Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a digital manufacturing platform that combines custom design software, a novel hydrophilic silicone material, and 3D printing technology to produce patient-specific rigid contact lenses in approximately 20 minutes.

Described in Materials & Design, the platform is intended to streamline the fitting process for patients who have irregular corneas and require custom rigid GP lenses. According to the researchers, the technology could eventually allow practitioners to design, manufacture, and dispense customized lenses during a single office visit.

The software generates a lens with an inner surface matched to a patient's corneal topography and an outer surface that provides the prescribed refractive correction. The investigators also developed a hydrophilic silicone formulation compatible with vat photopolymerization printing, addressing a longstanding limitation of silicone materials in additive manufacturing.

To improve optical quality, the team paired the printing process with an ultra-thin, non-contact fluidization coating that smooths the lens surface while maintaining its customized geometry.

Laboratory testing demonstrated the printed lenses were biocompatible, and the researchers are preparing to begin in vivo studies. The team has filed a provisional patent covering the silicone material and is pursuing commercialization through the Centre for Vision and Eye Research, a joint institute of the University of Waterloo and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.