SYDNEY, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- A new therapeutic contact lens that acts as a bandage for eye surface injuries looks set to significantly improve treatment of major corneal injuries, according to the latest Australian research.
The "bandage" would consist of cells with special wound-healing properties, with the cells "isolated from donor eye tissue and subsequently attached to the inner surface of a special type of contact lens", Queensland University of Technology researcher Professor Damien Harkin said in a statement about its project late on Thursday.
"The donor cells are readily accessible from tissue that is usually discarded after routine corneal transplants," said Harkin.
"Based upon preliminary data we believe that the donor cells release a range of wound-healing factors that encourage repair of the eye's surface."
The lenses could be available within hours of patients arriving at clinics with either recently acquired or chronic damage to their eye's surface, he said.
"Our therapy could provide welcome relief for patients suffering from chronic conditions such as corneal ulcers and persistent surface defects that haven't responded to conventional therapies," said Harkin.
"The new treatment could also become useful as a part of the first-line therapy in the management of acute eye injuries experienced in the work place or at home arising from exposure to caustic chemicals, scalding liquids or excessive heat."
The new treatment could be available to patients within as little as a few years subject to completion of rigorous clinical trials, he said.
