Telescopic CL designed for patients with AMD

Researchers at the University of California and EPFL in Switzerland have developed a contact lens which when used with a specially developed pair of spectacles, can give telescopic vision to wearers.

The prototype PMMA contact lens is 8mm in diameter, 1mm thick in the centre and 1.17mm thick in the magnifying ring. Its central region lets light though for normal vision and the magnifying ring sits in a ring around it.

The system, said to have been designed for patients with AMD, can magnify details by 2.8 times. Wearers can switch between normal and telescopic vision using specially adapted Samsung 3D glasses fitted with a polarising film in conjunction with the contact lenses.