Scientists have created an ultra-thin battery. Smart contact lenses It is charged by our own tears. The battery is as thin as 0.2mm, about twice the thickness of a human hair, and fits comfortably within a standard contact lens thickness of 0.5mm.
Scientist Lee Seok Woo explained that “Impossible Goal” The scene in the film gave birth to the idea of his invention—a battery for smart contact lenses. In the fourth installment of the film, an agent uses contact lenses that have capabilities such as facial recognition and eye tracking. Inspired by this, Lee aimed to turn this fictional technology into reality.
Researchers in Singapore have developed an ultra-thin battery that can be fitted into your contact lenses.
The battery, which will likely also be powered by your tears, has brought “Mission Impossible”-style smart contact lenses one step closer to reality. pic.twitter.com/wlp45fwtLK
— CNBC International (@CNBCi) June 6, 2024
Reflecting on his inspirations, Lee, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, explained. CNBCAt The Edge, “I was thinking, ‘How can I work in this area of smart contact lenses?'”
His background in battery components led him to become involved in wearable technology. Lee recognized that smart contact lenses would require safe and compact batteries, which is essential for the future development of these devices.
How can the battery of a smart contact lens be charged by tears?
This battery is powered by a “biocompatible saline solution” rather than the typical lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones and smartwatches, which would not be safe for a product like contact lenses.
This battery is charged using the conventional wired charging method as well as a chemical process. It comprises of glucose coating and after dipping in salt water, it reacts with sodium and chloride ions to produce electricity.
Chemically charging the battery for eight hours enables it to maintain 80 percent of its maximum capacity, after which it can operate for several hours. In addition, an alternative and unique power source is also available.
“Tear solution also contains glucose. This means that when you are wearing contact lenses, your tears can also charge the battery,” Lee explained. “If you cry more, you can charge your battery more.”
Currently, the battery capacity and voltage are relatively low, producing only 0.3V – 0.6V, while a standard AA battery provides 1.5V.
The current output is not sufficient for data storage or Internet connectivity, but efforts are underway to improve the battery performance.
Li sees potential applications in the healthcare sector. “We use glucose as a biofuel. There are many diabetics who check their glucose levels every day,” Li said. “We studied how we can detect glucose levels when the user is wearing contact lenses.”
Despite the promising aspects of this technology, Lee believes that it is important to maintain low production costs due to the limited battery capacity. “Once this goes into very serious commercialization, the cost of the battery should only be a few dollars,” Lee said.
Featured Image: Canva
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