A team from Australia's Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have developed contact lenses designed specifically to slow the development of myopia.

Research conducted at the Brien Holden Vision Institute in Sydney last year concluded that the use of soft contact lenses "offers an exciting and effective avenue to manage myopia". The work at QUT takes things a stage further by trialling both soft and hard lenses which offer differing optical powers in regions of each individual lens.

Professor Michael Collins, team leader of the QUT research, says the lenses "contain one part to get your vision sharp and help you see clearly and the other part is designed to slow the progression of myopia".

The new lenses look no different to regular lenses, and if successful in trial, they could be commercially available within two to three years.

Sources:

1. Brisbane Times :
   The eyes have it: Uni creates contact lenses that slow vision loss.

2. NCBI:
   Contact lenses to slow progression of myopia.