Smart Contacts Will Detect Glaucoma Before It Blinds You

Smart Contacts Will Detect Glaucoma Before It Blinds You

Researchers at UC Davis have designed contact lenses that can give you an in-eye checkup to make sure there's nothing wrong, as well as dispense medication automatically when needed. The “smart” lenses use an organic polymer called PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane, if you're nasty) that detects eye pressure and sends that data to a computer—important updates to get if you're at risk for glaucoma.

Glaucoma, a disease that causes a loss of cells in the optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Unlike the first leading cause, cataracts, it's irreversible, making the ability to keep tabs on warning signs even more crucial. UC Davis will start clinical trials of the smart contact lenses in humans soon. [UC Davis via io9]