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If you wear contact lenses, we have huge news for you | Tech News


If you wear contact lenses, we have huge news for you (Picture: Laurent Galinier/SWNS)

Eyewear could get a revamp after scientists invented a sci-fi-looking spiral-shaped lens, which spins light through it like water going down a drain.

The ground-breaking new technology could massively improve eyewear technology by providing clear vision at a range of distances and in varying light conditions.

It could also help people with cataracts or age-related vision problems, as it works much like progressive lenses used for vision correction – but without the distortions they tend to have.

The French research team behind the design said it could advance contact lens technologies, implants for cataracts and miniaturised imaging systems.

Study leader Professor Bertrand Simon said: ‘Unlike existing multifocal lenses, our lens performs well under a wide range of light conditions and maintains multifocality regardless of the size of the pupil.

‘For potential implant users or people with age-related farsightedness, it could provide consistently clear vision, potentially revolutionising ophthalmology.’

The new lens – which the researchers call the ‘spiral diopter’ – was revealed in the journal Optica.

Spiral contact lens

The design has a spiral which could be used in eyewear advancements (Picture: Laurent Galinier / SWNS)

Its spiralling features are arranged so it creates many separate points of focus, much like having multiple lenses in one, making it possible to see clearly at various distances.

Inspiration for the spiral lens design came from the paper’s first author Laurent Galinier. 

While analysing severe corneal deformations in patients, he came up with the idea of a lens with a unique spiral design that causes light to spin, like water going down a drain.

The phenomenon – known as an ‘optical vortex’ – creates multiple clear focus points, which allow the lens to provide clear focus at different distances.

‘Creating an optical vortex usually requires multiple optical components,’ said Mr Galinier. ‘Our lens, however, incorporates the elements necessary to make an optical vortex directly into its surface.

glasses on a crossword

The technology could one day be applied to glasses too (Picture: Getty/Glowimages RF)

‘Creating optical vortices is a thriving field of research, but our method simplifies the process, marking a significant advancement in the field of optics.’

Volunteers using the lenses reported noticeable improvements in visual sensitivity for different distances and lighting conditions.

The researchers are now working to better understand the unique optical vortices produced by their lens, and plan to perform trials of the lens’s ability to correct vision in people in real-world conditions.

The team is also exploring if they could apply it to prescription eyeglasses and if it could lead to advancements in compact imaging technologies, wearable devices and remote sensing systems for drones or self-driving cars.


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