Revolutionary Eye Drops

[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

A team of Ophthalmologists from Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bar-Ilan University’s Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials in Israel have developed eye drops that are capable of repairing corneas and improving short and long sightedness in pigs.

Clinical trials on humans will be carried out in late 2018 and, if successful, this revolutionary invention could eradicate the need for eyeglasses. According to Dr. David Smadja, the leader of the research team, these eye drops, known as nanodrops, could revolutionize ophthalmological and optometry treatments for those suffering from hyperopia, myopia, and other refractory conditions.

Wednesday 24^th February at Shaare Zedek’s second biennial research day, which took place at the Steinberg Auditorium in Jerusalem. Smadja says that nanodrops could also be used to replace multifocal lenses and allow people to see objects from different distances.

According to the research abstract, this experiment involved analysing refractive errors of pig eyes before and after installation of nanodrops, which are filled with various concentrations of synthetic nanoparticles. The results showed a significant improvement in error connection for both myopic (near-sightedness) and hyperopic (far-sightedness) refractive error. 

If the results in humans turn out to be positive, patients will simply need to download a smartphone app which will scan their eyes, measure their refraction, and create a laser pattern which would then be “stamped” onto the corneal surface of the eyes. The nanodrops are then applied later for the finishing touch.

While this is a promising development, Smadja didn’t say how often the eye drops will 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 human trials can start was not discussed.

What is certain though is that these Israeli researchers have developed something that could have a positive impact on thousands of lives in the near future.

Source: interestingengineering
Images: depositphotos