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Smart Lens
09 November 2017

Smart Lens

This is no ordinary contact lens. Aside from the metallic and blue rings – sure to make the wearer appear part-cyborg – the lens is equipped with pressure sensors and the ability to transmit data wirelessly. Currently in the early stages of clinical trials, the device was developed as a way to continuously measure changes in intraocular pressure – the fluid pressure inside the eye. A chronic increase in such pressure can lead to glaucoma and associated vision loss. Glaucoma sufferers currently have their eye pressure assessed a couple of times a year with a large machine called a tonometer. But such brief and occasional measurements can miss the considerable pressure fluctuations that occur at different times of day, or if the patient is stressed, for example. The wearable lens, by contrast, could provide pressure information over extended periods offering a better indication of patients’ health and of appropriate treatments.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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