Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a digital manufacturing platform that can produce patient-specific rigid contact lenses in as little as 20 minutes, potentially enabling customized lenses to be designed, manufactured, and dispensed during a single optometry visit. Published in Materials & Design, the study describes a platform that combines custom lens design software, a newly developed hydrophilic silicone material, and vat photopolymerization 3D printing to fabricate rigid contact lenses tailored to an individual patient's corneal anatomy.
Unlike conventional contact lenses, which are manufactured in a limited range of sizes and shapes, the new approach enables patient-specific lens surfaces designed to precisely match the cornea while providing the required optical correction. The technology is intended to address challenges faced by patients with irregularly…
