Overview

• Researchers from Occidental College and UC Irvine reported electromechanical reshaping that adjusted the curvature of rabbit corneas without incisions.
• Using a molded platinum contact-lens electrode, brief bursts of current reshaped each cornea in about a minute during saline-immersion ex vivo tests.
• Across 12 rabbit eyeballs, 10 modeled for myopia reached the targeted focusing power, and imaging suggested preserved collagen structure and cell viability.
• The team defined a tight operational window—malleable near pH 2 and opacity around pH 1.5—and used burst dosing to keep tissue clear.
• Findings were presented at the ACS Fall 2025 meeting, with next steps in live-animal studies to assess durability and safety, supported to date by NIH’s National Eye Institute and the John Stauffer Charitable Trust.