Soft CLs show promise

Custom-designed soft contact lenses can improve vision for patients with keratoconus and in the long-term offer hope of non-surgical treatment instead of corneal transplants, researchers from the University of Rochester claim.

They tested several designs of custom contact lenses on the patients participating in their research project. Keratoconus, which is rare, can be disabling and figures suggest that about one in 2,000 people suffer from the disease, usually in both eyes.

'The condition shows up in a relatively small population, but it causes huge optical problems,' explained Geunyoung Yoon, assistant professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering, the Centre for Visual Science, and the Institute of Optics.