More BrandsA team comprising US and Swiss researchers has created a prototype contact lens that works in conjunction with special glasses to achieve magnification of 2.8 times. The system has been designed to help people with severe vision impairment as a result of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the BBC has reported.
The central part of the contact lens allows light to pass through for normal vision. The ring around this area enables telescopic vision through minuscule aluminium mirrors that reflect light and magnify it. Switching to magnification mode requires the use of the accompanying glasses, which have polarising filters that allow people to alternate between normal and telescopic vision. The spectacles are an adapted version of 3D glasses that Samsung has developed for some of its TVs.
However, work is far from over. Dr. Eric Tremblay from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne told the BBC that the biggest challenge was making the lens breathable. If people are to wear it for more than half an hour, it must allow gases to penetrate so that the cornea can have a steady supply of oxygen. The researchers have got round the problem by filling the lens with tiny channels to let oxygen through. This, however, has significantly complicated manufacturing since everything must be very precise, Tremblay added.
Regardless of the challenges, the team is preparing for clinical trials in November, when gas-permeable versions will be put to the test. In time, people suffering from AMD should be able to have the telescopic lenses on all day, Tremblay said.
