Results from a phase 1 pilot study investigating the use of high intensity focused ultrasound (“HIFU”) have shown both safety and efficacy in patients with refractory glaucoma. The clinical research, led by a team at the Hopital Edouard Herriot in Lyon, France and supported by the company EyeTech Care [www.eyetechcare.com], showed that patients benefited from a significant (P<0.01) reduction of almost 36% three months after the treatment. According to the authors of the study, "the specific advantage of HIFU is that the energy can be focused through non-optically transparent media without un-controlled energy absorption, thus potentially reducing the effects on the adjacent tissues".