No abstract

Recent advances in smart contact lenses are essential to the realization of medical applications and vision imaging for augmented reality through wireless communication systems. However, previous research on smart contact lenses has been driven by a wired system or wireless power transfer with temporal and spatial restrictions, which can limit their continuous use and require energy storage devices. Also, the rigidity, heat, and large sizes of conventional batteries are not suitable for the soft, smart contact lens. Here, we describe a human pilot trial of a soft, smart contact lens with a wirelessly rechargeable, solid-state supercapacitor for continuous operation. After printing the supercapacitor, all device components (antenna, rectifier, and light-emitting diode) are fully integrated with stretchable structures for this soft lens without obstructing vision. The good reliability against thermal and electromagnetic radiations and the results of the in vivo tests provide the substantial promise of future smart contact lenses.

The eyes can provide rich physiological information and offer broad diagnostic potential as a sensing site, making the use of contact lens sensors viable for noninvasive monitoring of many diseases and conditions. Therefore, extensive research efforts recently are devoted to the development of smart contact lenses for healthcare monitoring. Herein, physical biomarkers, which can be obtained from the eyes, and chemical biomarkers, which can be obtained from tears are discussed. Then, the latest advances in smart contact lenses with biosensors that diagnose diseases are reviewed. The subsequent content summarizes and classifies the techniques that can be used for the transmission of data based on the methods to deliver physiological information. In addition, representative examples of other devices for drug delivery energy storage are provided, and the challenges that should be overcome to develop smart contact lenses are discussed.