CorVision®
Bioengineered corneal microlens for presbyopia.
CorVision® is a natural corneal microlens manufactured from the same material as the human cornea is made of, e.g. collagen.
The microlens integrates in the corneal environment in long term avoiding biocompatibility, haze, and interface issues associated with other microlenses.
It eliminates the need for reading spectacles, contact lenses, or more invasive surgeries such as LASIK.
Our CorVision® bioengineered corneal microlens holds promise for such applications addressing the biocompatibility and the irreversibility issues of the existing techniques while improving uncorrected near vision. The CorVisionÒ bioengineered corneal microlens is shown in Figure 1 in comparison with, Allotex, Kamra, and Raindrop inlays. CorVision in many respects is superior to other inlays as it is biocompatible (vs. KAMRA and Raindrop), reproducible with smooth surface and edges (see Allotex rough surface and edges), can be customized and easily mass-produced. CorVision microlens is also placed in a corneal pocket, a major advantage of the pocket technique, compared to the flap technique, is the salvation of more peripheral corneal nerves. This defends against the diminished corneal sensation associated with flap creation, which in turn allows for a reduced incidence of dry eyes and a potential faster visual recovery.
Presbyopia: what it is and how it affects us:
Presbyopia is an age-related progressive loss of near vision caused by reduced crystalline lens accommodation power. In a normal eye, when focusing on a near object, the lens bulges (more convex) to bring the image into sharp focus on the retina. However, in presbyopia, this capability of the lens is lost to some extent resulting in the image to focus behind the retina causing blurring of vision at near, especially in reduced illumination.
It is estimated that presbyopia affects an estimated 1.1 billion people aged 35 years and older. The onset age of presbyopia is around 40 years, and the prevalence is 100% by age 50 meaning that Presbyopia affects all people over the age of 50. Patients with presbyopia are usually at high risk of age-related diseases1.
Current treatment/management options for Presbyopia:
Non-surgical and surgical methods are used to improve near vision e.g., for reading and clear near vision. Non-surgical methods of presbyopia correction include eye glasses and contact lens options, while the surgical correction includes laser surgeries, synthetic corneal inlays, and intraocular lenses which remain as significant challenges for refractive surgeons.
Overall, there have been significant advances in surgical management of presbyopia over the last 20 years resulting in relatively acceptable outcomes, but each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, despite the fact that excimer laser based refractive surgeries are relatively safe and effective, their irreversible nature due to the removal of corneal tissue makes them less attractive in the long term. As for the lens-based procedures, the intraocular procedures are in general often considered too invasive for presbyopia correction. Considering these shortcomings, development of new reversible technologies that are based on natural materials is of high importance.
LinkCor®
Bioengineered corneal implants
Full or partial thickness corneas for treatment of corneal blindness caused by diseases such as keratoconus, corneal dystrophy, and corneal scarring.
Partial thickness inter-corneal implants for sight correction in patients with low vision.
Keratoconus:
A progressive eye disorder characterized by bulging, thinning, and scarring of the cornea.
Human tissue-mimetic ultra-thin membrane as a cell carrier
as a substrate for enhanced growth and differentiation of stem cells
as an alternative tissue to animal testing in the safety assessments for chemicals and drug formulations, cosmetics, personal care, and consumer products.
LinkCell™
as a substrate for enhanced growth and differentiation of stem cells
as an alternative tissue to animal testing in the safety assessments for chemicals and drug formulations, cosmetics, personal care, and consumer products.