Using 3D Printed Contact Lenses to Enhance Medical Treatment

3D printing technology, while still in development, has the potential to revolutionize how doctors monitor and treat certain conditions. Some researchers have been hard at work to figure out how 3D printing could be used to create high-tech contact lenses that the average person could use.

More Convenience

If a patient is required to receive certain drugs on a continued basis the patient would need to visit a doctor multiple times a month. Allowing the patient to take the treatment alone could be dangerous, as it could be too difficult to control dosage or monitor the patient’s body. If 3D printed contact lenses could pass extensive testing to safely control the drug delivery over weeks, then doctors would be able to offer the contacts has a less invasive and more convenient option for patients.

Locking Mechanism

If a doctor is to depend on 3D printed lenses more advanced than the common ones on Lens.com to safely deliver drugs to a patient via the surface of their eyeball, then the doctor has to be certain that the system in place is reliable. In order to do this, researchers have created a mechanism that can allow the contacts to easily lock and unlock from the eyeball through the use of a smooth and non-invasive gel. The array of tiny needles can transfer the medication without scratching the eye, which could otherwise lead to inaccurate dosages and harm the patient’s vision.