A recent study published in Medical Devices: Evidence and Research assessed the impact of Nanodropper Bottle Adaptor in reducing the number of dispensed eye drops compared to those from stock bottles.
Refresh me on Nanodropper first.
Nanodropper, Inc. is a micro-volume ophthalmic delivery device company focused on providing solutions to adherence barriers for chronic ocular disease management.
According to the company, its products and educational content are designed to help patients with issues like vision insurance and eye care appointments, with the primary goal of reducing financial burdens.
And the Nanodropper Adaptor?
As Nanodropper’s flagship product, the adapter is currently the first and only FDA-listed, volume-reducing adaptor for eye drop bottles, with a “one-size-fits-most” compatibility.
See here for compatibility options.
How much does it cost?
According to Nanodropper’s website, the adaptor is sold for $15.99. The medical device can also be found at Walmart and DryEyeRescue.
Gotcha .. so tell me about this study.
Investigators sought to determine the eye drop volume and total number of dispensed eye drops when using the Nannodropper adaptor versus drops dispensed from stock bottles.
The purpose was to potentially limit ocular toxicity of the drops and prolong bottle use, according to the study.
How’d they do this?
They first selected six topical ocular hypotensive medications— five solutions and one suspension— as well as one steroid (suspension) and two artificial tear emulsions.
The investigators then determined the mass per 10 drops, with and without the adaptor, using an analytical balance until all nine bottles were emptied.
Then what?
They used the calculated density of each bottle to determine their density. Finally, the average drop volume and number of drops per bottle for each of the nine medications were compared (with / without the adaptor) using paired t-testing.
And the findings?
The adaptor-delivered drops were 62.1% smaller than those administered from the nine medications, translating to a 2.6-fold increase in the number of drops in a 2.5 milliliter bottle:
- Nanodropper → 184.1 drops (average)
- Stock bottle → . 69.8 drops (average)
Further, the mean volume of the Nanodropper drops was 15.1 ± 1.0 μL, p<0.0001 compared to 39.8 ± 2.1 μL for stock bottle drops.
And this means …
The study authors concluded that the use of the Nanodropper adaptor results in a significant reduction in drop volume as well as an increase in the overall number of drops dispensed when compared to stock bottle-delivered drops.
However, they also cautioned that further research is needed to “elucidate the clinical impact of utilizing decreased drop volume with direct comparison to current standards of care.”
Anything else?
While it’s noted that further study is needed in exploring the effectiveness of Nanodropper’s adaptor with reducing drop volume, previous research has also assessed its use in a variety of clinical settings.
Click here to learn more.