Scientists are testing a laser-free vision correction method using electrical currents and platinum contact lenses to reshape corneas.
LOS ANGELES: A team of researchers has introduced a potential alternative to LASIK eye surgery that avoids the use of lasers altogether. The new approach, known as electromechanical reshaping (EMR), relies on electrical currents and a specially designed platinum contact lens to alter the cornea’s shape.
The method was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society by Michael Hill, professor of chemistry at Occidental College. EMR works by creating pH changes in collagen-based tissues such as the cornea, making them temporarily flexible. This allows the cornea to be reshaped in a precise manner without surgical incisions.
In animal trials, the team tested EMR on rabbits by applying a platinum contact lens shaped like a corrected cornea. Within just one minute — similar to the time taken for LASIK — the cornea adjusted to the lens, offering promising results. The researchers reported improved corneal shape in ten out of 12 rabbit eyes treated as if they were myopic.
The new laser-free vision correction method could potentially treat common eye conditions like myopia and even chemical-related corneal cloudiness, which currently requires transplant surgery. Unlike conventional laser surgery, EMR may prove to be more affordable and reversible, offering significant benefits for patients worldwide.
Brian Wong, professor at the University of California, Irvine, explained that the effect was first discovered accidentally while studying tissue modification. Hill emphasised that further animal studies are needed before clinical trials can begin. “There’s a long road between what we’ve done and the clinic,” Hill said. “But if we get there, this technique is widely applicable, vastly cheaper, and potentially reversible.”
The findings have opened a new frontier in eye care, suggesting that in the future, patients may have access to safer and more cost-effective alternatives to laser eye surgery.
