Development of Conductive Keratoplasty
CK, or Conductive Keratoplasty, was developed by the Refractec company in California. Refractec designed the Viewpoint CK System to deliver radiofrequency (RF) energy to reshape the cornea in the treatment of longsight and presbyopia, the need for reading glasses.

The idea to steepen the cornea to treat longsight has been around for some time. The difficulty has been developing a method of delivering a very small, controlled amount of energy to the edge of the cornea at the right depth, sufficient to raise the temperature by just the right amount. This warming causes a contraction of collagen fibres, like a belt being tightened a couple of notches. The belt tightening at the periphery of the cornea causes steepening of the central part through which you see.

Initial treatments in the late 1970s using a hot wire didn't prove to be successful or predictable in their effect. Two different methods of using laser energy have been tried, without long lasting success. The most recent was the Hyperion LTK laser developed by the Sunrise Corporation. The effect of LTK proved to be transient in many patients.

Fortunately, the problems with regression of the treatment effect have been overcome by Refractec's Viewpoint CK System. The secret is in using a super fine tip to apply RF energy  equally through the body of the cornea, and not predominantly to the surface as with previous approaches. RF energy has been used in various fields of medicine since the 1950s and is a safe and established technology.

FDA studies for the treatment of longsight are now two years on, and show excellent stability of effect. Dr. Jose Guell of Spain, one of Refractec's investigators for the CK system, has patients with ongoing benefit after almost four years.

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