Scientist Lee Seok Woo stated a scene from a “Mission Unattainable” film impressed his newest invention: batteries for sensible contact lenses.
Within the fourth movie of the collection, an agent wears contact lenses able to facial recognition and eye monitoring. Lee wished to make that lens a actuality.
“I used to be considering, ‘How can I work on this subject of sensible contact lenses?'” the Nanyang Technological College’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronical Engineering affiliate professor advised CNBC’s “The Edge.”
Lee’s experience in battery elements served because the leaping off level for his foray into wearable know-how. He realized sensible contact lenses would wish protected and compact batteries, which might be essential for advancing improvement of those gadgets.
Contact lenses themselves are extraordinarily skinny, at 0.5 mm, thus the dimensions and adaptability of those batteries are key to stopping consumer discomfort.
“The thickness of our battery is about 0.2 mm, which is about twice the thickness of a human hair,” Lee stated.
An illustration of how a sensible contact lens would match on a human eye mannequin.
Lauren Choo | CNBC
Lee and his crew invented a battery that may be powered utilizing a biocompatible saline resolution as an alternative choice to lithium-ion batteries, which include flammable supplies.
This new battery could be charged utilizing a standard wire methodology, or a chemical methodology. The battery is coated with glucose and, when dipped into saline resolution, the glucose will react with the sodium and chloride ions to cost it.Â
Scientists at Singapore’s NTU exhibit how the battery on a sensible contact lens could be charged utilizing the traditional wire methodology.
Lauren Choo | CNBC
After eight hours of chemical charging, the battery can attain 80% of its full capability. Then, it may be used for a few hours throughout the day.
Nonetheless, there may be one other uncommon method to energy the battery.Â
“Tear resolution additionally comprises glucose. Which means, whilst you’re carrying the contact lens, your tears can even cost the battery,” Lee stated.
“In case you cry extra, then you possibly can cost your battery extra.”Â
A scientist showcase a sensible contact lens fitted with a working prototype of a micro-battery.
Lauren Choo | CNBC
At present, the capability and voltage of the battery continues to be very low. Utilizing the 2 strategies, the battery can solely produce a voltage of roughly 0.3V – 0.6V. The usual voltage for one AA battery is 1.5V.Â
At this stage, that output is inadequate for powering knowledge storage or web connection, however the crew is working to develop the battery’s specs.Â
A possible companion Lee has recognized is in well being care.
“We use glucose as a biofuel. There are numerous diabetic sufferers who examine their glucose degree on daily basis,” Lee stated.
“We studied how we will detect glucose degree whereas the consumer is carrying the contact lens.”Â
Regardless of the potential prospects of such an innovation, Lee thinks that prices needs to be saved low, contemplating the capability of the batteries.
“As soon as it goes into very severe commercialization, the price of the battery ought to solely be a number of {dollars}.”
