Materials: Inspired by the science of tears

Tears are vital to maintain a healthy ocular surface and an optically clear entrance to the eye. Without them, we would not have the sharp retinal image that allows us to see the world and each other clearly. Tears are rich and complex, and that richness is necessary for their efficacy.

Water alone could not nourish and protect the delicate corneal and conjunctival epithelia, nor give us the clear, stable vision we experience daily. The human tear film is optimised to address a unique additional challenge: create a smooth, optically transparent, refractive interface between the hydrophilic environment of the eye and the hydrophobic external environment of the air.