Introduction ◦ Contact lenses are worn daily by more than a

hundred million people, and they are one of the only disposable, mass-market products that remain in contact, through fluids, with the interior of the body for an extended period of time.

◦ Bionic contact lenses will potentially include hundreds of LEDs, which will form images in front of the eye, such as words, charts, and photographs

History of contact lenses ◦ 1887 - First contact lens manufactured from glass,

and fitted to cover the entire eye

◦ 1939 - Contact lenses first made from plastic

◦ 1948 - Plastic contact lenses designed to cover only the eye's cornea

◦ 1971 - Introduction of soft contact lenses

◦ 1987 - Introduction of disposable soft contact lenses

◦ 1996 - Introduction of one-day disposable soft lenses

◦ 2002 - Silicone-hydrogel contact lenses first marketed and overnight orthokeratology approved by FDA

◦ 2010 - Custom-manufactured silicone-hydrogel lenses become available

• Potential for a bionic contact lens

• E-mails, text messages, maps, driving directions, ect.

• People who have diabetes could keep tabs on blood-sugar levels without needing to prick a finger

• A contact lens could monitor cholesterol, sodium, and potassium levels

• With a wireless data transmitter, the lens could relay information to medics or nurses instantly

• Video gaming could use the bionic contact lenses to put the player in a virtual world without restricting their range of motion

What’s the difference?

◦ Integrated control circuits, communication circuits, and miniature antennas into the lens using custom-built optoelectronic components

Concept lens

Advantages and disadvantages oAdvantages

oProvide up to date medical information

oMake it easier to read an E-mail or text

oIt may expand the technology and integrate into a new product

oDisadvantages

oDevice can only work if it is within centimeters of the wireless battery

oMay result in eye damage if worn for an extended period of time

Future Effects – Direct

Positive ◦ Make daily operations easier

◦ Hands free device

Negative ◦ It may make the operators vision worse

◦ The malfunction of the device

Future Effects – Inderect

Positive ◦ Improve Micromechanics and Microengineering

◦ You could also get many different uses

Negative ◦ May cause eye damage

◦ May be a distraction to everyday life

Future Effects – Unintended

Positive ◦ Being able to make medical advances

Negative ◦ Have the technology not working

Future Timeline

In 5 years ◦ Will be used for medical purposes only

◦ Will not be advanced enough to make a complicated image

◦ Only the wealthy will be able to afford one

In 25-30 years ◦ Will be able to have a screen and you will be able to interact with it

◦ Will be affordable enough for most of the population to purchase one

Conclusion

This will be a helpful technology

It may take time to get used to

Bibliography

Babak A. Parviz. (September 2009). Augmented Reality in a Contact Lens. In IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 11/26/2012, from http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/bionics/augmented-reality-in-a-contact-lens.

Babak A. Parviz. (March 7, 2011). Augmented Reality - Bionic Contact Lenses. In Media Theory. Retrieved 11/26/2012, from http://james-lumsdenkeys-media-theory.blogspot.com/2011/03/0-false-18-pt-18-pt-0-0-false-false.html.

CLMA. (September 2009). A Brief History of Contact Lenses. In GP contact lenses. Retrieved 11/26/2012, from http://www.contactlenses.org/timeline.htm.