Subconjunctivally implanted micro-osmotic pumps for continuous ocular treatment in horses.

The research evaluates the viability of subconjunctivally implanted micro-osmotic pumps in delivering continuous medication to the eyes of horses over a week.

Research Methodology

• The research was conducted with four healthy adult horses.
• Micro-osmotic pumps were subconjunctivally implanted in the eyes of the horses which were restrained in a standing position.
• Each horse had different treatments in each eye. One eye received an atropine-loaded micro-osmotic pump (100 microl of 1.5% atropine) and the second eye received a saline-loaded pump (100 microl of 0.9% NaCl) as a control treatment.
• The size of the pupils was measured at 12-hour intervals until the measurements returned to baseline. This was done to evaluate the effect of the different treatments.

Key Findings

• The micro-osmotic pumps were shown to be well tolerated by the horses, and they did not migrate from their place or get dislodged during the 7-day treatment period.
• The pupils in the eyes implanted with the atropine-loaded pumps were significantly larger compared to the control eyes implanted with the saline-loaded pumps.

Conclusion

• Micro-osmotic pumps can be easily implanted and removed from standing horses, without any complications associated with the procedure over the 7-day treatment period.
• The findings from this study support the potential use of subconjunctivally implanted micro-osmotic pumps as a method for delivering ongoing medication in treating ophthalmic diseases in horses.

The research opens up possibilities for enhancing ophthalmic treatment in horses and demonstrates the effectiveness of an innovative medication delivery system that offers constant medication over a specific period of time.