Purdue University researchers have succeeding in mounting sensors on soft contact lenses, opening an exciting range of possibilities for eye health care in future

Researchers at Purdue University, Indiana, have developed soft contact lenses that not only correct vision but can also monitor glucose and medical conditions and be used for ocular pain relief or drug delivery.

Sensors or other technology previously couldn’t be used for soft contact lenses because the technology required a rigid, planar surface.

“We developed a very unique technology that enables the integration of thin film sensors with a commercially available soft contact lens,” said  assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering, Chi Hwan Lee. “These current hydrogel-based contacts serve as the perfect platform for smart lens systems because of their high degree of comfortability, biocompatibility, breathability and long-term wearability.”

Sensors on the soft contact lens continuously detect levels of glucose, lactate and pH value, providing information associated with diabetes, hypoxia and underlying ocular tissue health. Combining soft, silicon-based contact lenses with a variety of different semiconductor devices, may make numerous advanced eye care applications possible.

“This technology is highly novel and will significantly expand the functionality of existing soft contact lenses,” Lee said. “This technology will also form a basis to further extend the functionality of the smart soft contact lens system for many other envisioned applications, including controlled release of ocular drugs, eye-wearable night vision and augmented reality.”