Millions of people use contact lenses daily with comfort and without any adverse effect. When a collection of sensors are incorporated in the structure of the contacts lens, an unparalleled opportunity arises for continuous healthcare monitoring. The surface of the human eye (the surface of the cornea) is covered by live cells in indirect contact with the blood serum; hence, many of the biomarkers of interest that appear in a blood sample are also reflected in the biochemical composition of the fluid directly on the surface of cornea. If a device can be made to continuously sample and analyze the biochemical make up of the eye surface, in effect a blood test can be performed without collecting a blood sample.
A contact lens with embedded biosensors that can perform an analysis and relay the information via a wireless link does not currently exist, but many steps have been taken towards that goal. If such a device was constructed, it has the potential to truly revolutionize healthcare monitoring.
The current collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Washington aims to develop and deliver a contact lens with a single light source that can be wirelessly controlled. This will be the first step towards a fundamentally new type of human interface based on a functional contact lens.
Project Principals
- Desney Tan, Microsoft Research
- Professor Babak Amir Parviz, University of Washington
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