Imec, Ghent University and SEED Demonstrate Electronics in Hydrogel-based Soft Lenses

imec, Ghent University, and SEED Co. Ltd. have developed a contact lens with autonomous electronics, opening the door to unique applications such as lenses with sensors and/or drug-delivery systems for the treatment of eye disorders. At the imec technology forum Japan (ITF Japan 2018), imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, Ghent University, and contact lens manufacturer SEED Co. Ltd. announced that they have developed a contact lens with an integrated LED light, including an ultra-thin silicon microchip, radio-frequency (RF) antenna for wireless energy transfer, and stretchable thin-film interconnections. Different from the traditional contact lens-type wearable devices made of non-water-containing material, this novel device is made of hydrogel-based material. This demonstration of autonomous electronics in hydrogel-based soft lenses opens the door to unique applications such as lenses with sensors and/or drug-delivery systems for the treatment of different eye disorders, at the congenital, post-surgery or trauma level. The main advantages of such devices are their low invasiveness level and continuous monitoring in an almost imperceptible manner About 130 million people worldwide wear contact lenses, mainly to correct their vision.