![]() “It is promising for the future of our patients to see these continuing improvements to product performance and function.” “Almost every year there are upgrades in technology, whether that be smaller video displays or brighter screen colors,” Yu said. To put this novel device together, Yu has been sourcing components from electronics manufacturers. Six years later, his dreams are gaining traction and he is hopeful it will become reality. Seeing that this device allowed patients to view video on a pair of eyeglasses, Yu began brainstorming, and that was when he first thought of implanting a small television-like device into the human eye. This would allow people with corneal opacity to see, even with closed eyelids.ĭuring his ophthalmology residency training at Stanford, Yu completed a research project using Google Glass, a smart glasses device that is used for augmented reality. The camera would then transmit wirelessly to a small video display inside the eye and that image would project onto the retina. In his innovative approach, a patient would wear a camera built into glasses or a contact lens. Yu’s electronic implant is comprised of two technologies, a wireless video receiver and a micro display. “By using electronic implants, we avoid the need for transplants and their limitations entirely.” “Electronic displays can be used to bypass corneal blindness,” Yu said. However, it turns out that fundamentally, corneal clarity is not necessary for high quality vision as long as a clear image can be delivered to the retina. Cornea transplantation is often unsuccessful in pediatric patients. Corneal transplants require lifelong follow up and are always at risk of long-term rejection. More severe cases of corneal scarring cannot be transplanted due to high risk of rejection. ![]() Many developing countries lack the resources to create a distribution and waitlist system at all.Įven in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., it is hard to get a cornea transplant, and some cultures are averse to organ donation, resulting in a severe shortage of tissue. Transplants require donors, which require extensive logistics for harvesting, screening and delivery, which can cause patients to be put on a waitlist until one is available. He notes corneal transplants have significant limitations. “All current strategies for corneal blindness focus on restoring clarity to the cornea, by transplanting on a clear donor cornea or by sewing in a plastic replacement,” Yu said. While it can heal quickly from minor injuries, a major injury or disease can cause scarring, appearing as a white, clouded film, which then causes blindness. The cornea is the clear, front part of the eye that functions similar to a window, helping focus images entering the eye onto the retina. The implant includes a projector that transfers images from the outside world onto the retina. Charles Yu, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, is leading an effort to take a novel electronic approach to treating corneal blindness. More than 12 million patients remain on cornea transplant waitlists while suffering from corneal blindness, but an idea from one researcher may have an answer. Corneal blindness is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.
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