Hydrogel-Based Smart Contact Lens for Highly Sensitive Wireless Intraocular Pressure Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ophthalmology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Real-time intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring is vital for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment.
• Wireless smart contact lenses offer potential for physiological signal monitoring but require improved materials and sensitivity.
• Existing methods face challenges with hydrogel swelling and sensor integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a hydrogel-based smart contact lens for wireless IOP monitoring.
• To enhance sensor sensitivity and material reliability for clinical applications.
• To create a portable, glasses-integrated reader for remote signal acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a conformal stacking technique for hydrogel-based smart contact lens fabrication.
• Integrated a pyramid-microstructured capacitive pressure sensor with a hydrogel substrate.
• Developed a glasses-integrated, impedance-matching tunable reader for enhanced signal measurement.

Main Results:

• Successfully monitored IOP in an in vitro porcine eye model.
• Achieved high sensitivity using the spherical pyramid-microstructured capacitive pressure sensor and hydrogel substrate.
• Enhanced signal amplitude and reading distance with the portable reader.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrogel smart contact lens demonstrates significant potential for clinical IOP monitoring.
• The system shows promise for next-generation daily ocular health management.
• Improved sensor design and reader technology enhance the feasibility of wireless IOP monitoring.