L V Prasad Eye Institute has has set up a unit that produces special type of contact lenses (Boston scleral lenses) in collaboration with the Boston Foundation for Sight, USA.

Gene Guselli, President & CEO, BostonSight, Massachusetts, inaugurated the facility in the presence of Deborah Sweeney, Pro Vice-chancellor (Research & Innovation), Western Sydney University, Australia.

This facility is aimed at increasing access to specialised forms of contact lenses for the treatment of corneal problems and avoiding corneal transplantation in some cases.

Gene Guselli in a statement said, “This partnership creates an opportunity for our organisations to combine our collective expertise, and provide affordable access to visually impaired, underserved populations around the world.”

BostonSight PROSE (prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem) treatment uses custom designed and fabricated prosthetic devices to restore visual function, support healing, reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for patients suffering with complex corneal disease.

PROSE treatment uses scleral lens prosthetic devices that are FDA approved for therapeutic indications.

Gullapalli N Rao, Founder and Chair, L V Prasad Eye Institute said, “For many of the thousands of patients suffering with complex corneal disease, PROSE may be the ideal, and sometimes only treatment capable of restoring visual function and reducing eye pain and light sensitivity. Till date, the benefit was limited in India because of the high cost. The new manufacturing facility has been created to make it available to all sections of society.”

The scleral lenses are commonly known for their use in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, keratoconus, corneal grafts, chemical and thermal burn injuries and ocular pemphigoid.