Horrifying yet amazing fact: Every single person on the planet loses the ability to focus their eyes at close range by the time they turn 50, and many of them have to turn to reading glasses to read their all-important daily newspaper, not to mention things of lesser importance, such as books and blogs.
Presbyopia, as it is called, has been treated by laser correction to date, but now researchers at the University of Michigan College of Engineering have developed a new, non-invasive cure that uses tiny bubbles to reshape "the eye's lens and restore its flexibility and focussing ability," according to a press release.
The U-M tool uses bubbles, ultrafast optics and ultrasound to measure the thickness and rigidity of the lens during laser surgery, thus guiding the surgeon as they reshape the lens. It's a new application for microscale bubbles, which scientists have experimented with for years in the areas of drug delivery, tumor destruction and other medical applications.
For the treatment of presbyopia, the U-M team used ultrafast laser pulses to create tiny gas bubbles within the intraocular lens. Before the bubbles diffuse, researchers hit them with high frequency sound waves, which push the bubbles against neighboring lens fibers.
The researchers are now looking for a private partner to develop the technique's commercial potential.
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