Researchers from Northwestern University have developed a tiny, soft, transparent nanofabricated device that can fit into a contact lens and collect medical information to help diagnose such diseases as macular degeneration and diabetes.
Called the Micro-ring resonator detector, the device measures 60 micrometers in diameter and 1 micron high. It is also optically transparent to allow light to move through it freely.
The device is reportedly built upon the 2006 ground-breaking work of Professor Hao F. Zhang, who developed photoacoustic imaging -- sound and light waves are combined to create images of biological materials. Through this technology, the Micro-ring is reportedly capable of determining the speed of the blood flow and the oxygen metabolic rate at the back of the eye.
The research was recently reported in the journal Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.
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Source: Northwestern University