Eyeglasses have been used to improve vision for close to 300 years. In 1936, optometrist William Feinbloom developed contact lenses made from a combination of glass and plastic. While most corrective lenses are used to help those with nearsightedness and farsightedness, they can also address other vision conditions.
Light Adjustable Lenses
Lenses known as intraocular lens are implanted during cataract surgery as a replacement for natural lenses. The trouble with these lenses is that surgical procedure is typically a one and done process. While measurements are taken before surgery to estimate the power and type of intraocular lens, the estimates don’t always hit the target. In the cases where 20/20 vision is not achieved, glasses or contacts may be required. Sometimes, additional surgery or lens removal and replacement are necessary.
Now, light adjustable lenses eliminate the need for glasses, contacts or additional surgery when 20/20 vision is not achieved after cataract surgery. These lenses are implanted the same way as traditional intraocular lens. The difference is that the ophthalmologist can make any necessary changes after the surgery.
Light adjustable lenses were developed in 1997 by Daniel Schwartz, MD from the University of California, San Francisco, and Robert Grubbs, Chemistry Professor at the California Institute of Technology. These lenses are adjusted without surgery by way of light energy. They have photosensitive molecules called macromers. When UV light with a wavelength of 356 nanometers is aimed at a specific area, the macromers in that area are activated and attach to the ends of other macromers. This process forms polymers, creating a difference in material density between the part of the lens exposed to UV light and the rest of the lens. Over a 12-hour period, the material in the unexposed areas migrates to the exposed areas until everything evens out. This changes the shape of the lens to improve vision for the patient.
The great thing about the light adjustable lenses is that patient can get up to three adjustments after surgery. Once everything is achieved to both the doctor’s and patient’s satisfaction the entire lens is exposed the UV light, locking everything in place. This process, from surgery to final adjustment, can take between seven to nine weeks.
Neurolens
Who among us hasn’t developed headaches from reading in low light or wearing outdated glasses or contacts? For some, the headaches come when they are using digital devices, reading or doing near work. That’s where lenses, such as Neurolens, comes in. These are prescription lenses that do more than improve vision—they provide relief for adults who experience headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and eyestrain due to eye misalignment. These lenses work by way of what the company describes as a “Contoured Prism” design. This design helps align the eyes so they work comfortably and without pain.
A study was done to see how effective these lenses are, and the results were significant. The study involved 10 optometry practices and 195 patients. It utilized the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), a questionnaire that measures how often headaches impact a person’s daily activities, social functioning, and overall well-being, while also assessing the severity of the pain.
Participants were first given an updated eyeglass prescription with premium lenses. After 30 days they were administered the HIT-6 questionnaire to both set up a baseline and ensure that the headaches weren’t caused by an incorrect prescription. Some received the control lens, and some received the Neurolens. At the 60-day mark, patients took the HIT-6 questionnaire again and the lenses were switched. At the 90-day mark, patients took the HIT-6 questionnaire. There was a total of four visits and both the optometrist and patient didn’t know which lenses were the Neurolens and which were the control lens.
This study demonstrated that Neurolens reduced the effect of headaches, provided significant relief from headaches and was safer than most medications used for headaches.
With advances in technology, lenses have evolved beyond ordinary spectacles and contacts. What next on the horizon? X-Ray vision, maybe? Okay, maybe not.
Sources:
https://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/faq/when-invented.htm
https://clevelandeyeclinic.com/cataracts-ohio/the-light-adjustable-lens-lal
https://www.willseye.org/light-adjustable-lens/
https://eyewiki.org/Light_Adjustable_Intraocular_Lenses
https://www.qualitymetric.com/health-surveys/the-headache-impact-test-hit-6
https://blog.neurolens.com/statistically-significant-headache-relief