TECLens Inc., a Stamford-based clinical-stage ophthalmic medical device company, said Tuesday it raised $9.3 million in a Series A funding round.
The round was co-led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC Inc. and Yonjin Capital. Other investors included Rimonci Capital and Sunmed Capital.
“We’re incredibly excited to garner investor support from both industry veterans and newcomers to the ophthalmology sector,” said TECLens CEO Thomas Dunlap.
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TECLens said the proceeds of the funding round will be used to support the clinical development of its non-incisional refractive correction procedure, which leverages corneal cross-linking (CXL) to reshape the cornea.
Traditional CXL uses riboflavin and ultraviolet light to strengthen the cornea. TECLens said its proprietary Quantitative Corneal Cross-Linking (qCXL) is designed to deliver a pre-calculated pattern and dose of ultraviolet (UV) light based on a computational biomechanics model of each patient’s eye.
The company’s proprietary CXLens device comfortably delivers the UV light and treatment progression in real time, with an on-board ultrasound sensor to ensure adherence to the pre-plan, which enhances precision.
The CXLens device is designed for use in the examination room and has been successfully demonstrated in eyes with keratoconus, an eye condition in which your cornea gets thinner and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape.
TECLens said it is now advancing clinical studies for refractive correction, with a primary focus on presbyopia, a normal part of aging that makes it hard for middle-aged and older adults to see things up close. Potential future applications include pediatric progressive myopia (also known as near-sightedness), low-order adult myopia, hyperopia (or far-sightedness) and astigmatism.
