Overview

• Researchers from Occidental College and UC Irvine presented early electromechanical reshaping results at ACS Fall 2025, using brief electrochemical pulses to temporarily soften corneal tissue for molding.
• In 12 ex vivo rabbit globes, including 10 modeled as myopic, the method achieved the targeted focusing power in about one minute without incisions.
• Optical coherence tomography, second-harmonic generation, and confocal imaging indicated preserved collagen architecture and stromal cell viability after treatment.
• The setup used a platinum “contact lens” electrode in tear-like saline, appeared less equipment-intensive than LASIK, and may be reversible, with experiments also hinting at reversing some chemically induced corneal cloudiness.
• Planned studies on living rabbits to assess safety and different refractive errors are on hold due to funding uncertainties, though the reported work was supported by the NIH National Eye Institute and the John Stauffer Charitable Trust.