Technological Innovations in Correcting Color Vision for People with Color Blindness

The field of regenerative medicine has expanded to include interventions focused on restoring vision, with a specific emphasis on improving eye function. The term “regenerative medicine” encompasses interventions designed to repair tissues and organs damaged by diseases, injuries, or aging processes. This range of interventions includes chemical, gene, and protein-based medicines, cell-based therapies, and biomechanical interventions, all striving to restore normal function to a damaged part.

There has been a recent surge of interest in exciting developments related to specialized glasses tailored for individuals with color blindness. For those without the condition, distinguishing between different colours may seem routine. However, for people living with color blindness, this inability can significantly impact daily tasks, making them quite challenging to accomplish.

Colour blindness is a common genetic disorder that affects a significant portion of the global population, with an estimated 8% of men and 0.5% of women being affected. Despite its high prevalence, effective treatments for this condition are still lacking.

However, with the emergence of 3D printing technology, researchers and clinicians have been developing new and innovative ways to mitigate the effects of color blindness. This piece will explore how a 3D-printed contact lens can help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with color blindness.

Traditional options for correcting color deficiencies have been limited, with companies such as EnChroma providing lenses that block certain light wavelengths that disrupt color differentiation. While effective for some individuals, these lenses are not always successful for everyone and can also be quite costly and challenging to obtain.

This is where 3D-printed contacts designed specifically for color blindness come into play. Researchers from Khalifa University have designed a new technique that involves creating contact lenses with a unique design to help correct color blindness. The lens filters out specific wavelengths of light to enhance color contrast, working very much like their glasses counterparts. This revolutionary approach has the potential to significantly change the lives of individuals living with color blindness.

Creating contact lenses to correct color blindness is a multifaceted process that necessitates specialized knowledge and unique skills. It begins with a 3D printer, which creates a mold of the contact lens, followed by filling it with technical organic material developed to remedy different types of color blindness. The curing of the material follows, using heat or UV light to ensure the material retains its shape and properties on the mold surface. After curing, the mold is removed, leaving behind a solid piece of color-correcting material with the shape of the contact lens. The final step involves polishing the lens, using specialised tools and techniques to remove imperfections and create a lens surface that is perfectly smooth and transparent, ultimately leading to a custom-designed contact lens tailored to the individual’s eye.

Recent studies have shown promising results for 3D-printed contact lenses, with one study focusing on using 3D-printed hydrogel contact lenses with embedded color-correcting dyes that effectively improve color vision in individuals with red-green color blindness. Another study concentrated on the development of tunable light-filtering technology for 3D-printed contact lenses that can adjust the colors perceived by the wearer based on the pH level of their tears. This technology has the potential to provide personalised color correction tailored to each individual’s needs.

The development of 3D-printed contacts for color blindness signifies a significant advancement in personalized care, poised to revolutionize the treatment landscape for this condition. For individuals with severe color blindness, these contacts could provide a life-changing solution to significantly improve their quality of life. With further development and refinement, 3D-printed contacts could evolve into a widely adopted solution for color blindness, offering a more comprehensive understanding and innovative treatment that we hope to see more of in the future.