Final The Bionic Contact Lens.doc

THE BIONIC CONTACT LENS Authors Siddhartha Gurung ([email protected]) Aniket Kumar ([email protected])

Abstract:

promises many things, most notably this could well be the beginning of the Computer Human Interface of the future.

People don't think twice about wearing a Bluetooth headset to have conversations on their cell

I.

Introduction:

phones. Well, one day it might not be unusual to wear a

It is not often in this era of rampant technological

contact lens that projects the phone's display directly onto

innovation that a fundamentally new concept surfaces.

the eye. Researchers at the University of Washington have taken an important first step toward building contact lenses that could do just that. By incorporating metal circuitry and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into a polymer-

The Bionic Contact lens is a product of it. A. What is Bionics? The field of bionics concerns the systematic

based lens, they have created a functional circuit that is

technical implementation of solutions nature has found

safe to the eyes.

for particular problems. Today, there are many new, fascinating

According to researchers the ultimate goals were to see if it would be possible to build a display that could superimpose images onto a person's field of view, while still allowing her to see the real world. Also they wanted to make a lot of functional devices that are really tiny, and

approaches

for

developing

bionic

innovations due to recent dynamic advances in biological research and technology – especially at the molecular level. While biotechnology addresses the scientific-technical realm lying between biology and

which can be incorporated into a contact lens to do a lot

chemistry, bionics closes the gaps separating the fields

more than just improve vision. Ideally, installing or

of biology, physics and engineering. Bionics pursues an

removing the bionic lens would be as easy as popping a

interdisciplinary

contact lens in or out, and once installed the wearer would

oriented problems. The results of bionic research and

barely know the gadget was there. The researchers placed

development are, however, never reducible to a one to

the lens in a rabbit's eye for 20 minutes and found no adverse effects. However, they did not turn on the electronics while the lens was in the rabbit's eye. Future versions, the scientists believe, could serve as a flexible plastic platform for applications such as surfing the

approach

to

solving

application

one copy of the models in nature which provided the original inspiration. B. Technology of the Contact Lenses

Internet on a virtual screen, immersing gamers in virtual worlds and monitoring patient’s medical conditions.

A Bionic contact lens is simply a polymerbased lens incorporated with a metal circuitry and light-

The most pressing problem was how to attach the

emitting diodes (LEDs). It is having the capability to

electronic components—each thinner than a human hair

connect to a wireless device and provide a visual image

—to the delicate polymer of a contact lens. Bionic contact lenses are in the trial stages because there are many health and technical issues that still need to be fixed. Though in its infancy, the combination of a wearable contact lens with embedded optoelectronic and electronic devices

of the data that would normal display on the device into ones field of vision. Ultra thin antennas, a few nanometers thick, are used to send information wirelessly to devices.

did not turn on the electronics while the lens was in the rabbit's eye. As they thought they have to be careful about what happens to the eye when it turns on. It is a functioning circuit. It could generate some heat. Researchers need to take all the possible precautions to make sure this is safe. II. Hurdles (a) First challenge was designing the surface of the lens so the electronics didn't block regular vision. (b) The more pressing problem was how to attach the electronic components—each thinner than a human hair—to the delicate polymer of a contact lens. (c) Building the lenses was a challenge because materials that are safe for use in the body, such as the flexible organic materials used in contact lenses, are delicate.

C. How to build a Bionic contact lens? The bionic lens is made from a polyethylene-

(d) Display circuitry couldn't be made small and light

tetraphthalate substrate-which is a kind of plastic used

enough to be placed on a contact lens without a

in beverage bottles. It is covered with metal wires for

noticeable increase in the lens's weight.

connecting the LEDs. In addition to wires, the researchers used chemicals to carve out circular indentations in which the LEDs would be placed.

(e) Micro fabrication Technique: Direct placement would probably damage the lens and be too time consuming. So researchers built a

The biggest challenge in building working

separate, nano-size metal component and mixed them

electronics and opto-electronics into plastic is that these

together so that they appeared like a fine powder. This

devices must be made with high heat that would melt

powder was then placed in a vial of fluid and poured

the plastic. To get around this problem, researchers

over a pitted lens surface. Each pit corresponded to a

fabricated LEDs on a separate substrate, ensuring that

particular component, so as the mixture washed over

the devices could easily be removed and transferred

the lens, the components found their positions.

onto the plastic lens. They coated the fully assembled electronic

lenses

with

polymethyl

A molecular adhesive force known as capillary

methacrylate

action—the same property that allows plants to "suck

(PMMA), a biocompatible material. In the final step,

up" water—locked the pieces into place. The lenses

the researchers moulded the plastic into the shape of a

were then put into the eyes of lab rabbits, which

lens.

showed no signs of adverse effects after at least 20

D. Testing on a live eye

minutes of wear.

The lenses have been tested on rabbits, however testing on humans has not yet been approved. The researchers placed the lens in a rabbit's eye for 20 minutes and found no adverse effects. However, they

hopefully manipulating the image and changing its perceived location in such a way that the viewer would have the feeling of seeing an in-focus picture suspended in midair. But he agreed that the challenge will be a complicated one.

(h) How to give power supply: If size isn’t necessarily a limitation, adequate power could be. Hence researchers are working on the issue of how to run displays or biosensors without the need for awkward batteries. So far, the prototype’s lensmounted antenna has shown promise in collecting radio

(f) Another

big

fundamental

obstacle

was

incompatibility

resolving

the

between

the

frequency waves and turning them into useful energy.

fabrication process for microchips and light-

III. Proposed Work by Elliot Whaley

emitting diodes and the types of polymers used for

His proposal involves the use of photoelectric cells

contact lenses. (g) Focusing on image quality: Some scientists have been less gung ho. Daniel Palanker, a retinal implant expert at Stanford

implanted in the contact lens developed at the University of Washington, to take power from solar energy and an antenna to allow the contacts to function anywhere.

University, questioned the ability of a display

An important feature of these contact lenses is that

generated by the contact lens to produce a sharp image

they are wireless and easy to use anytime, anywhere. It

on the retina of its wearer’s eye, noting that the normal

does not need to be physically connected to anything to

focal distance for seeing objects clearly is about 25

work. In order to keep this device stand alone, it needs

centimeters in front of a person’s eye. But Glenn

a way to power itself without an accessory that would

Chapman, a professor in the School of Engineering

need to be carried around to charge it. Taking solar

Science at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British

energy to power these lenses solves this problem. The

Columbia, said researchers could overcome that

lenses would need to have photoelectric cells, which

obstacle by precisely adjusting the angle of incoming

convert solar energy to electrical energy. Just one

light emitted by diodes on the contact lens. Assuming

square meter of a solar panel has the ability to power a

the light beam is high-quality, correcting the beam's

100W light bulb. A solar panel will need to be scaled

incoming angle could make up for the cornea's lack of

down to fit inside the contacts lenses with material that

focusing ability and instead allow the transparent

is compatible with the eye.

crystalline lens behind the eye's iris to focus the image

Some advantages of using solar energy are that

onto the wearer's retina. Of course, contact-wearing

solar energy is free, needs no fuel and produces no

rabbits won't be able to tell researchers when they've hit

waste or pollution. Some disadvantages are its high cost

upon the right angle to produce a crisp image, Chapman

and a decrease in its performance at night. However, in

said, but an artificial eye overlaid with the lens could do

cases in which solar energy is no longer available, the

the trick. Researchers are trying to pair micro lenses to

contact lenses are capable of extracting minimal power

each pixel in a display created by the contact lens,

from the antenna, which could compensate for no light.

The antenna does this by collecting radio frequency

But these applications are years away.

waves and turning them into useful energy. The drawback of this method is that the user might be in a

V. Acknowledgment

place with no frequencies to pick up, like the Amazon.

We want to thanks Prof. Babak Parviz, professor

So a system that would combine the methods of solar

of

energy and the antenna could potentially be powered at

Washington and his team for doing the research on the

all times.

Bionic Contact lens. The whole research really inspired

With the proper research and development

electrical

engineering

at

the

University

of

us to make a paper on this future concept.

team this proposal can be done and will help advance the device already in progress at University of Washington.

VI. References [1] www.google.com. [2] Alexi Mostrous, “And next the contact lens that lets

IV. Future Applications

email really get in your face,” Times Online, 2008.

1) Soldiers could use the technology to see

[3] www.technologyreview.com.

information about their environment, collected

[4] www.wikipedia.com.

from sensors.

[5] Science Daily (Jan 17, 2008).

2) People could use the electronic lens as a cell-

[6] Elliot Whaley, “The Past, Present and Future of

phone display, to see who is calling and to watch videos 3) The bionic lens could prove a huge boon for mobile-device manufacturers. 4) A biosensor-equipped lens could provide a non-invasive way of that information and sending it on to a database or serving as a relay station for data or power from retinal implants designed to correct vision problems. 5) The lens as a sensor that could monitor chemical levels in the body and notify the user if they indicate signs of disease. 6) Future applications might allow drivers and pilots to see their direction and speed projected across their view. 7) Wireless communication to and from the lens will be possible. 8) Video-game companies could use the contact lenses to completely immerse players in a virtual world without restricting their range of motion. 9) Maybe the technique could even create sight aids for visually impaired people.

Bionic Vision”, November 19, 2008.