Lab method 3D-prints a custom contact lens in one visit

University of Waterloo chemists say they can 3D-print a cornea-matched contact lens in about 20 minutes, though testing so far is lab-only.

Researchers in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo have developed a way to 3D-print personalized contact lenses. The process is expected to take about 20 minutes and could be completed in a single appointment. The inner surface is designed to match the shape of a patient's cornea, while the outer surface carries the vision correction.

Making this work required a new hydrophilic silicone formula compatible with layer-by-layer printing, plus an ultra-thin coating to smooth the stair-step imperfections that layered printing leaves behind. Laboratory testing showed the lenses were biocompatible and safe for eye tissue. The team — including Dr. Sayan Ganguly, master's student Fatemeh Parniani, and Dr. Shirley Tang — says the printed lenses match commercial ones in optical clarity and mechanical performance.

The abundance angle is cost and access. Custom-made conventional lenses run at least a few hundred dollars per pair and require lengthy fabrication. On-demand printing in a clinic could shrink both the price and the wait, making tailored vision correction reachable for more people, and potentially useful for irregular corneas that standard lenses fit poorly.

The honest limits: everything so far is laboratory work, with real-world testing still ahead. The claims of parity with commercial lenses are the researchers' own. The technology is not commercially available, and the patent process is not yet complete.

Source: New Atlas