Researchers 3D Print Custom Contact Lenses in 20 Minutes

How the process works

A team at the University of Waterloo combined custom design software, a new hydrophilic silicone formulation, and DLP-style 3D printing to produce contact lenses directly from a patient scan. The whole cycle takes roughly 20 minutes from scan to finished lens.

Standard soft contacts are limited to fixed sizes and curves. Patients with irregular corneas often need scleral or rigid gas-permeable lenses. Those traditionally take weeks to manufacture and require multiple fittings.

The material challenge

Conventional silicone does not behave well in a vat polymerization process. The researchers created a new hydrophilic silicone material that prints smoothly layer by layer and stays soft enough for the eye while retaining optical clarity.

After printing, an ultra-thin non-contact coating fills in layer lines. The coating improves surface smoothness without altering the lens prescription or fit.

Why it matters

Right now a custom hard lens can cost between 500 dollars and 1500 dollars. The Waterloo team believes 3D printing can bring that down by removing labor-intensive fabrication steps and shortening the supply chain.

The researchers are preparing a patent application for their silicone formulation. They also plan live- organism testing as the next step toward clinical use.