The technology used to adjust JWST’s mirrors is used to improve human vision

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James Webb Space Telescope Cryogenic Mirror Experiment | Image credit given to NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham/Emmett.

While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has proven its scientific value with stunningly detailed photographs, the technology developed to adjust its typical mirrors is having an impact much closer to home.

The massive, powerful mirrors that captured the light of 13 billion years ago were made possible by a precise synchronization and measurement process that took decades of development. But that technology isn’t limited to just one use case, and part of the process is incorporated into Johnson & Johnson Vision’s iDesign Refractive Studio, a device that takes precise eye measurements of defects in the visual pathway and the curvature of the cornea in humans. eye

NASA started the technology in the year In the early 2000s, Albuquerque, New Mexico subcontractor Wavefront Science worked with the space agency to develop a system to measure variations in web mirrors on the ground and in precise detail.

“The mirrors were one of the critical pieces of technology we needed to enable the observatory,” says Lee Feinberg, member manager of the Webb Optical Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“When they were cooled, we had to mold them in a way that would give them the glass shape we wanted. We had to match the curvature of one mirror to the other; This was a very challenging problem.

iDesign
Johnson & Johnson’s iDesign Refractive Studio takes accurate eye measurements that show visual pathways and corneal curves to help doctors diagnose and plan eye problems. | Credits: Johnson & Johnson Vision

After the success of that measurement technology, some of the algorithms he developed were incorporated into a commercial product called the Complete Ophthalmic Analysis System, or COAS, which maps the eye and analyzes the condition of the eye.

That technology Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2017 and incorporated into the iDesign Refractive Studio, it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2018.

Described by a Johnson & Johnson executive as “a unique optical fingerprint for each patient’s eye,” the technology has the ability to identify individual eye conditions.

NASA previously revealed that LASIK eye surgery was based on limited data from the patient’s eyeglass prescription, but now, thanks to the integration of JWST technology, it can include more than 1,200 measurements for each individual.

The success of the iDesign Refractive Studio is one of many examples of how NASA technology has had a direct impact on the private sector. A full list of examples of technologies that have made it into commercial products and services can be found at NASA spin off Publication.

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