Behind the headlines

31 October 2019
Autumn 2019

Dr David Robert Grimes looks at the eye health issues that are making the news.

Lenses ‘zoom’ on command

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft tunable lens that automatically shifts focal length when the wearer blinks twice (Li et al, 2019). 

The basic principle behind this technology is electrooculography: the measuring of corneo-retinal standing potential between the front and the back of the eye. This changes in known ways when the eyes move in different directions, and typically a pair of electrodes attached to the face can then ascertain which way the eye is moving, and whether blinking has transpired. 

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Related further reading

The College of Optometrists and the Optical Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC) call on the government to make a long-term commitment to primary eye care in its NHS 10-Year Health Plan as part of the shift from hospital to community.

The College of Optometrists calls for vital community minor and urgent eye care services to be universally commissioned in England

Optometrists talk to patients about eye health every day, and have an important role to play in health promotion and public health.