Contact Lens Micro-Cavity Tear Sampling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting tear samples for health monitoring are invasive and often produce erroneous results due to irritation, leading to interference from reflex and emotional tears, which differ in composition from basal tears and are produced in greater quantities.
Innovation Solution
Contact lenses with integrated micro-cavities that collect tear fluid over time without irritating the eye, allowing for non-invasive sampling and analysis, and include receptors for binding known ligands to detect specific biomarkers in the tear fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional tear collection methods are used, then tear samples can be obtained, but eye irritation occurs and erroneous test results are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens serves as an intermediary device between the eye and the sampling process. It collects tear fluid passively through its structure without requiring direct manipulation of the eye, thereby eliminating irritation while still obtaining adequate tear samples for analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical irritation-based collection methods with a passive collection mechanism. The contact lens structure itself, through its material properties and design, enables tear fluid accumulation without requiring mechanical action that would irritate the eye
2Quantity of substance
If reflex and emotional tears are collected, then tear volume increases, but test accuracy decreases due to different composition
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens continuously collects tear fluid over an extended period before analysis, accumulating sufficient volume of basal tears. This preliminary collection ensures adequate sample size without requiring acute tear production that would trigger reflex or emotional responses
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens enables continuous, passive collection of tear fluid throughout wear period. This continuous collection process naturally accumulates basal tears while avoiding the discrete, irritation-induced tear events that compromise sample composition
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and non-invasive collection and analysis of tear fluid for health indicators like sugar levels, cholesterol, and biomarkers, reducing the need for blood draws and minimizing eye irritation.
Implementation Method 1
Contact lenses with integrated micro-cavities that collect tear fluid over time
Implementation Method 2
include receptors for binding known ligands to detect specific biomarkers in the tear fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Contact lens testing apparatuses and method for testing contact lenses for analytes are presented. In an aspect, a device is provided that includes a housing configured to hold one or more contact lenses, and a testing compartment provided within the housing and comprising a reagent, the reagent configured to facilitate a chemical reaction in response to the existence of a predetermined biomarker disposed on or within a contact lens placed in the testing compartment, wherein the chemical reaction produces a known result related to state information of an individual from which the biomarker was generated.