VSPARTICLE develops technology to print sensors, enabling smart contact lenses

News - 06 December 2018

VSPARTICLE, a spinoff company from Delft University of Technology, has developed technology that can be used for producing smart contact lenses.

The nanotech company is able to produce extremely sensitive materials, built up from pure metals and oxides, which can be printed on flexible substrates, such as polymers. Its technology provides the important accuracy required for glucose testing, as one example, and can be reproduced quickly.

The new additive manufacturing technology can be used for numerous applications, for example real-time medical sensors such as glucose sensing, biomarker sensing as well as accurate gas sensors.

“Being able to print on curved, flexible surfaces is one of the biggest challenges for medical sensors, next to bio-compatibility of sensor material”, CFO Vincent Laban states. “With the lens we are able to solve both problems as we have demonstrated by printing a gold sensor on an ordinary contact lens.”

Being able to print on curved, flexible surfaces is one of the biggest challenges for medical sensors, next to bio-compatibility of sensor material

The potential for VSPARTICLE’s smart contact lens tech is extensive outside of its medical uses. Future scenarios even involve recording video or taking photos using voluntary blinks to control the images. VSPARTICLE’s technology would play a key role in making such applications viable.  

VSPARTICLE will launch its 3D Nanoprinter next year, making the printing of materials with nanoparticle properties just as simple and effective. The main focus for this technology is sensors, semiconductors, micro-batteries, micro-LED’s and bioelectronics.

Click here to read the full press release.