Category: Information

Research update 3 shows promising results

If you have been following our previous posts; Engineers to develop spectacle lenses for keratoconus patients, Research update and Spectacles for KC Research update 2, you will be aware of Dr Ahmed’s work to address the problem of non-orthogonal astigmatism.

At our AGM and Speaker meeting both Dr Abass and optometrist Lynn White, carefully explained the progress of their work to find a solution for those of us who have to cope with not wearing contact lenses for a period of time; yet still need better vision for dealing with basic tasks. Both Ahmed and Lynn are convinced that with the advance of technology, spectacles can be manufactured to take account of a non-orthogonal angle of astigmatism. Indeed, some who have worn the spectacles in laboratory conditions, do not want to give them back.

In this clip, Dr Abass explained how he was able to interpret the high-resolution results without relying on the software provided by modern topography machines. He noticed that astigmatism is not always orthogonal, which led to his research project to find a better solution for keratoconus.

Here Lynn White explains the wider implications of Dr Abass’ research beyond keratoconus.

More details will follow in the next newsletter. To see a fuller summary of the talk click here 

There is still a long way to go but results to date are promising.

Here is the press release from Liverpool University.

In a recent KC patient group meeting, Dr Ahmed Abass from the University of Liverpool unveiled exciting research into a new type of spectacle lens designed to help those living with keratoconus; a progressive eye condition that causes thinning and irregular shaping of the cornea.

Traditional glasses often fall short in correcting vision for keratoconus patients due to a phenomenon called non-orthogonal astigmatism. However, Dr Abass and his team, supported by Fight for Sight and the UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association, have been exploring an innovative lens design that targets this issue directly.

The results are encouraging. In this pilot study, many participants experienced clearer vision, reduced ghosting, and sharper letter recognition with these specially designed lenses.

“This is the first study of its kind,” Dr Abass said. “We’ve shown that the idea works. Now we need to focus on scaling it up, finding ways to mass produce these lenses and test them on a larger group.”

As the project looks towards the next stage, development and commercialisation, there may be exciting opportunities for those in the optical or medical device industries to get involved. Anyone interested in collaborating with the University of Liverpool or learning more is welcome to contact Dr Abass at a.abass@liverpool.ac.uk. or connect via linkedin

It is a small but meaningful step forward, offering new possibilities for those seeking alternatives to contact lenses or invasive procedures.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/ahmed-abass

    Spectacles for KC Research update 2

    If you have been following this topic, you would have seen our earlier posts here and here

    We are pleased to report that Dr Ahmed Abass has published his paper which we are proud to have co-sponsored with Fight for Sight.

    Dr Abass has kindly provided the following simplified abstract. The full paper can be read here. You can also view his other papers on his University Page here

    Purpose

    The study aimed to investigate whether non-orthogonal correction in spectacles would improve the visual acuity of people with keratoconus. Non-orthogonal correction is where the angle between the cylinder powers of a spectacle lens for astigmatism is less than or greater than 90 degrees. Typically, keratoconus patients have this type of astigmatism, which is why standard glasses do not work well.

    Methods

    The study involved 18 patients with keratoconus from an eye clinic in Liverpool. After evaluating their eye condition, 23 eyes were selected for testing, while others were excluded due to the eye having little or no keratoconus or severe dryness. Each eye was tested first with standard lenses, and then with non-orthogonal lenses. The lenses were tested with different angles until the best one was found for each person. Participants were asked to rate their vision, specifically how clear letters appeared and how much “ghosting” (double vision) they experienced with each lens type.

    Results

    Of the eyes tested, 61% showed improved vision with non-orthogonal lenses, 30% saw no change, and 9% saw a slight decrease in vision. Regardless of vision improvement, 87% of participants noticed clearer letters, and 79% reported less ghosting. Most of the preferred angles for the non-orthogonal lenses were between 80° and 85°. The study also showed that for many people, the non-orthogonal lenses could provide a more accurate prescription compared to regular lenses. Nearly all participants said they would be interested in trying non-orthogonal glasses.

    Conclusions

    The study suggests that non-orthogonal lenses could improve vision and reduce issues like ghosting for people with keratoconus. While this is a promising step toward developing better glasses for these patients, more work is needed before these lenses can be made for everyday use. 

    We are hoping to arrange for Dr Abass to speak at one of our future events.

      Redesigning contact lenses for keratoconus

      At our AGM we were treated to a talk by Emma McVeigh about a new project led by Dan Ehrlich (retired Head of Optometry at Moorfields). Moorfields is funding an innovation grant harnessing advanced imaging technology and clinical data to improve the fitting of contact lenses for patients with keratoconus.

      You can read the full update published on Moorfields website – here

      DVLA publishes revised list of notifiable conditions list for drivers following AOP advice

      As you can see from the Government website (Eye conditions and driving), Keratoconus has been removed from the list of notifiable conditons.

      This change was made after consultation with the Association of Optometrists. You can read their announcement – Here

      However, it remains sensible for drivers with KC to let their insurance company know they have keratoconus or risk a legitimate claim being disallowed.

      For further background, this issue was featured on page 10 of our Spring 2023 Newsletter.

      Contact lens tolerance

      Recently a number of our members have experienced problems when supplied with new scleral contact lenses. Such was the concern that we asked members for feedback in our Spring 2022 Newsletter.

      We recently hosted one of our occasional KC Coffee mornings and were fortunately joined by one of the leading optometrists in the Moorfields Contact Lens Department namely, Aneel Suri. He informed us of a new coating that can be bonded to some (but not all) hard contact lens materials. Its availability is increasing and hopefully by the year end it will be available for the majority of RGP and scleral lens materials in use in the UK.

      The coating is called “Hydra-peg” and was developed by a company called Tangible Science. You may want to draw your optician’s attention to it if you are experiencing problems with lens wettability which can cause poor vision and comfort primarily in scleral lenses. It will not address any discomfort caused by ill-fitting lenses. You can read about it – here

      Update – 14th April 2025

      In response to a question from one of our members, we received the following answer from Martin Conway of Contamac:

      As to Hydrapeg, this coating has been widely accepted by the scleral lens laboratory network, across the US and Europe.

      In answer to the question  “ Can lenses be re-coated?” – well in fact it is possible to strip and recoat a lens but the risk of a contaminated lens coming contact with new lenses being prepared in the laboratory make it impractical.

      Labs conform to extremely tight protocols which govern how lenses and raw materials are controlled within the laboratory environment and to introduce a worn lens into that system would breach those regulations. The coating is applied in a bath which will is normally used to treat multiple lenses at a time leading to a possible contamination risk and to have separate rooms or protocol to treat or modify individual lenses is not financially viable, it would be cheaper to make a new pair of lenses! Laboratories used to offer repolishing or even power modification for GP lens wearers – they do not allow that these days for similar reasons. Worn lenses coming into a laboratory present an unacceptable contamination risk. 

      The Hydrapeg coating is just 35 nanometres thick and formed from a hydrophilic molecule. If it is allowed to dry out, or is mishandled in any way, then the coating will be disrupted. 

      Tangible Sciences have a product called Boost, which is available in the US and is designed to repair the coating and replenish the coating with regular soaking however because of the current regulatory framework in Europe, it is not available here.

      I’m sorry I can’t be of more help for your member but despite the fragility of the coating, most patients who have had the coated lenses request them again when it is time for renewal.

      Cornea Donation

      At our November Coffee Morning, we were treated to a very thought-provoking talk from Tracy Long-Sutehall. Tracy has been very concerned by the shortage of available corneas for transplant surgery. She realised a major opportunity is being missed in hospice care due to the lack of consultation with family members.

      The talk was recorded and we intend to add the video to this post as soon as it is available.

      Unlike other hospital environments, patients in hospices are usually unsuitable candidates for organ donation. However, with corneas, it is a different story. In many cases, the cornea could be used to benefit someone facing the prospect of losing their sight.

      Tracy has undertaken a research project to see how this situation could be rectified.

      If you want to know more, you can follow the links below:

      Summary of the Research
      Details of the Research Project
      Tracy’s Biography

      Other Links:

      Cornea donation myths dispelled

      A personal testament from one of our members, the late Andrew MacLean

      One of our members is an Ambassador for NHS Blood and Transplant and has made this video for them about his recent cornea transplant.

      Prof. Roger John Buckley

      Sadly, our president passed away on Wednesday 12th October 2022

      Mr Buckley has been a keen supporter of our charity. His involvement started in the first year of our inception and his encouragement and involvement have helped us grow to where we are today.

      For many years he led the corneal service at Moorfields. His surgical skills and ability to communicate with patients were second to none. Prof. Roger Buckly will be sadly missed.

      You can read a fitting tribute to the much loved Honory President of our charity – Here

      Moorfields team develop ‘prediction calculator’ for keratoconus

      A Moorfields and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology team led by Daniel Gore have developed a ‘prediction calculator’ to give keratoconus patients a personalised risk calculation to make informed decisions about treatment.

      Keratoconus is a condition that causes the cornea to thin and impair vision. It is one of the most common reasons for corneal transplants in younger patients, and usually presents itself in their early teens. While milder cases can be managed by contact lenses or glasses, in more advanced cases a corneal transplant may be required to restore vision. A treatment called corneal cross-linking (CXL) is able to effectively stop disease progression, but is not always suitable.

      The calculator creates a unique graph for each eye of each patient based on their individual risk factors to assess their likely prognosis, helping both clinicians and patients to decide when and if to proceed with CXL. This calculator is part of a wider project to offer more personalised management plans to patients to improve outcomes.

      Read the full article on the Moorfields website

      Genetic Research

      Members will remember the talk given by Professor Alison Hardcastle at our AGM in 2019, updating us on her work as part of the Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). The talk was summarised in our Summer 2019 newsletter.

      The authors from UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospitaland many other institutions from around the world, have recently published a very significant paper outlining the results of their research to date.

      The paper can be read here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-01784-0#MOESM9