Mirror Telescopes for Lasik Surgery

Mirror telescopes as a means of improving vision are the result of research developed from astronomy. Deformable mirrors were the precursor and were developed for telescopes in the early 1990s. The were the result of a concept first proposed in 1953 as a means to correct distortions of light coming from stars through earth’s atmosphere. This science is known as adaptive optics and has three components. The first is a sensor to collect light and its distortions, the second is software to command and control changes from the data collected and the third is a correction device, typically a deformable mirror. This technology seems aptly suited to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

As early as 2004 an implantable telescopic device was developed to measure and correct refractions of light on the retina. The device involves some 50,000 mirrors, each the size of half the width of a hair, and each being adjustable. It refocuses the light from the central vision area to other areas of the retina that are working. The American Journal of Ophthalmology released a recent study. This two-year study on patients with AMD showed a significant increase in vision from 60% improvement versus 10% with other eye options. It also showed the safety factor improved with a vision loss of less than 1% compared to 7% with other procedures.

AMD is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the US and involves the loss of central vision needed for reading, watching TV and other things. Central field loss of vision will significantly improve with implantable telescopic devices. They are currently being evaluated by the FDA and have already been approved in Europe.