A scientist working in Singapore shared that a scene from the movie “Mission: Impossible” inspired his latest invention: batteries for smart contact lenses.
In the fourth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” series, there is a scene where an agent wears contact lenses that can recognize faces and track eye movements. Associate Professor Lee Seok Woo at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) aims to turn that fictional smart contact lens into reality.
The battery for smart contact lenses is only 0.2 mm thick. (Photo: CNBC).
Professor Lee Seok Woo’s expertise in battery components serves as a launching point for this scientist’s breakthrough in wearable technology. He recognized that smart contact lenses would need compact and safe batteries, which is vital for advancing these devices.
The contact lenses themselves are extremely thin, measuring just 0.5 mm, so the size and flexibility of the battery are crucial to ensure user comfort.
Lee Seok Woo stated, “Our battery thickness is about 0.2 mm, which is twice the thickness of a human hair.” He and his team have invented a battery powered by a biocompatible saline solution to replace conventional lithium-ion batteries that contain flammable materials.
This battery can be charged via wire or through a chemical method. (Photo: CNBC).
This new battery can be charged using a standard wire or a chemical method. The battery is coated with glucose, and when immersed in a saline solution, glucose reacts with sodium and chloride ions to generate electricity. After eight hours of chemical charging, the battery reaches 80% of its maximum capacity, allowing it to operate for several hours a day.
However, there is an unusual alternative to power the battery. “Tears also contain glucose. This means that when you are wearing the contact lenses, your tears can also charge the battery. The more you cry, the more you can charge the battery,” explained Lee Seok Woo.
Currently, the capacity and voltage of this battery remain quite low. By using both charging methods, the battery can only produce a voltage of approximately 0.3V to 0.6V, while the standard voltage for a AA battery is 1.5V.
At this stage, it is insufficient to power data storage or internet connectivity, but Lee Seok Woo’s research team is working hard to develop the battery specifications.
According to Lee Seok Woo, a potential application for this battery is in healthcare. He said, “We use glucose as a biofuel. There are many diabetes patients who need to monitor their blood sugar levels daily. We have been researching how to detect glucose levels when users wear contact lenses.”
Additionally, he added, “Once commercialized seriously, the cost of the battery will only be a few USD.”
