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back to article Boffins smear circuitry onto contact lenses

University of South Australia associate professor Drew Evans has created proof-of-concept work that could in the future lead to computerised contact lenses. The conducting polymer lens is an early step into what could lead to circuitry being etched into contact lenses. The work is combination of the University's Future …

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  1. Bloodbeastterror

    Application?

    My imagination doesn't stretch to thinking of the use of this technology. I think I've seen articles on the topic saying that maybe it could be useful as an early warning of eye disease, but that's why I visit my optician regularly and so I have no need to put things in my eyes (apart from my ordinary non-computerised soft lenses...)

    Is this more than a solution looking for a problem?

    2 2 Reply
    1. hplasm
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Re: Application?

      "Is this more than a solution looking for a problem?"

      A contact-lens solution? Naw- we already have that...

      14 0 Reply
    2. John Robson Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Application?

      Unless you have an astigmatism, and therefore weighted lenses, I understand that most lenses spin freely on the eyeball.

      So these would need to be weighted if they were to be used as any sort of display.

      Looking at their other research though - I wonder if they intend to be "darken on request", at which point, why not just use photochromatic tints?

      I can't see them packing much of a bettery pack either - so maybe a combination IRIS and RFID scanner???

      0 1 Reply
      1. Alan Brown Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Application?

        "Unless you have an astigmatism, and therefore weighted lenses, I understand that most lenses spin freely on the eyeball."

        Speaking as someone who does: The effect of weighted lenses is that they work fine if you're sitting upright, walking or driving, but once you start jogging, lie down, tilt your head sideways or look down on something (for example the electronics job you're poring over) your vision gets really bad, really quickly.

        IE: they work fine when you try 'em out at the optician, but real world uses are somewhat more problematic - and if your asigmatisms are as bad as mine, you NEED those astig-corrections in order to be able to read roadsigns when driving, so spherical lenses are a non-starter.

        0 0 Reply
        1. John Robson Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Application?

          I have an astigmatism, bad enough to really need glasses, but not horrific.

          I can't get on with lenses though - I have tried them, but it took the optician 45 minutes and anaesthetic drops to get them out of my eyes. Next time I tried them I couldn't get them in...

          I really liked them whilst they were in, but yes there is an issue when they go out of line - I hadn't realised it was as common as you suggest.

          Maybe a small gyro so the display can self correct to be upright ;)

          0 0 Reply
        2. Alan Brown Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Application?

          "they work fine if you're sitting upright, walking or driving, but once you start jogging, lie down, tilt your head sideways or look down on something "

          In the context of eyeball-mounted displays, the last thing you want is a display which rotates (slowly) when you move your stance from "bolt upright" to anything else, just as you don't want one which rotates (slowly) every time you blink.

          0 0 Reply
    3. kventin
      Reply Icon

      Re: Application?

      """Is this more than a solution looking for a problem?"""

      Google Lenses(TM) -- soon banned in theatres near you

      speaking of which: how soon till computerised lenses (the internal kind)? or shall we go for tapping the optic nerve?

      0 0 Reply
      1. Alan Brown Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Application?

        "how soon till computerised lenses (the internal kind)? "

        Not long.

        Implantable lenses intended to eliminate age-related long-sightedness are already being tested.

        Unlike conventional cataract-replacement lenses, these are at least as focussable as natural lenses (and as such would eliminate LASIK and its ilk if they work as well as is hoped)

        1 0 Reply
    4. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Application?

      My imagination doesn't stretch to thinking of the use of this technology.

      The late Douglas Adams got there WAY before anyone else with the Zaphod Beeblebrox Peril Sensitive Sunglasses.

      :)

      5 0 Reply
    5. FlossyThePig
      Reply Icon

      Re: Application?

      I am old enough to remember when laser was described as a solution looking for a problem.

      5 0 Reply
    6. Bloodbeastterror
      Reply Icon

      Re: Application?

      So can the person giving me a thumb down for no reason that I can see please explain where I went wrong?

      1 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Application?

        can the person giving me a thumb down for no reason that I can see please explain where I went wrong?

        Maybe expecting logic behind up/down votes, on a Friday?

        :)

        2 0 Reply
  2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    Isn't The Chocolate Factory working on contact lenses that double as medical sensors?

    BTW: "Chemists have solutions."

    4 0 Reply
    1. hplasm
      Reply Icon
      Happy

      BTW: "Chemists have solutions."

      If you're not part of the problem, you're part of the precipitate...

      5 0 Reply
  3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Go

    Materials wise getting there.

    Still a long way to go.

    OH well, maybe next decade?

    <sigh>

    0 0 Reply
    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Childcatcher

      Re: Materials wise getting there.

      They need a new acronym before some Daily Fail do-gooder gets it banned.

      "The PEDOT polymer"

      1 0 Reply
  4. Gene Cash Silver badge

    Lends a new meaning

    to "I can't unsee it!"

    0 0 Reply
  5. Tom 7

    They trying to turn us into robots?

    I .. am .. an .. Iborg.

    Oh hang on that's patented..

    0 0 Reply
  6. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Anyone who is partially sighted

    would probably think of an application immediately.

    In my wifes case, the ability to focus a small image onto the part of her retina that still works in a way that current optical technology can't ?

    4 1 Reply
  7. MAF

    Application of technology in contact lenses

    Microsoft Research had a project where they were looking (sorry) at this sort of thing. The idea was to have a glucose sensor in the lens with a display of levels. Turns out that the sugar levels on eye surface very analogous to that of blood levels. Would be an alternative to continually sticking a pin in yourself.

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/researchconnections/science/stories/functional-lens.aspx

    3 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re. EyeBORG

    Ages ago I read that it might be possible to read EEG signals by the leakage back down the optic nerves.

    Might actually work too as it is well known that sensory nerves are bidirectional which is why you should never put TENS electrodes on the neck.

    corollary to this, some anti-epilepsy implants tap into the vagus nerve to bias the CNS into not fitting by constantly quenching damaging feedback loops from forming.

    Also relevant, one possible method of detecting consciousness is to read back using infrared through closed eyelids the subtle change in flicker rate of eye movement when someone is approaching Stage 2/3 unconsciousness as a backup to troublesome EEG electrodes.

    0 0 Reply

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