Many of us spend much of our time looking at screens while we work, recreate, and communicate with friends and family. It may not be that big a leap to adapt to smart contact lens wearables that could replace our handheld screens. We’ve covered smart lens developments such as POSTECH’s photonic lens that can diagnose diabetes and treat retinopathy. We wrote about Imec’s contact lens with an artificial iris. We’re still excited by the potential developments in smart lens tech that may come from the joint efforts of Menicon and Mojo Vision.
At CES 2021 earlier this month, Irvine, California-based InWith announced a new platform for computerized applications in soft gel contact lenses. InWith went public with technology to embed augmented reality (AR) applications into any soft hydrogel contact lens. Last year, InWith introduced technology that puts stretchable electronic circuitry in Bausch & Lomb contact lenses. InWith’s success with including flexible circuitry and components in hydrogel materials is based on allowing the electronics to expand and contract during the lens manufacturing process.
According to an InWith news release at CES 2021, the company’s breakthrough technology enables developers to create intraocular lenses, displays, and ophthalmic improvement applications. InWith announced that electronics embedded in soft gel lenses can support AR and XR (mixed reality) applications to help people with myopia and presbyopia. In the future, according to InWith, contact lenses will be able to connect with apps in mobile devices for tuning vision correction as well as displaying content.
