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The Emergence of Adaptive Optics

The billion dollar Hubble Telescope has been assisting astronomers for nearly two decades now, gathering information about our own Milky Way galaxy and the rest of our universe. The entire project has not been without problems, however. Shortly after its launch in 1990, it was discovered that the mirror contained significant spherical aberration that affected the performance of the telescope. A system was developed called COSTAR, Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, which used two mirrors in the light path to correct for the aberration in the main mirror. With this adaptation, astronomers could achieve the accuracy and clarity that they were hoping for.

Adaptive optics relies upon a secondary set of mirrors that are in place to adjust for errors within the main optical system. While the Hubble is one example of this, our own eyes can benefit from the advances made through adaptive optics. Continue reading →

Embryonic Stem Cells to Cure Age-Related Macular Degeneration

News has been released through Reuters in an article by Ben Hirshler that British scientists are planning to use embryonic stem cells to cure age related macular degeneration, a common form of blindness. They are hoping to have the first patients receive test treatments within five years. This could be a major improvement in the methods of treating this common form of eye blindness that is experienced by millions of individuals throughout the world. Embryonic research could lead to treatments in other forms of blindness as well, such as corneal transplants and keratoconus.

There are also thoughts that perhaps embryonic stem cell research could lead to improvements in cataract surgery allowing patients to focus through a natural lens and see at both distance and near. Such an improvement would rejuvenate the vision of older patients and could conceivably be used as an alternative to LASIK eye surgery, replacing the need to reshape a person’s eye using an excimer laser.

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Derek Fisher’s comments to save hundreds of eyes per year from Retinoblastoma

It seems incredulous that an NBA athlete’s post-game comments could actually amount to something very important. You usually don’t hear things that can save your child’s eye from being removed because there is another solution available for children with retinoblastoma.

It seems incredible, yet that is what happened when Utah Jazz guard Derek Fisher arrived in time to play the last portion of a championship game in Salt Lake City, Utah. Derek Fisher, who arrived in time to help win the game and make a few post-game comments, probably didn’t realize that impact that his comments might have.
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Presbyopia (Old Eyes) Vision Correction

Presbyopia is the term for the diminishing ability to focus on up-close objects with age. While the ability to focus on near objects grows progressively worse beginning at birth, it is often first noticed at age 40 when the near focus is approximately 40 cm. Since this is a standard reading distance, it is this age that people most often feel that they are losing there near vision. In fact, the ability to focus has grown progressively worse since childhood.

Consider this. A ten year old can focus clearly on a book located 7 cm from his face while a twenty-five year old must now hold the book 10 cm from his face. The loss of 3 cm of focus may be hardly noticeable but is equivalent to a loss of four diopters of focusing ability. As the person ages another fifteen years and loses another four diopters of accommodation, they can now focus at a distance of 16 cm for short periods of time and comfortably for long periods of time at about 33 cm. The forty year old will begin to notice that near vision is not as easy as it once was.

What options are there in correcting near vision? Continue reading →