(October 16, 2015) University
of Leeds researcher is developing a new eye lens, made from the same material
found in smartphone and TV screens, which could restore long-sightedness in
older people.
As people age, their lenses lose flexibility and elasticity.
This leads to a condition known as presbyopia, common in people over 45 years
old, and can require optical aids, such as reading glasses.
Devesh Mistry, a postgraduate research student in the School
of Physics and Astronomy, is now working with liquid crystal to create a truly
adjustable artificial lens.
He said: “As we get older, the lens in our eye stiffens,
when the muscles in the eye contract they can no longer shape the lens to bring
close objects into focus.”
“Using liquid crystals, which we probably know better as the
material used in the screens of TVs and smartphones, lenses would adjust and
focus automatically, depending on the eye muscles’ movement.”
Using these liquid crystal-based materials, Devesh’s
research is developing synthetic replacements for the diseased lens in the eye
- a new generation of lenses and intra-ocular lens implants to rejuvenate
sight.
Devesh Mistry,
second year PhD student in the School of Physics and Astronomy
Devesh is currently researching and developing the lens in
the lab and aims to have a prototype ready by the end of his doctorate in 2018.
Within a decade, the research could see the new lens being
implanted into eyes in a quick and straightforward surgical procedure under
local anaesthetic.
Eye surgeons would make an incision in the cornea and use
ultrasound to break down the old lens. The liquid crystal lens would then be
inserted, restoring clear vision.