Dr David Smadja, co-inventor of the revolutionary nano-drops

A team of Israeli researchers from Bar-Ilan University's Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), sent media outlets and the twitter sphere into a spin with the announcement they had developed some revolutionary eye drops that could replace glasses.

The technology, known as Nano-Drops, was developed by ophthalmologist Dr David Smadja and Professors Zeev Zalevsky and Jean-Paul Moshe Lellouche. Patents have been filed by Birad Research & Development, the commercial arm of Bar-ILan University.

Nano-Drops achieve their optical effect and correction by locally modifying the corneal refractive index, said the University in an announcement. “The magnitude and nature of the optical correction is adjusted by an optical pattern that is stamped onto the superficial layer of the corneal epithelium with a laser source. The shape of the optical pattern can be adjusted for correction of myopia, hyperopia or presbyopia. The laser stamping takes a few milliseconds and enables the nanoparticles to enhance and 'activate' this optical pattern by locally changing the refractive index and ultimately modifying the trajectory of light passing through the cornea.”

In the future this technology may enable patients to have their vision corrected in the comfort of their own home, said researchers, as the laser device is small and connects to a smartphone.

So far, the technology has had positive results ex-vivo in pig eyes, correcting nearly 3 diopters for both myopia and presbyopia. In-vivo trials are about to begin on rabbits, to determine how long the effect of the Nano-Drops lasts after initial application.