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Artificial Cornea To Reach Patients This Year

Posted by Soulskill on from the check-out-my-eye-pod dept.

kkleiner writes "A German-led team of researchers has developed a new version of an ophthalmological polymer to which the eye will bond and still function normally. 'The new polymer could help restore sight to thousands waiting for corneal transplants around the world. The artificial cornea has passed clinical trials and is ready to see expanded use in patients this year. ... In order to work in the human body, an artificial cornea has to meet some stringent requirements. First, it has to bond to the human eye around its edge. ... The center of the artificial cornea, however, does not promote cell growth and remains clear so that it can be seen through. The artificial cornea also has to move freely with the eyelid and balance moisture on its faces.'"

24 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. The future of medicine by MrEricSir · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't see this coming.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
    1. Re:The future of medicine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, truly visionary.

    2. Re:The future of medicine by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yeah, but are they comfortable? I'm not sure if I would want to trade sight for sore eyes.

    3. Re:The future of medicine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      There's nothing to see here... move along

    4. Re:The future of medicine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That couldn't have been cornea if you tried.

    5. Re:The future of medicine by kkwst2 · · Score: 2, Funny

      That would have been voted higher, but it's only funny in Boston.

  2. Having a new cornea put in? by Totenglocke · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So you'd have your cornea removed and a new one put in? As someone who's had many eye injuries in my life, let me be the first to say "ouch".

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
    1. Re:Having a new cornea put in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      So you'd have your cornea removed and a new one put in? As someone who's had many eye injuries in my life, let me be the first to say "ouch".

      Actually, a cornea transplant isn't painful at all. You are asleep for the whole operation...Recovery on the other hand, while not painful to the eye, is a pain in the ass. I had to have such a transplant done due to a degenerative eye disease and I for one would love something like what this article is talking about. It would be much nicer to have the whole cornea replaced instead of just a section of it (which is what I had done, a small section about the size of my pupil was replaced.)

    2. Re:Having a new cornea put in? by Abcd1234 · · Score: 4, Informative

      So you'd have your cornea removed and a new one put in?

      Well, given the first corneal transplant was done in *1905*, and was one of the first organ transplants ever performed, yes, that's exactly what would happen.

    3. Re:Having a new cornea put in? by SleazyRidr · · Score: 2, Funny

      How can they operate on your eye while you're asleep. Aren't your eyes closed?

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      Is 1563649 a prime number?
  3. Puns by HForN · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The artificial cornea has passed clinical trials and is ready to see expanded use in patients this year. .."
    I see what you did there.

  4. Something important to remember by erroneus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I read through the whole article until I got near the end. It was only then that I realized that while the article said "cornea" I kept thinking "retina" for some unknown reason. In any case, an artificial cornea is a terrific breakthrough. People who use laser eye surgery to correct their vision can only do so a limited number of times. After that, a cornea would need to be replaced. Ideally, a replacement cornea would be able to correct vision without further adjustments.

    More interestingly, an artificial cornea can do things to improve the health of the eye. For example, an artificial cornea could be made to block UV rays or even be polarized. I'm still waiting for telescopic vision corneas but I doubt that will happen. But the idea of having built-in sunglasses is interesting to me... not that I would have it done unless it were necessary to replace my cornea anyway...

    1. Re:Something important to remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      even be polarized

      Yes, I'd love to see people standing with their heads at 90 degrees just to be able to use certain ATMs.

    2. Re:Something important to remember by Abcd1234 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People who use laser eye surgery to correct their vision can only do so a limited number of times. After that, a cornea would need to be replaced. Ideally, a replacement cornea would be able to correct vision without further adjustments.

      More importantly, there are a number of diseases related to the cornea that ultimately necessitate a corneal transplant. Technology like this would obviate the need for tissue donation, which is a huge step for people suffering from such illnesses.

    3. Re:Something important to remember by john83 · · Score: 2, Funny

      For example, an artificial cornea could be made to block UV rays or even be polarized. I'm still waiting for telescopic vision corneas but I doubt that will happen. But the idea of having built-in sunglasses is interesting to me... not that I would have it done unless it were necessary to replace my cornea anyway...

      Certainly, a UV filter seems plausible to me. However, you normally use two lenses to make a telescope, so unless it could form some very exotic diffractive object, I think you'd need at least a pair of thick glasses to make a telescope. You might be able to make a magnfying glass though.

      --
      Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
    4. Re:Something important to remember by Rigrig · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You could polarize the eyes differently, so you don't need glasses for 3D movies anymore.

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      **TODO** [X] Steal someone elses sig.
    5. Re:Something important to remember by erroneus · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wow. Imagine seeing 3D in real life! That would be just awesome!

    6. Re:Something important to remember by Abcd1234 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Honestly, with this first being performed in 1905 and being the single most common transplant surgery done in the world, I expected that in any industrialized nation there was an ample supply of donor tissue.

      It's not so much an issue with tissue availability as it is issues with compatibility, rejection, etc. If you can make an equally capable, synthetic cornea, you can do away with all that, and that strikes me as a substantial win (though, at least at the outset, probably not a win on cost).

      I mean, I'm assuming this technology was developed for *some* reason. :)

    7. Re:Something important to remember by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 3, Informative

      In diseases like keratoconus, a degenerative eye disorder, there are cases in which even transplanted corneas degenerate again in time. A synthetic obviously wouldn't have this problem. I suppose it could also be custom made to the eye making for a better fit than organic parts sliced off of a corpse which are bound to be imperfect. Corneal transplants are rejected in keratoconus cases in roughly about 10% of cases and people who have rejected one graft seem more predisposed to reject following grafts as well. Those people would also be helped by this procedure.
      As someone who has (relatively mild at the moment) keratoconus I certainly welcome this news.

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    8. Re:Something important to remember by Jesus_666 · · Score: 2

      Sunglasses are much better. I mainly wear mine at night so I can so I can watch you weave then breathe your story lines. I find that when wearing tinted contacts I can not I can not keep track of visions in my eyes so I tend to avoid them.

      Besides, people just love to switch the blade with the guy in contacts, oh yes. No danger of that with shades. Rhymes better, too.

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      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    9. Re:Something important to remember by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Informative

      probably not a win on cost

      A CrystaLens, which replaces the focusing lens behind the iris, will cure nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and cataracts. The surgery cost about $7,000 per eye, which is cheap compared to some surgeries. I imagine this tech would be even cheaper; the CrystaLens was FDA approved in 2003, so is still under patent. They're about $1000 more than the older monofocal IOLs.

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  5. This is great news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've got Keratoconus, a nasty degenerative corneal condition that has to potential to leave me legally bind. This news just made my day!

  6. Re:FINALLY! A solution to my pain... by vandelais · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are you the butterfly ballot election guy from Florida's recount? http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sHB-X1i5MOU/SKIH1_P7gCI/AAAAAAAAAWY/b7t-bPpashA/s400/florida_hanging_chad_recount.jpg And you thought you faded into obscurity.

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  7. Re:well first things is a trashed cornea by weszz · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not necessarily... I'm going to see an eye doc today about intacs for kerataconus (sp?), or the steepening of the eye as a genetic disorder. I have it in just one eye, and I didn't do anything to trash my eye, but a cornea transplant is one possible fix.

    For anyone interested in what this looks like, with my left eye closed I get a ghost vision where there are 2 clear images, one is just overlayed on the other... when the TV menu is up, I can read what is on one line, and I also see it on the line just above it as a ghost image... it's odd, but this would be one possible treatment for it.