Researchers at Occidental College and the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated a laser-free way to correct vision, reshaping the cornea with mild electrical pulses instead of cutting or burning tissue. The technique, called electromechanical reshaping (EMR), uses a platinum "contact lens" that doubles as an electrode and as a mold for the desired curvature.
A gentle current triggers a small, temporary pH shift in the cornea's collagen, softening it just enough to take the shape of the lens before it sets. In tests on 12 rabbit eyeballs, ten eyes treated for nearsightedness reached the intended focusing power in about one minute, with corneal cells left alive and the collagen structure largely intact. The team, led by chemist Michael Hill and surgeon Brian Wong, also saw signs the method could clear some forms of corneal cloudiness that today require a transplant.
Unlike LASIK, which permanently removes tissue, EMR is potentially cheaper and reversible, and avoids the dry-eye and flap complications of laser surgery. The work, funded by the National Eye Institute, is still early and far from human trials, but the researchers presented it on May 28 as a promising step toward safer, lower-cost vision correction.