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How does this actually help treat nearsightedness when not wearing it? Does it change the shape of the eye ball?

throwaway314158 6y ago
Since it doesn't come in contact with the eye, that doesn't seem to be likely. It could be training the muscles that adjust the curvature of your lens.
bilegeek 6y ago
It doesn't seem like it. They've had what you're talking about already: Orthokeratology[1], in which contact lenses temporarily reshape the cornea. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokeratology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokeratology
- whoisburbansky 6y ago
  Nitpicking, but training eye muscles to tighten/loosen and thereby change the shape of the eyeball is more along the lines of what the technique apparently claims to do, and OP is asking about. Orthokeratology changes only the shape of the cornea, not the eye ball itself; it's a bit like talking about making a telescope physically longer/shorter vs. simply switching out the lens at one end for a different one.
  - unishark 6y ago
    Orthokeratology does both in developing children, according to a couple studies referred to in their link.
mmcconnell1618 6y ago
No details in the article but I assume the "smart" part of the name implies it can adjust the image to adapt to different people. It's possible it has some kind of algorithm to slowly adjust the prescription over the 60 to 90 days so that your body begins to adjust by making eye muscles stronger. The visual equivalent of braces for your teeth. No real details, just speculation.
- londons_explore 6y ago
  it's just a bunch of LED's in a ring. The 'smart' part is the person selling these...
drewzero1 6y ago
(Speculation) Most non-surgical treatments I've looked into to help with nearsightedness are focused on strengthening the muscles that shape the eye's lens. I wonder if this is designed to train those muscles.
feanaro 6y ago
It's probably based on the theory that over a longer time frame the eye adapts to slightly defocused images in order to bring them in focus. The key is that the image must be defocused only slightly, not grossly.
- RHSeeger 6y ago
  It's amazing what the eye can adapt to. The story of the man who wore the glasses that turned everything upside down... and his brain just adapted to it and he saw things normally... is fascinating to me. And then there's my eyes. I have severe double vision (as a result of surgery last year) and my brain is just like "meh, suck it up"; and I'm left walking into things on regular basis because there's two of everything. How come _his_ brain figured out upside down, and mine can't figure out 2 of everything? (I'm not actually asking, just complaining a bit /sigh)
  - taneq 6y ago
    Yeah, adaptation is incredible when it works but is also hit-and-miss. I don't like the trend of hyperventilating about "your body is amazing and can adapt to anything" because it comes with an unspoken rider of "so if you have problems it's probably just a character flaw".
- taneq 6y ago
  So wear slightly weaker glasses? Yep.
  - google234123 6y ago
    I don't think this has been conclusively demonstrated yet.
    - benibela 6y ago
      There was one famous study that discovered wearing weaker glasses made myopia worse, and then everyone was too afraid to make further studies

Since it doesn't come in contact with the eye, that doesn't seem to be likely. It could be training the muscles that adjust the curvature of your lens.

bilegeek 6y ago

It doesn't seem like it. They've had what you're talking about already: Orthokeratology[1], in which contact lenses temporarily reshape the cornea. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokeratology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokeratology

whoisburbansky 6y ago
Nitpicking, but training eye muscles to tighten/loosen and thereby change the shape of the eyeball is more along the lines of what the technique apparently claims to do, and OP is asking about. Orthokeratology changes only the shape of the cornea, not the eye ball itself; it's a bit like talking about making a telescope physically longer/shorter vs. simply switching out the lens at one end for a different one.
- unishark 6y ago
  Orthokeratology does both in developing children, according to a couple studies referred to in their link.

mmcconnell1618 6y ago

No details in the article but I assume the "smart" part of the name implies it can adjust the image to adapt to different people. It's possible it has some kind of algorithm to slowly adjust the prescription over the 60 to 90 days so that your body begins to adjust by making eye muscles stronger. The visual equivalent of braces for your teeth. No real details, just speculation.

londons_explore 6y ago
it's just a bunch of LED's in a ring. The 'smart' part is the person selling these...

drewzero1 6y ago

(Speculation) Most non-surgical treatments I've looked into to help with nearsightedness are focused on strengthening the muscles that shape the eye's lens. I wonder if this is designed to train those muscles.

feanaro 6y ago

It's probably based on the theory that over a longer time frame the eye adapts to slightly defocused images in order to bring them in focus. The key is that the image must be defocused only slightly, not grossly.

RHSeeger 6y ago
It's amazing what the eye can adapt to. The story of the man who wore the glasses that turned everything upside down... and his brain just adapted to it and he saw things normally... is fascinating to me. And then there's my eyes. I have severe double vision (as a result of surgery last year) and my brain is just like "meh, suck it up"; and I'm left walking into things on regular basis because there's two of everything. How come _his_ brain figured out upside down, and mine can't figure out 2 of everything? (I'm not actually asking, just complaining a bit /sigh)
- taneq 6y ago
  Yeah, adaptation is incredible when it works but is also hit-and-miss. I don't like the trend of hyperventilating about "your body is amazing and can adapt to anything" because it comes with an unspoken rider of "so if you have problems it's probably just a character flaw".
taneq 6y ago
So wear slightly weaker glasses? Yep.
- google234123 6y ago
  I don't think this has been conclusively demonstrated yet.
  - benibela 6y ago
    There was one famous study that discovered wearing weaker glasses made myopia worse, and then everyone was too afraid to make further studies