Museum of Science and Industry

The iStent® Micro-implant

One in 200 people under the age of 50 have glaucoma, which is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S. Glaucoma is caused when fluid in the eye does not properly drain, increasing pressure inside the eye and damaging the optic nerve to the brain.

Now a tiny device can be implanted in the eye to act as a “canal” to help drain the fluid and prevent further vision loss in people with glaucoma. At only one millimeter long—see it compared to a penny above—this tiny canal is the smallest medical device ever to be implanted in the human body.

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Glaukos