by Raj Vaidya, staff reporter
With 285 million people suffering from visual impairment worldwide, blindness is a growing concern. In a video from CNN entitled No more darkness: Curing blindness with Billes’s laser, Dr. Josef Bille, a pioneer in the field of laser technology, says the advent of new technology might have the potential to cure all blind people within the span of 10 years.
These femtosecond lasers — short bursts of focused light — are precise enough to target even the smallest bumps and films on cataracts without the cutting that could potentially lengthen the healing process. They are the most accurate and effective lasers thus far.
“I do know some blind people in my family who could really use this technology,” junior Ifra Khan said.
This technology is extremely effective in combating diseases of the eye such as glaucoma. The lasers are precise enough to target individual molecules and have the ability to subtly shift their focus to prevent damage to healthy tissue. They provide significant safety advantages over even the best practices that exist today.
“My grandma had laser eye surgery before so I already understand how effective this technology must be,” senior Luciano Cardoza said.
Unfortunately, the huge costs involved in femtosecond technology (upwards of $500,000 per unit) might prove Dr. Bille’s 10 year target to cure all blindness unfeasible. With only a handful in use today, this promising technology may not be accessible for years to come.
