Electron-Free Theranostic Smart Contact Lens for Monitoring and Self-Administration of Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a significant global health concern that will damage the optic nerve, often due to high eye pressure, leading to vision loss or blindness if untreated. Approximately 76 million people worldwide were estimated to have glaucoma in 2020, and this number is projected to increase to over 111 million by 2040 due to aging populations. The emergence of smart contact lenses (SCLs) as an innovative wearable medical platform has seamlessly integrated intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring and management into advanced glaucoma care. Researchers have embedded various strain sensors into contact lenses to manually release anti-glaucoma drugs based on changes in intraocular pressure. However, prior investigations primarily focused on electronic SCLs incorporating data-transfer circuits, metallic electrodes, rigid chip/antenna, and other external receivers close to the eye. These components compromise user comfort, biosafety, and visibility within the field of vision. The complex fabrication process will also make it unaffordable for most patients.More importantly, existing SCLs cannot automatically release drugs to regulate changes in intraocular pressure based on variations in IOP. Because most glaucoma patients are elderly, manually operating these SCLs to release drugs becomes exceedingly challenging. Here, we demonstrate an all-polymer theranostic SCL (AP-TCL) integrated with a highly sensitive microfluidic IOP monitor and a multi-stage drug delivery system for monitoring and programmed self-administration of IOP. The microfluidic IOP monitor shows high sensitivity, good reversibility, and biocompatibility, while the therapeutic system can be utilized for on-demand and programmable automatic delivery of IOP-lowering medications when IOP exceeds the normal range. The AP-TCL system offers a cost-effective and fully biocompatible platform for personalized glaucoma management, with minimal risk of complications.