Myopia or near sightedness has more or less become an epidemic in Asia. Of people aged 20 and under, 96% of South Koreans, 95% of Japanese, 87% of Hong Kongers, 85% of Taiwanese and 82% of Singaporeans are affected by the condition, according to the Japanese developer named Kubota.
The device, which the company calls Kubota Glasses or smart glasses, is still being tested. It projects an image from the lens of the unit onto the wearer’s retina to correct the refractive error that causes nearsightedness. Wearing the device 60 to 90 minutes a day corrects myopia according to the company.
Kubota Pharmaceutical has not disclosed additional details on how the device works. Through further clinical trials, it is trying to determine how long the effect lasts after the user wears the device, and how many days in total the user must wear the device to achieve a permanent correction for nearsightedness.
Myopia is often results from the cornea and the retina in the eye being too far apart. This inhibits the proper focusing of light as it enters the eye and causes distant objects to look blurry.
The Tokyo-based company plans to begin selling the device in Asian markets, including Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia, in the second half of the year. It is considering whether to offer it through local sales agents or online.
Kubota began clinical trials on the device last July after confirming the therapeutic effect of the mechanism using a desktop system. It is also developing a contact lens-type myopia correction device.
