Prof. TO Chi-ho
Visiting Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry, School of Optometry, PolyUChief Operating Officer and Deputy Scientific Director, Centre for Eye and Vision Research Limited
Optometry graduate
“Watching TV too closely will give you myopia!” Do you recall hearing this cautionary phrase from adults during your childhood? And do you remember the noticeable increase in classmates wearing glasses after summer vacations?
Myopia is the most common eye disorder worldwide. Experts estimated that over 50% of the global population will be affected by 2050, and the risk of blindness caused by high myopia demands our attention. Prof. To Chi-ho, who was among the first cohort of students who graduated with a Professional Diploma in Optometry from PolyU, has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by myopic children and their parents.
Let’s go back to 2002. At that time, Prof. To had already returned to Hong Kong after pursuing further studies in the U.K. and joined the academic team at his alma mater. During a parents’ seminar, concerns about “kids becoming increasingly myopic” echoed continuously. Many parents worried about the continued damage to their children’s eye health but had no solutions. “I deeply felt how troublesome myopia was for everyone!” While having lunch after the seminar, he wrote down his research directions on the menu – to reverse myopia using defocus technology.
With a strong foundation in scientific research, unwavering determination, and active support from various sectors, Prof. To and his team spent many years finally achieving a breakthrough in the field of visual health: they invented the Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) Lens, based on the natural homeostatic mechanism of the eye and their independently-developed technology that slows the progression of myopia among children by as much as 60%, providing the first line of treatment for myopia control! In 2011, DISC won a Gold Award with the Congratulations of Jury and the Grand Prize of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, at the 39th International Exhibition of Geneva in Switzerland. It was successfully commercialised in 2018; three years later, DISC was launched in the mainland market with sales reaching as high as over 200,000 boxes, benefiting numerous schoolchildren.
“However, there are people who find contact lenses uncomfortable to wear or who are prone to eye infections. How to meet their needs has always been on my to-do list.” Shortly after inventing DISC, Prof. To led the researchers to work even harder and collaborated with HOYA Corporation to develop the Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lens. The clinical results were equally significant, and the number of awards even reached a new high – it won the Grand Prize, Prize of the Legal Company Gorodissky & Partners, Russia, and Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva! DIMS lenses, which are now available in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, the U.K., and France, have gained wide acceptance in the market, benefiting more than 350,000 myopic children in over 20 regions. Global patients now have one more choice to improve their visual health.
Behind the applause, Prof. To encountered many obstacles on the path to commercialisation. “During that time, I tried to negotiate with many manufacturers, but they constantly rejected me. Can you imagine how disheartening that was?” It was not until 2016 that he, together with a PolyU graduate, established the start-up Vision Science and Technology Co. Ltd (VST) to put the innovations into mass production. VST received funding support of HK$1.1 million from the HKSTP-PolyU Tech Incubation Fund and the PolyU Tech Launchpad Fund, and has secured more than HK$2.3 million of further investment over the years. With a license from PolyU for commercialising the technologies, the company manufactures and distributes the products at its authorised optometric clinics and fitting centres.
As a scholar who never sits in ivory towers, Prof. To has been keen on serving the community with his expertise. During his headship of PolyU’s School of Optometry, he advocated the launch of the service-learning subject “Learning through Providing Eye Care and Vision Health to the Community”, where students provide eye screening and seminars to patients in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Moreover, he has contributed to the charity project “Vision of Love Mobile Eye Care”, which targets those having difficulties accessing eye care services. The two initiatives so far have galvanised over 4,000 students serving over 45,000 patients.
“I cherish the many wonderful collaborations with the PolyU vision research team, as well as their enduring friendship; compared to this, any individual achievements seem like fitting background music.” The grey hair of experience is the splendour of Prof. To. As time goes by, what remains unchanged is his humble and altruistic heart, which continues to burn passionately.
I cherish the many wonderful collaborations with the PolyU vision research team, as well as their enduring friendship; compared to this, any individual achievements seem like fitting background music.
Publishing Date: May 2024
