Potential for New Contact Lens Technology — Including Measuring Brain States
The contact lens market is enjoying steady growth thanks to increasing demand among individuals who need vision correction. In the US alone, more than 45 million people wear contacts. Meanwhile, the UK contact lens market reached £360 million ($453 million) in 2023, marking a 5.6% growth from 2022. Overall, studies show that no less than 150 million people use contacts globally. The popularity of these lenses is unsurprising, as contacts are seen as more convenient and discreet and provide a wider field of view than corrective glasses.
Today, contact lenses are able to provide more than just vision correction, with the latest developments optimizing these tools to benefit wearers’ physical and mental health. From measuring brain states and monitoring eye health to managing several ocular conditions, contacts are expanding their use with more helpful features. In this article, we delve into the new and promising developments in contact lens technology:
Preventing dry eye disease
Dry eye disease is a common condition, with an Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics study noting an 11.59% global prevalence. Thankfully, consumer contacts designed to counteract dry eyes are now widely available on the consumer market. Acuvue contact lenses contain moisturizing properties that help offset eye dryness. Several variations of these contacts have HydraLuxe and Lacreon technologies, which provide a moisture cushion by infusing tear-like water molecules in breathable silicone hydrogel lenses, helping ensure eye comfort. This type of contact lens can work best for extended wear, especially during visually demanding tasks like working in front of a computer.
Measuring brain states
Recent studies on the brain’s processing speed have revealed an interesting paradox. Experiments conducted by Caltech researchers found that while the brain can process sensory inputs at a rate of one billion bits per second, processing conscious thoughts is relatively slower at 10 bits per second. Today, the development of smart contact lenses has optimized the capacity to observe the brain’s processing patterns and overall state. Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine have developed smart contacts capable of collecting brain state information through electromyography, which analyzes muscle activity. These lenses can track physiological information transmitted through the eyes, providing valuable data for monitoring or managing neurological disorders, which affect more than three billion people globally.
Monitoring eye pressure
Around 80 million people globally are diagnosed with glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness that occurs when the optic nerve is damaged due to excessive ocular pressure. With innovations in contact lens technology, wearers can now monitor changes in eye pressure, allowing for improved glaucoma detection and treatment. The GlakoLens contacts, developed by Northumbria University and Boğaziçi University researchers, are disposable lenses that consistently monitor intraocular pressure for a more accurate diagnosis of glaucoma. These contact lenses contain an electrically passive sensor connected to a wearable electronic readout system that can collect, store, and analyze patient data.
Managing color blindness
Did you know that in the US alone, an estimated 12 million people have color blindness? Living with this condition can make routine tasks like reading traffic lights and picking the right clothes more difficult. Luckily, a new development in lens technology now offers a promising solution to manage color blindness. In 2021, ACS Nano researchers created special-tinted contact lenses infused with gold nanoparticles that can improve color differentiation and perception by selectively filtering out specific light wavelengths. These gold nanocomposite contacts work by scattering light to enhance particular color contrasts, helping wearers with color vision deficiency see better.
These exciting developments are expanding the traditional use of contact lenses as a vision correction tool. With these innovations, contacts are bound to reshape the boundaries of eye care, easily making them one of the most efficient and advanced tools in healthcare.
