Multifunctional Graphene-Enhanced Smart Contact Lenses: A New Frontier in Ocular Diagnostics and Protection

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Smart contact lenses (SCLs) have emerged as a cutting-edge wearable platform for health monitoring and therapeutic applications. Graphene's exceptional electrical conductivity and high optical transparency make it particularly well-suited for SCL development. This has driven research\leading to advancements in SCLs with graphene, including graphene films for shielding electromagnetic interference (EMI) and preventing eye dehydration, graphene-based field-effect transistors (FETs) for electrochemical diagnostics, graphene-enabled intraocular pressure (IOP) biosensors for improved glaucoma diagnosis, transparent graphene-based contact lens electrodes (GRACE) for electroretinography (ERG), and graphene-based hybrid electrodes for wireless data transmission between SCLs and external devices. This comprehensive review summarizes the fabrication of high-quality graphene sheets on SCLs, with an emphasis on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Cu foils followed by solution-based transfer. It discusses graphene-enabled diagnostic innovations in SCLs, focusing on FETs, IOP biosensors, ERG electrodes, and hybrid electrodes. The review also highlights graphene-based therapeutic lenses, particularly for drug delivery, and summarizes ocular safety issues associated with graphene. Finally, challenges and future directions for integrating graphene into SCL technology are discussed.

Publication Title

Advanced Materials Technologies

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