Scratch-fixing contacts lenses on their way?

July 30, 2012 at 17:10PM

Contact lenses which can fix themselves when they get scratched could be on the horizon, it seems.

According to the AlphaGalileo Foundation website, a coating has been created which can repair its own surface. And one of the ways this could apparently be used is to create contact lenses which can sort themselves out if they get scratched.

However, the coating functions only when scratching is superficial and doesn't penetrate it fully.

The substance was developed by Catarina Esteves, among others, from Eindhoven University of Technology's Chemical Engineering and Chemistry department. Their work was published in Advanced Materials, a journal.

But the world might have a slight wait before it can fully see the fruits of this labour, because Catarina Esteves thinks that the coating will be able to go into production during the course of the coming six to eight years.

Because of the creation, cars that clean themselves are also apparently a possibility.

Talking about contact lenses technology back in January, The College of Optometrists' Dr Susan Blakeney said: "Technology is always improving and the range of contact lenses that are available -both the type of contact lenses and the prescriptions that they are available in - is increasing frequently."

Posted by John Hughes. 

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