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An artificial lens almost identical to the biological lens has been created
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The crystalline lens located opposite the pupil in the eyeball is an excellent biological lens. Scientists have managed to create an almost exact artificial copy of it, which in the future can be used not only to make eye lenses, but also to produce excellent technologies for ground and air surveillance.
The lens, made up of thousands of nanoscale polymer layers, was developed through a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and PolymerPlus.
The core technology behind the new lens is called GRIN (gradient refractive index optics). When passing through a GRIN lens, light rays are refracted to varying degrees depending on the specific area they pass through. The optical system of the human eye is essentially a GRIN lens, whereas traditional artificial lenses refract light in one direction.
The team of scientists set themselves the task of creating a lens that would be as close as possible in its characteristics to the human eye. To do this, they had to apply multiple layers of polymers with different refractive indices one after another. This approach allowed them to create a lens with increased mechanical strength, new reflective properties, and increased optical power."
"The replica of the human eye lens is the first step towards creating biocompatible materials needed to improve existing technology used to produce optical implants," said PolymerPlus CEO Michael Ponting.
Ponting and his colleagues' invention also makes it possible to create optical systems with fewer components, which has important implications for both consumer optical products and ground and airborne military surveillance systems.
Scientists are already working on adapting the new lens for commercial use.
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