Week in review: Suitcase alarm, DNase drop, RingJect redo

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

This rolling suitcase (above) sounds an alarm when visually impaired travelers are on a collision course with pedestrians or objects. The smart suitcase—named BBeep—also interfaces with a wayfinding smartphone app called NavCog that whispers turn-by-turn directions to departure gates, restrooms, lounges or other destinations. Surely this suitcase can get passengers to their seats—it just can’t fly the plane. Carnegie Mellon University

Mayo Clinic doctors report that the drug eculizumab, a synthetic antibody that inhibits inflammation, prevents relapse of neuromyelitis optica—a rare autoimmune disorder that can lead to blindness, paralysis and death. Findings from a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Mayo Clinic

A scientist’s efforts to stall the progression of Sorsby's fundus dystrophy recently made the PBS Environment video series. The 5-minute episode highlights work by Jennifer Chao, MD, an Academy member and associate professor at the University of Washington, to uncover stem cell-based therapeutics for inherited retinal degenerations. PBS

Enzyme-based drops for dry eye disease improved symptoms and soothed discomfort in a 47-patient pilot, according to a report in Translational Vision Science and Technology. The phase 1/2 randomized controlled trial that DNase drops, which dissolves nucleic acid-based debris on the eye surface, improved comfort, corneal staining and ocular surface disease index with high tolerability. The enzyme is already FDA-approved to treat cystic fibrosis and could potentially race through the regulatory pathway for dry eye if further trials show promise. Translational Vision Science and Technology

The FDA has approved Ophtec’s redesigned capsular tension ring injector. “We are grateful that the FDA has approved the Ophtec RingJect with optimized delivery system enhancements.  Our surgeons and patients will continue to benefit from our legacy capsular tension ring. We are very excited about the RingJect, as it saves time in surgery and reduces surgical preparation time,” Abraham Farhan, Ophtec’s vice president and general manager, said in a company press release. Ophtec