Exploring smart contact lenses: Innovations and advancements
Smart devices are sweeping the nation, transforming the way you unlock doors, listen to music, and manage the temperature in your home when you’re too lazy to get up. The possibilities are almost endless, which is why researchers have been experimenting with smart contact lenses. But what are smart contact lenses, and why are so many scientists interested in them? Sit back, relax, and discover the potential applications of these modern marvels.
Understanding smart contact lenses
Defining smart contact lenses
Smart contact lenses are like the Swiss-army knives of eyewear. combining the humble contact lens with James-Bond-like high-tech components. Not only do they sound cool, but they are capable of monitoring eye health. Currently, researchers are using smart lenses to monitor intraocular eye pressure, which is the fluid pressure in your eye. If your IOP is high, you may have glaucoma or another irritating eye problem. Eventually, smart contacts may have all sorts of applications, making it easier to diagnose, treat, and monitor a wide range of health conditions.
Google's pioneering role
Thanks to Novartis and Google, smart contact lenses became more than just a flight of fancy in 2014. That's when Google announced that its engineers were testing a contact lens designed to measure the amount of glucose in tears. Who knew that tears could do more than just make mascara run?
Novartis is a Swiss health care company dedicated to delivering advanced treatments for diabetes and other chronic health conditions. Partnering with Novartis gave Google access to experienced researchers who understand the challenges associated with blood glucose monitoring. Although the project was discontinued in 2018, it inspired other researchers to experiment with smart contact lenses.
Functionalities and applications
Health monitoring and biometrics
Scientists would like to think of smart contacts as tiny information gatherers, or like the undercover agents of the ocular world. They have sensors and other components designed to measure eye pressure or quantify the amount of glucose in your tears. Eventually, smart contacts may integrate with other medical devices, making it easier for medical professionals to assess their patients.
Augmented reality integration
Researchers also believe that smart contacts may be useful for delivering augmented reality experiences. In 2015, Mojo Vision developed a micro-LED display small enough to fit on a contact lens. At some point, micro-LED displays may be used to combine digital information with the user's natural environment, creating augmented experiences.
Blending the real world with the digital world enhances the user's vision, making smart contacts useful for gaming and navigation, which is pretty crazy. Augmented reality may even help medical professionals plan delicate surgical procedures or deliver better wound care. Mojo Vision decided to stop working on smart contacts in 2023, but the company created a strong foundation for future development.
Navigational aids and social signifiers
Utilizing smart lenses for navigation
Smart lenses may help people with visual impairments navigate their environments without using canes or guide dogs, because improved navigation enhances safety and increases independence. Someday, you may even be able to use smart contact lenses to let other people know about your visual impairment, making it easier to navigate social situations.
Social signifiers and interactions
Some vision impairments make it difficult to interpret social cues. If you misinterpret a hand gesture or a facial expression, you may end up in an awkward situation. Smart contact lenses can't prevent you from walking out of a public bathroom with toilet paper on your shoe, but they may help you interpret social cues correctly.
Smart contact lenses: the next big thing?
Although researchers are extremely interested in smart contacts, there are some obstacles to making them widely available. For example, Novartis discontinued its research because its scientists discovered that the amount of glucose in your tears doesn't correspond to the amount of glucose in your bloodstream.
Contact lenses need to go through an intensive FDA approval process. Researchers are still looking for the best way to combine biocompatible materials with micro-LED displays and other high-tech components. If you need a trusty new pair of contacts before our eyes start working with robot-like technology, visit 1-800 Contacts to find your preferred brand.
Frequently asked questions
Are smart contact lenses available for purchase?
As of January 2024, smart contact lenses aren't widely available. Most of their functions are theoretical, but researchers around the world are looking for ways to incorporate them into everyday life.
Can smart lenses be used by individuals without vision impairments?
Yes. Smart lenses may be useful for monitoring eye pressure and blood sugar levels, so you can wear them even if you have 20/20 vision.
How safe are smart contact lenses, and can they be customized for specific users?
Smart contact lenses are made from biocompatible materials, making them safe to wear. A biocompatible material is a substance made for direct contact with live tissue. Much like traditional contacts, smart contact lenses are customized according to the wearer's needs.
For example, once smart lenses become widely available, you'll have to choose a pair based on your visual acuity and the distance between the centers of your pupils (AKA pupillary distance).