Electrical Current Reshapes Cornea Without Cutting, Promising Cheaper and Safer Vision Fix

Researchers have discovered a promising new technique that could provide a cheaper and less invasive alternative to LASIK eye surgery. The process, called electromechanical reshaping, uses electrical current to reshape the cornea, the dome-shaped, clear structure at the front of the eye that helps process images.

The discovery was accidental, according to Brian Wong, a professor and surgeon at the University of California, Irvine. While examining living tissues as moldable materials, he stumbled upon the chemical modification process that allows the cornea to be reshaped without cutting.

Unlike LASIK, which involves burning away tissue to correct vision issues like nearsightedness and astigmatism, the new technique simply applies a small electrical charge to a platinum "contact lens" placed over the eye. This causes the cornea to conform to the lens' shape in about a minute, without any incisions.

Researchers have successfully tested the procedure on 12 rabbit eyeballs, correcting nearsightedness in 10 of them. They also found the technique may be able to reverse some chemical-caused cloudiness in the cornea, which is currently only treatable through a full corneal transplant.

While the researchers acknowledge there is still a long road ahead before the technique could be used in human patients, they are optimistic about its potential. If successful, the process could be "widely applicable, vastly cheaper and potentially even reversible" compared to LASIK, according to Michael Hill, a professor of chemistry at Occidental College.