Project: The Biomechanical Principles of Corneal Reshaping and their Application in Soft Contact Lenses
Orthokeratology, or contact lens corneal reshaping, involves the wearing of specially designed contact lenses at night to alter the shape of the cornea. Upon awakening, the lenses are removed and the patient then has clear vision throughout the day. This method of vision correction provides an alternative to glasses or contact lenses for patients who prefer not to wear their correction during the day. Moreover, the reversibility of the changes is a significant advantage over refractive surgery.
Currently orthokeratology is practised using rigid contact lenses for the reduction of mild to moderate myopia. However, the introduction of high oxygen permeable silicone hydrogel materials, suitable for overnight wear, have made soft contact lenses a possible alternative for corneal reshaping.
Although orthokeratology has several advantages when compared to other methods of vision correction, it is still not widely practised. One of the main reasons for this is the perceived discomfort of and difficulty in fitting the rigid lenses used in this procedure. Although orthokeratology lenses are worn overnight, wearers still experience the discomfort associated with rigid contact lenses. Currently, eighty to ninety percent of conventional contact lens wearers use soft contact lenses, arguably for their superior comfort over rigid lenses. The availability of soft lenses to reshape the cornea may potentially improve the acceptance of orthokeratology. Additionally, soft orthokeratology lenses may be easier to fit than their rigid counterparts and this may help to overcome the barrier some practitioners have in fitting orthokeratology lenses.
Fabian’s PhD work is focused on understanding the biomechanical principles of soft contact lens corneal reshaping. This project involves the development of software for creating and analysing finite element models to help design soft orthokeratology lenses which will ultimately be tested clinically. The knowledge gained will help to systematically develop soft contact lenses as a viable alternative to current rigid lens orthokeratology and provide patients with more options for vision correction.
Fabian is originally from Berlin, Germany. He graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin with a Diploma in Optometry. His diploma thesis was carried out as a 6 month research project, analysing ocular parameters under various directions of gaze, at the Vision CRC. Fabian commenced full-time study as an international PhD candidate at the Vision CRC in July 2006.
Supervisor: Brien A. Holden
Co-supervisor: Klaus Ehrmann
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