by lowering the lid and touching the detector to the eyelid. Within ten minutes, we have a yes or no as to whether there's the presence of adeno virus," Tauber said.

Pink-eye can be caused by either the highly-contagious adeno virus or by bacteria.

Tauber says the adeno virus can survive for days on skin or metal.

The virus is also resistant to antibiotics, which is the common treatment for pink-eye caused by bacteria.

Tauber says in the past, those with adeno-infected pink-eye would frequently be prescribed antibiotics.

When the medication didn't work, they would ask for different medicine and be referred to an opthamologist.

"And that became a problem because now the patient had to go see a specialist, get a referral, pay their copay. Now they've already paid their copay for a drug that doesn't work. And now on top of everything else, they're infectious and they're coming to the eye clinic. To come in and spread this to other patients that may have very sick or compromised eyes, would really make an epidemic," Tauber said.

Tauber says the RPS research turned up some promising results.

He says the device proved to be as accurate, if not more accurate, than the standard method of testing culture samples, which usually takes several days.

For KSMU News, I'm Benjamin Fry.