NTU: Smart contact lenses

2023: Product Announcement

On August 24, 2023, researchers from the Nanyang University of Technology (NTU) of Singapore reported the development of a flexible battery with a thickness of a human cornea, which is charged from saline. It is assumed that in the future such a battery can be used to power smart contact lenses.

According to scientists, smart lenses will be able to display information directly on the cornea of ​ ​ the eye, which will open up new opportunities in terms of creating augmented reality (AR) platforms. In addition, such products can be used to correct vision, monitor health, and identify and treat various diseases. It is said about the possibility of developing intelligent contact lenses that can record everything that the user sees and hears and transfer data to cloud storage. However, the problem is the need for a safe and efficient power supply. The solution presented is just right for these purposes.

Flexible battery for smart contact lenses

The battery developed at NTU is made of biocompatible materials and does not contain wires or toxic heavy metals that are present, for example, in lithium-ion batteries. The article has a glucose-based coating reacting with sodium and chlorine ions in a salt solution. In this case, the water contained in the element acts as an electric conductor, providing the transmission of the electric current that is generated as a result of the chemical reaction.

According to the project participants, a new type of battery can be charged even from human tears, since they contain sodium and potassium ions. Experiments using a solution that simulates tears have shown that this method of replenishing energy reserves gives an additional one hour of operation after 12 hours of use of the device. The battery can also be charged in the traditional way from an external power supply.^[1]

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