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Researchers measure lens properties with aim of developing better hydrogel
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Studying the mechanical properties of human and animal lenses may help to develop a better hydrogel material for IOL implants, according to a press release from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Kai-Tak Wan, PhD, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the university, and Nathan Ravi, MD, director of ophthalmology for Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, are studying the elasticity of lenses from pigs and human cadavers to identify the force needed to stretch the lenses for focus. They are also measuring similar characteristics in IOLs.
The researchers hope to develop a hydrogel material that simulates the optical and mechanical properties of a natural human lens in order to improve the limited range of accommodation that cataract patients experience with standard monofocal IOLs, according to the press release.