A University of Houston biomedical researcher is developing new technology that will measure the stiffness of the lens in the eye, which is likely associated with presbyopia, or farsightedness, the inevitable and age-related loss of the ability to focus on nearby objects.

Presbyopia – which eventually impacts every human being – is linked to a stiffening of the crystalline lens. There are currently several investigational approaches for presbyopia treatment that rely on lens softening or lens replacement with softer materials. Drug-associated lens softening approaches are expected to have a transformative impact on the field because they are non-invasive and they preserve the anatomical relationship between the lens and other tissues involved in focusing, but there is a significant roadblock to developing these procedures.