FDA approves device to monitor AMD at home

The FDA has given its approval to the ForeseeHome home monitoring system that will allow patients to keep track of the progression of their AMD at home. Daily monitoring can play an important role in determining if the macular degeneration has advanced from the dry form of AMD to the more serious wet form, which is the leading cause of legal blindness. The device was developed by Notal Vision and clinical trials proved its ability to detect the smallest changes in vision. The study, which involved 1,520 patients across the U.S. found that 94 percent of the people using ForseeHome were notified to begin treatment at an early stage while their functional vision was still good. This is compared to only 35% of people being monitored through standard care having good functional vision when treatment is started. Patients can get one via a prescription and they are available on a rental basis all across the United States. The screening only takes three minutes and if any change from the patient's baseline is noted by the computer, Notal's call center immediately notifies the patient's doctor. Doctors hope this device will allow doctors to make earlier diagnoses of macular degeneration and thus start treatment at earlier stages.*