by Joel Harrison
4. August 2010 13:03
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used in a variety of electronic devices. The function of most of these diodes is to enable communication between the devices and their users. LED displays can show many different kinds of information and have proven to be irreplaceable in a number of situations. And now LEDs may find a new use.
Since contact lenses are basically made of polymers, and many researchers have put electronics into polymers making flexible devices, scientists from the University of Washington decided to try to create a contact lens with a built-in display.
To be sure, developing the technology will take years, but professor Parviz and his team are making fast progress. So far, they have managed to produce a lens with 16 working LEDs and tested it on a rabbit. The main issues they are striving to overcome are connected with providing enough power for the circuits to work, reducing the size of the LEDs (so that they can fit more of them in a single lens) and making sure the device does not produce excessive amounts of heat (dangerous to the eye).
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