Bionic contact lens

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bionic contact lens is a contact lens with added bionics technology.[1] It was developed as a virtual display that could have a variety of uses from assisting the visually impaired to the video game industry.[2] The lens has electronic circuits and infrared lights to create a virtual display.

Babak Parviz, a University of Washington assistant professor of electrical engineering is quoted as saying "Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside.”[3]

Contents

[edit] Manufacturing the lens

The lenses require organic materials that are biologically safe and also uses inorganic material for the electronic circuits. The electronic circuits are built from a few nanometre thick layer of metal. The light-emitting diodes (LED) are one third of a millimetre across. A grey powder is sprinkled onto the lens. Then a technique called microfabrication or ‘self-assembly’ was used to shape each tiny component. The capillary forces or Capillary action pull the pieces into their final position.

[edit] Development

Harvey Ho, a former graduate student of Mr. Parviz who is now working at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California presented the results at the Institue of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ international conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (or Microbotics)in Tucson, AZ.[4] The lens is expected to have more electronics and capabilities on the areas where the eye does not see. Wireless communication, Radio frequency power transmission and solar cells are expected in future developments.[5]

[edit] Prototype and Testing

The prototype does not light up or display information. It is a proof that it is possible to create a biologically safe electronic lens that does not obstruct a person’s view.

Engineers have tested the finished lenses on rabbits for up to 20 minutes and the animals showed no problems.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "'Bionic Lens' Adds Computing Power to Sight", discovery.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. (English) 
  2. ^ "bionic-eyes-could-change-the-face-of-gaming". Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 
  3. ^ "Bionic eyes: Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision". Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 
  4. ^ "Researchers Develop Bionic Contact Lens". Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 
  5. ^ "Bionic Vision". Retrieved on 2008-01-23. 
  6. ^ "Vision of the future seen in bionic contact lens". Retrieved on 2008-01-23.