Telescopic Contact Lenses

Researchers have created telescopic contact lenses with independent optical paths for switching between normal and magnified vision.

Images © Optics Info Base

Joseph Ford and his team from University of California, developed the new telescopic design for contacts allowing the user to magnify images by almost 3 times, and when light passing through a central clear aperture provides unmagnified vision.

According to Optics Info Base:

The current lens is designed in PMMA, a gas-impermeable polymer commonly used for early contact lenses. Modern contact lenses require high levels of gas permeability, and therefore future versions will have to be made from rigid gas permeable (RGP) polymers. We designed the contact lens to provide 2.8x magnification based on a non-gradient index optical human eye model by Rod Watkins.

Images captured through the contact lens and optomechanical eye. (a) USAF resolution chart @ 1x. (b) USAF resolution chart @ 2.8x. (c) Outdoor image taken with optomechanical eye. (d) Outdoor image taken with contact lens and both apertures (1x + 2.8x). (e) Outdoor image taken with contact lens @ 2.8x.

Optical layout of the magnifying contact lens. (a) Unmagnified (1x) optical path through the central clear aperture of the contact lens. (b) Magnified (2.8x) multiple-reflection path through the contact lens. (c) Expanded view.