26 June 2025
An Aston University spin out company has developed an app to assist dry eye disease patients in recording and managing their symptoms.
The MyDryEye app was developed following research by Aston University optometrist, Professor James Wolffsohn, to determine the optimum blinking routine for those with dry eye disease.
The study, which was published in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, involved 98 participants who were assessed for dry eye symptoms before and after the two-week study period.
Participants were randomly allocated different blinking exercises. After the optimum blinking routine was established, a further efficacy study involving 28 participants was conducted to determine the most suitable app parameters.
The research team found that the best blinking routine for dry eye disease is a close-squeeze-blink cycle, repeated 15 times, three times per day.
Wolffsohn collaborated with engineer, Alec Kingsnorth, and Wolffsohn Research Ltd business manager, Mark Nattris, to develop an app that is freely available on Android and iOS operating systems.
As well as assisting users to complete the optimum blinking routine, users can monitor their dry eye symptoms, assess risk factors, add treatment reminders, monitor their compliance, and find a nearby specialist in dry eye disease.
Wolffsohn highlighted that the blinking exercises should be carried out as part of a treatment programme, which could also include the use of lipid-based artificial tears, omega-3 supplements and warm compresses.
“This research confirmed that blink exercises can be a way of overcoming the bad habit of only partially closing our eyes during a blink, that we develop when using digital devices,” he said.
Wolffsohn added that completing the exercises only takes three minutes each day.
“To make it easier, we have made our MyDryEye app freely available on iOS and Android so you can choose when you want to be reminded to do the exercises and for this to map your progress and how it affects your symptoms,” he shared.
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