Lee Seok Woo, a scientist at Nanyang Technological University, drew inspiration from a scene in a “Mission Impossible” movie where an agent wears contact lenses with facial recognition and eye tracking capabilities. This scene sparked Lee’s curiosity and led him to develop batteries for smart contact lenses. His expertise in battery components served as the foundation for his innovation in wearable technology.
Realizing that smart contact lenses would require safe and compact batteries, Lee and his team set out to create a solution. The batteries needed to be thin and flexible to prevent user discomfort, given that contact lenses are only 0.5 mm thick. The team invented a battery that could be powered using a biocompatible saline solution, eliminating the need for flammable lithium-ion batteries. Coated with glucose, the battery can be charged using a wire method or a chemical method, with the saline solution triggering a reaction that charges the battery.
One of the unique features of the battery is its ability to be charged by tears. Tears contain glucose, which can react with the battery when wearing the contact lens. Lee humorously added that crying more could potentially charge the battery even more. The current output voltage of the battery is around 0.3V to 0.6V, which is not sufficient for powering data storage or internet connections. However, the team is actively working to enhance the battery’s capacity and voltage to make it more versatile.
Lee envisions potential applications for the smart contact lenses in the healthcare industry, particularly for diabetic patients who monitor their glucose levels daily. By using glucose as a biofuel, the lenses could potentially detect the wearer’s glucose levels in real-time. However, Lee emphasizes the importance of keeping costs low to make the technology accessible to a wider audience.
While the invention of batteries for smart contact lenses is a major breakthrough in wearable technology, there are still challenges to overcome. The current capacity and voltage of the battery are limited, but the research team is committed to enhancing its specifications. The team is exploring partnerships in the healthcare sector to further develop the technology and bring it to market.
Lee Seok Woo’s innovative work in developing batteries for smart contact lenses has the potential to revolutionize the wearable technology industry. By harnessing the power of biocompatible materials and creative charging methods, these lenses could offer a new level of convenience and functionality to users. As research and development continue, the future of smart contact lenses looks bright and promising.
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