Israeli ophthalmic medical devices maker CorNeat Vision has unveiled a new synthetic cornea, CorNeat KPro (keratoprosthesis).
The company has completed the design and development stage of CorNeat KPro, which is an associated implantation tool.
CorNeat is planning to start formal biocompatibility and safety tests for first implantation in humans by mid-2018, following solution validation in NZW rabbits.
CorNeat KPro implant is a patent-pending synthetic cornea, which uses advanced cell technology to incorporate artificial optics within resident ocular tissue.
The new artificial cornea is said to leverage a virtual space under the conjunctiva, which includes more fibroblast cells that heals quickly and offers long-term integration.
It can be implanted in 30-minute surgical procedure and is better solution compared to many available biological and synthetic alternatives.
The company has exhibited the new solution at the XXXV European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Congress (ESCRS) in Lisbon, Portugal.
CorNeat Vision chief medical officer and CorNeat KPro inventor Dr Gilad Litvin said: "The groundbreaking results obtained in our proof of concept which is backed by conclusive histopathological evidence, are extremely encouraging.
“We are entering the next phase with great confidence that CorNeat KPro will address corneal blindness just like IOLs (Intra Ocular Lens) addressed cataract"
CorNeat Vision CEO Almog Aley-Raz said: "Corneal pathology is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide with 20-30 million patients in need of a remedy and around 2 million new cases/year.”
Image: CorNeat Vision has exhibited new patent-pending synthetic cornea. Photoa; courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.