Non-invasive Cornea Strengthening via Low-Intensity Violet Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corneal crosslinking treatments for keratoconus and other corneal diseases are invasive, requiring surgical ablation of the corneal epithelium and high-intensity UVA irradiation, leading to complications and the need for treatment in a medical institution.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive method using a device that irradiates violet light at low intensity (0.1-1 mW/cm2) for 1-5 hours daily, combined with an administration agent, to strengthen corneal or scleral tissues, allowing treatment in daily life without epithelial ablation or confinement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional corneal crosslinking is performed with high-intensity UVA irradiation and epithelial ablation, then the strengthening effect on corneal tissue is achieved, but the invasiveness and risk of complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameters of light irradiation: using violet light (405nm) instead of UVA (370nm), and significantly reducing the irradiance from conventional high intensity to 0.1-1 mW/cm2. This parameter change allows achieving corneal strengthening without epithelial ablation, thereby reducing invasiveness while maintaining therapeutic effect
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs prolonged periodic irradiation (1-5 hours per day) at low intensity instead of conventional high-intensity short-duration treatment. This periodic low-intensity approach allows gradual crosslinking without causing epithelial damage, resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and safety
2Reliability
If high-intensity UVA irradiation is used for corneal crosslinking, then the treatment effectiveness is improved, but the risk of ultraviolet eye complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter from UVA (370nm) to violet light (405nm) and adjusts irradiance to 0.1-1 mW/cm2. This parameter change eliminates ultraviolet complications while maintaining crosslinking effectiveness through prolonged low-intensity exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful high-intensity UVA approach into a beneficial low-intensity violet light approach. By using lower energy violet light for prolonged periods, it achieves the desired crosslinking effect without the harmful ultraviolet side effects, turning a harmful protocol into a safe one
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional corneal crosslinking is performed in a medical institution operating room, then the treatment control is precise, but the patient convenience and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables patients to perform corneal crosslinking treatment at home using portable violet light devices, eliminating the need for hospital operating rooms. The treatment becomes a self-service procedure that patients can conduct in their daily lives, greatly improving convenience and accessibility while maintaining treatment precision through controlled irradiance parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex medical institution-based mechanical treatment system with a simplified portable violet light device that can be used at home. This substitution maintains therapeutic precision through controlled low-intensity irradiation while eliminating the need for hospital infrastructure, improving patient accessibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively suppresses the progression of keratoconus and other corneal diseases without the invasive risks of conventional methods, enabling portable and non-invasive treatment that maintains tissue strength similar to traditional crosslinking.
Implementation Method 1
a device which irradiates violet light toward an eye administered with an administration agent used to strengthen a corneal or a scleral tissue
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a device and a method for strengthening a cornea or a sclera or suppressing a progression of a disease in a non-invasive manner, enabling treatment in daily life without treatment in a confined state at a medical institution for a fixed period of time and without ablation of the corneal epithelium as in conventional corneal crosslinking. The above-described problem is solved by a non-invasive cornea and sclera strengthening device that irradiates violet light toward an eye administered with an administration agent used to strengthen a corneal tissue or a scleral tissue, and is configured so that an irradiance of the violet light onto a surface of the eye is within a range of 0.1 to 1 mW/cm2, and a time of irradiation of the violet light onto the eye is within a range of one to five hours per day.