Smart Contact Lenses—A Step towards Non-Invasive Continuous Eye Health Monitoring

Abstract

According to the age-old adage, while eyes are often considered the gateway to the soul, they might also provide insights into a more pragmatic aspect of our health: blood sugar levels. This potential breakthrough could be realized through the development of smart contact lenses (SCLs). Although contact lenses were first developed for eyesight correction, new uses have recently become available. In the near future, it might be possible to monitor a variety of ocular and systemic disorders using contact lens sensors. Within the realm of glaucoma, SCLs present a novel prospect, offering a potentially superior avenue compared to traditional management techniques. These lenses introduce the possibility of non-invasive and continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) while also enabling the personalized administration of medication as and when needed. This convergence holds great promise for advancing glaucoma care. In this review, recent developments in SCLs, including their potential applications, such as IOP and glucose monitoring, are briefly discussed.

Optical sensor to improve the accuracy of non-invasive blood sugar monitoring

“…Additionally, needing to perform these tests multiple times daily can create a psychological burden and may not support discreet monitoring, ultimately affecting the individual's daily routine [7]- [10]. There are various ways to analyze glucose levels, such as through the fingernail by frequency action on the nail bed [11], contact lens sensors [12]- [15] using electromagnetic sensing methods [16], and other biological fluids (sweat, urine, intercellular fluid, respiration, and saliva) [17], [18]. Some methods can be based on modelling without experimental data [19], but the advantage lies in the conceptual models anchored by results of analyses carried out under real conditions [20].…”

Smart Contact Lenses in Ophthalmology: Innovations, Applications, and Future Prospects

“…The growing interest in SCL devices can be attributed to their multifaceted capacities. As such, SCLs can act in vision correction and be utilized as a non-invasive physiologic detector of health [1].…”