Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has invested in TECLens, a startup developing a non-incisional procedure leveraging crosslinking (CXL) technology to address keratoconus and correct refractive errors.
According to TECLens, while most current treatments to reshape the cornea require laser ablation or invasive surgery, the company’s non-invasive treatment incorporates quantitative CXL technology and a CXLens device bathing the eye in UV light from a fibre-optic-connected scleral contact lens. The computationally optimised UV pattern is accompanied by a dose of riboflavin customised for each eye, stiffening and reshaping the cornea to a specific prescription. The correction effect is monitored in real time with ultrasound, said TECLens.
TECLens has conducted a successful pilot study in keratoconus patients and is currently planning the first refractive-correction clinical studies.