Swiss and American scientists have unveiled the first telescopic contact lensesthat allow users to "zoom" in on what they see and significantly improve their vision. These bionic lenses were originally developed for use by the US military and are now intended for wider use, mainly by older people who suffer from macular degeneration or similar conditions and have lost some of their central vision.
The lenses, initially funded by the US Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and presented at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in California, according to Agence France-Presse, "Science" and "New Scientist", were created by a team of researchers led by optical engineer Eric Tremblay of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EFPL).
The lenses, one and a half millimeters thick, incorporate tiny aluminum telescopes that interact with a pair of specially designed "smart" electronic glasses and give the user the ability to switch their vision between normal and magnified.
If someone blinks their right eye, the lenses zoom up to 2.8 times, while if they blink their left eye, the lenses return to normal vision.
The researchers clarified that, for now, the lenses are still in the research stage and must undergo clinical trials in humans, but in the future they may be a real alternative for people with macular degeneration.
But until then, scientists must ensure that the lenses become smaller, lighter, and more flexible, with the aim of being well tolerated by those who will wear them for a long time.
Other scientific groups are developing "smart" contact lenses that can check for increased blood pressure in the eyes (a risk for glaucoma) or glucose levels (useful for diabetics).
Source: skai.gr
