- Nov 5, 2011
- 5,855
Israeli Ophthalmologists Invents Revolutionary Eyedrops that could Replace Eyeglasses -
Using “Nanodrops” to Repair Corneas Could Ultimately Replace Glasses
Israeli Ophthalmologists Invents Revolutionary Eyedrops that could Replace Eyeglasses
"Nanodrops" That Repair Corneas May Ultimately Replace Glasses
First: interestingengineering.com article:
A team of Opthalmologists at Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials developed eye-drops that have been found to repair the corneas and improve short and long sightedness. The nanoparticle solution called as “nanodrops” was successfully used on pigs’ corneas.
Clinical trials on humans are expected to be carried out later this year, and if successful, this revolutionary invention could potentially eliminate the need for eyeglasses. According to Dr. David Smadja, leader of the research team, the eye-drops could revolutionize ophthalmological and optometry treatments of patients suffering from myopia, hyperopia and other refractory conditions.
The revolutionary breakthrough was revealed by Dr. Smadja on Wednesday at Shaare Zedek’s second biennial research day, which was held at Steinberg Auditorium in Jerusalem. He said that nanodrops could even be used to replace multifocal lenses and allow people to see object from different distances.
“This is a new concept for correcting refractory problems,” Smadja said. He, however, did not mention how often the drops will require being applied to replace eyeglasses completely.
According to the research abstract, the experiment led by Dr. Smadja and his colleagues involved analyzing refractive errors of pig eyes before and after instillation of nano drops filled with various concentration of synthetic nanoparticles. The results showed significant improvement in error correction for both myopic (near-sightedness) and hyperopic (far-sightedness) refractive error.
If the results in humans are successful, prospective patients will simply require a smartphone app to scan the eyes, measure their refraction, create a laser pattern and then “laser corneal stamping” of an optical pattern onto the corneal surface of their eyes.
The research from Smadja was one of the two chosen works by an impartial team of judges from 160 pieces of research carried out by Shaare Zedek physicians and nurses over the last two years. The hospital staff publishes around 330 articles every year in different medical and science journals through the Shaare Zedek Mada’it (Scientific), a research and development company established for hospital researchers.
This isn’t the first time though that the use of nanotechnology in eye-drops was investigated. Increasing research in this field has opened new doors in the field of medicine and surgery. There has been significant research done already to develop nanotechnology-based systems to treat ocular diseases.
Researchers at UCL Institute of Opthalmology, London, demonstrated the possibility of creating formulations of tiny nanoparticles loaded with the AMD (age-related macular degeneration) drug Avastin. The resulting eye-drops can be safely and effectively used in patients compared to injecting drugs into the eyes, which is often uncomfortable.
In another recent experiment, researchers from National Taiwan Ocean University developed carbon quantum dots covered with spermidine to treat bacterial eye infections. The researchers believe that the new quantum dots has a good potential to be used in eye-drops to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause keratitis.
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Then: futurism.com article:
In Brief
Quite a number of people develop nearsightedness or farsightedness during their lifetimes. "Nanodrops," a new eye drop developed by Israeli ophthalmologists, has successfully fixed corneas in pig eyes, and could potentially do the same for people.
New eye drops developed by researchers from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University in Israel can improve both nearsightedness and farsightedness, the inventors claim. However, so far the “nanodrops” have only been successfully tested on pigs’ corneas.
The eye drops are “a new concept for correcting refractory problems,” said David Smadja, one of the ophthalmologists who worked on the eye drops, at Shaare Zedek’s research day on Feb. 21, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The patented drops use nanotechnology to improve vision.
According to the National Eye Institute, both children and adults can develop either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Around five to 10 percent of Americans suffer from farsightedness, and it becomes more likely to develop if both parents are also farsighted. Nearsightedness, however, currently affects around 42 percent of Americans between the ages of 12 and 54, with those living in urban environments more than twice as likely to develop the condition.
Smadja explained during the research day that the nanodrops could potentially be used for more than just correcting someone’s corneas. Replacing multifocal lenses is also feasible, which would enable people to focus on objects from various distances.
Patients would have to launch an app on their phones to measure their eyes’ refraction and create a laser pattern. This pattern would then be “stamped” onto the corneal surface of the eyes.
While a promising development, Smadja didn’t say how often the eye drops need to be applied in order to fix a person’s corneas or ultimately replace glasses. Furthermore, what additional work needs to be done before moving on to human trials was not discussed. One factor that may need to be determined is whether the eye drop solution is toxic to humans, and another is how much of the solution is needed per application in order to make an impact.
Sight is one of the most important senses we have, and scientists continue to research ways to maintain and improve it. Alongside Smadja’s nanodrops, work has been done to determine if stem cells can effectively treat macular degeneration, and the Ocumetics Technology Corporation is working on a bionic eye that could prevent cataracts and push eyesight beyond 20/20 vision. As we continue to discover new ways to upgrade our senses and abilities, we advance closer and closer to a world of enhanced humans. [- ah that's me!
...]Ask a Scientist: Nearsighted or Farsighted
*interestingengineering.com/news: News
*futurism.com: Futurism - Building the future together
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