health

No More Glasses

Israeli researchers testing
revolutionary Nano-Drops.

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90

March 29 • 2018

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said. The second step requires the
sraeli researchers say they have
patients to use a second app —
developed a “revolutionary” way
being developed by the research-
to improve eyesight and do away
ers — that would have a
with glasses and contact
laser device clipped onto the
lenses, which they say will
smartphone. This device will
be able to be done at home
deliver laser pulses to the eye
with a smartphone, a small
in less than a second that
laser device and special
etch a shallow shape onto
eye drops.
the cornea to help correct
The technology was
its refractive error. During
developed by research-
the last stage, the Nano-
ers at Shaare Zedek
Drops — made up of nontoxic
Medical Center in
Dr. David Smadja
nanoparticles of proteins —
Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan
are put into the eye and they
University’s Institute of
activate the shape, thus correcting
Nanotechnology and Advanced
the patients’ vision.
Materials.
“It’s like when you write some-
“We want to modify vision and
thing with fuel on the ground and
correct types of refractive errors,”
the fuel dries up, and then you
said Dr. David Smadja, an ophthal-
throw a flame onto the fuel and the
mologist who developed what he
fire takes the shape of the writing,”
calls Nano-Drops together with
Smadja explained. “The drops acti-
Professors Zeev Zalevsky and Jean-
vate the pattern.”
Paul Moshe Lellouche.
The technology, unlike current
Refractive errors take place when
laser operations that correct eye-
light isn’t focused accurately onto
sight, does not remove tissue and
the retina due to the shape of the
is thus noninvasive; and it suits
eye. The most common types of
most eyes, expanding the scope
refractive error are nearsightedness,
of patients who can correct their
farsightedness, astigmatism and
vision, he said.
presbyopia (later-onset farsighted-
The three researchers worked
ness). The global eyewear market is
together on the project after Smadja
expected to jump to $167 billion in
said he had a “dream” of getting
2026, according to Statista.
rid of his glasses. “I said we have to
The Israeli researchers came up
do something, so we brainstormed
with a way to reshape the cornea,
together and within a few hours we
which accounts for 60 percent of
came up with this idea.”
the eye’s optical power. They tried
In the pig experiment, the effect
out their system on the eyes of dead
of corrected vision lasted for two
pigs, which have an optical system
hours. The researchers are now rais-
very similar to that of humans.
ing funds to experiment on live pigs
“We achieved a correction of 3
or rabbits and to follow up the effect
diopters,” Smadja said. A diopter is
of the drops over a longer period of
the optic metric used to measure
time. They hope, said Smadja, to test
vision. “This means that someone
out the technology on humans in
who needs reading glasses would
the summer of 2019.
now be able to go without them.”
The findings were patented by the
There are three steps to the
commercialization arm of Bar-Ilan
technology now in development.
University and the researchers are
The first step requires patients to
thinking about setting up a startup
measure their eyesight via their
to further develop the product. •
smartphones. There are already a
number of apps that do this, Smadja