Tech | December 03, 2009 | 11 comments

Patients upgrading eyes to HD with operation

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stockrdb/2848444141/

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richjm
Eye patients in Britain are having a specially-made artificial lens surgically inserted into their eyes to give them vision that's better than high definition, according to Sky News.

The procedure is initially the same one used for fixing patients' cataracts problems. Once the lens, which is made from a special light-sensitive silicone, is in place though, surgeon's can shine ultraviolet light onto certain parts of it to change its shape which in turn adjusts the person's focus.

One final blast of light later and the lens is set in place, giving patients vision that is reportedly even better than 20/20 - the best vision adults can usually wish for.

Bobby Qureshi, the first ophthalmic surgeon in the UK to use the lens, described the technique as “a hugely significant development”.

"We have the potential here to change patients' vision to how it was when they were young.

"The change is so accurate that we can even make the lens bifocal or varifocal, so as well as giving them good vision at distance we can give them good vision for reading.

"They won't need their glasses at all."

Image by Robert D Bruce on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stockrdb/2848444141/

More on this story:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Eye-Patients-Fitted-With-Artifical-Lens...
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11 comments // Patients upgrading eyes to HD with operation

  • thewhompus
    • 0
      thewhompus  

    • yeah......The comparison to HD makes no sense whatsoever. HD is an issue of resolution, and the resolution of eyesight has nothing to do with the lens, it has to do with the number of retinal cells. And additionally, your brain is VERY good at filling in the gaps of resolution, so it's not an issue.
      Nice that they've come up with a way to get better than 20/20 vision. If it weren't for the incredible number of times my glasses have prevented eye injury, I might consider such a thing once they've proven it.

    • 2 years ago
  • ozoneocean
    • 0
      ozoneocean  

    • Using HD as a comparrison is a joke. HD is nothing compared to what an ordinary eye and brain vision sytem are able to see. What kind of idiot thought of that comparrison?

    • 2 years ago
  • maisry
  • shanklinmike
  • Ares
    • 0
      Ares  

    • This is pretty interesting, but I'm concerned about effects that lasik already sees. Aside from the normal risks of surgery, lasik patients never have the same quality of night vision.

      I'll stick with PRK.

    • 2 years ago
  • richjm
    • 0
      richjm  

    • I'm too petrified of losing my sight to ever risk having what would be a vanity operation on them. If something goes wrong at the dentist, I slurp soup. If something goes wrong with an op like this, the consequences are much worse so unless my eye sight became really shoddy indeed, I don't think I'd risk it.

    • 2 years ago
  • iamfree
  • ironicbliss
    • 0
      ironicbliss  

    • I like wearing my glasses.
      Perhaps when HD TV is done and dusted and true 3D is the next big thing we will be calling at our local electrical store not to buy a Bluray player but to laser our eyes enabling us to fully appreciate the picture quality.

    • 2 years ago
  • richjm
    • 0
      richjm  

    • They could end up like ties - something people don't actually need to wear but still choose do because they think they look good or more intelligent etc.

    • 2 years ago
  • Sam_the_Wizer
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