Smart Contact Lenses-A Step towards Non-Invasive Continuous Eye Health Monitoring

Biosensors (Basel). 2023 Oct 18;13(10):933. doi: 10.3390/bios13100933.

Abstract

According to the age-old adage, while eyes are often considered the gateway to the soul, they might also provide insights into a more pragmatic aspect of our health: blood sugar levels. This potential breakthrough could be realized through the development of smart contact lenses (SCLs). Although contact lenses were first developed for eyesight correction, new uses have recently become available. In the near future, it might be possible to monitor a variety of ocular and systemic disorders using contact lens sensors. Within the realm of glaucoma, SCLs present a novel prospect, offering a potentially superior avenue compared to traditional management techniques. These lenses introduce the possibility of non-invasive and continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) while also enabling the personalized administration of medication as and when needed. This convergence holds great promise for advancing glaucoma care. In this review, recent developments in SCLs, including their potential applications, such as IOP and glucose monitoring, are briefly discussed.

Keywords: continuous health monitoring; glucose monitoring; intraocular pressure; non-invasive; smart contact lenses.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Blood Glucose
  • Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring
  • Contact Lenses*
  • Glaucoma*
  • Humans
  • Intraocular Pressure

Substances

  • Blood Glucose

Grants and funding

This work was performed with funding from the Samara National Research University Development Program for 2021–2030 within the framework of the “Priority-2030” program (in smart lenses) and the State Assignment of FSRC “Crystallography and Photonics” RAS (in the comparative part).