Encrypted Communication in Eye-Mountable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current eye-mountable devices, such as contact lenses with liquid crystal elements, face challenges in securely communicating data related to user conditions and analyte sensing, particularly in ensuring secure and efficient exchange of information for accommodating focal adjustments and analyte monitoring.
Innovation Solution
The development of an eye-mountable device (EMD) with embedded power supply circuitry and control electronics that supports encrypted communication, including capacitive and electrochemical sensors for detecting user conditions and analyte presence, and cryptographic logic for secure data exchange, utilizing a smart contact lens design with a concave curvature for mounting on the corneal surface and electro-active optical materials for focal adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If eye-mountable devices include embedded circuitry and cryptographic logic for secure communication, then communication security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds power supply circuitry, control electronics, and cryptographic logic directly within the eye-mountable device structure. The circuit board is positioned between the encapsulation layer and the user's eye, with components nested within the limited space of the contact lens or corneal implant structure, allowing secure communication functionality to be integrated without significantly increasing external device dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated device: the eye-mountable device simultaneously performs analyte sensing, focal adjustment control, and encrypted data communication. The control electronics integrate sensor signal processing, actuator control, and cryptographic operations, reducing the need for separate external components and managing system complexity through functional integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If eye-mountable devices use electro-active optical materials for focal adjustments, then accommodation capability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs electro-active optical materials that change their optical properties (refractive index, focal length) in response to electrical stimuli. By applying different voltages through the power supply circuitry and control electronics, the device dynamically adjusts its focal accommodation capability without requiring mechanical reconfiguration, thereby achieving adaptability through electrical parameter control rather than complex mechanical manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical accommodation mechanisms (such as movable lens elements or iris diaphragms) with electro-active optical materials that respond to electrical fields. This substitution eliminates the need for precision mechanical assemblies and moving parts, reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining or improving accommodation functionality through electrical control of optical properties.
3Measurement precision
If eye-mountable devices incorporate sensors for analyte detection, then monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the control electronics to handle multiple sensor types (capacitive sensors for focal adjustments and electrochemical sensors for analyte detection) through a unified signal processing architecture. The same control circuitry processes signals from different sensor modalities, enabling multi-functional monitoring capability without proportionally increasing device complexity through separate dedicated circuits for each sensing function.
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 secure and efficient communication of user data, including focal adjustments and analyte monitoring, while ensuring compatibility with human eye tissues and minimizing interference with light transmission, thereby enhancing user experience and device security.
Implementation Method 1
an accommodating lens includes one or more liquid crystal elements and circuitry to apply an electrical current to change the index of refraction of the one or more elements
Implementation Method 2
capacitive and electrochemical sensors for detecting user conditions
Implementation Method 3
Other eye-mountable devices include alternative mechanisms such as those that sense a concentration of an analyte in a user's tears
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and mechanisms for exchanging encrypted communications wirelessly with an accommodation-capable ophthalmic device. In an embodiment, a controller of the ophthalmic device is configured to encrypt data to be sent from the ophthalmic device to an auxiliary device or to decrypt data received by the ophthalmic device from the auxiliary device.