TearScience is an American company founded in 2005 that develops, manufactures and markets ophthalmic

medical device A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...

s aiding in the identification and treatment of

meibomian gland dysfunction Meibomian gland dysfunction (also known as MGD) is a chronic disease of the meibomian glands, which is commonly characterized by obstruction of the end of the duct that delivers the secretion produced by the glands (called meibum) to the eye surf ...

, which can lead to

dry eye disease Dry eye syndrome (DES), also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), is the condition of having dry eyes. Other associated symptoms include irritation, redness, discharge, and easily fatigued eyes. Blurred vision may also occur. Symptoms range ...

, which is a condition that affect as many as 25 million Americans. The company's Lipiflow System was

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

cleared in June 2011 for treating meibomian gland dysfunction and is currently installed in over 250 locations across the globe. The company is headquartered in

Morrisville, North Carolina Morrisville is a town located primarily in Wake County, North Carolina, United States (a small portion extends into neighboring Durham County). The population was 18,576 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the town's population t ...

Products

LipiView Ocular Surface uses

interferometry Interferometry is a technique which uses the ''interference'' of superimposed waves to extract information. Interferometry typically uses electromagnetic waves and is an important investigative technique in the fields of astronomy, fiber opt ...

to measure the thickness of the tear film oily lipid layer. LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System uses heat and pressure to unblock obstructed meibomian glands to reduce dry eye symptoms.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.tearscience.com
Wall Street Journal "More Dry Eyes in the House"

Review of Optometry "Dry Eye Measurement Lipiview Ocular Surface Interferometer"

MedCity News "Medical device dry-eye treatment LipiFlow wins FDA approval
2005 establishments in North Carolina Manufacturing companies based in North Carolina Medical technology companies of the United States Ophthalmic equipment Technology companies established in 2005