Key Takeaways
- University of Waterloo researchers developed a 3D printing platform capable of producing patient-specific rigid contact lenses in approximately 20 minutes
- The platform combines custom design software, a novel hydrophilic silicone formulation compatible with additive manufacturing, and a surface-smoothing coating process
- The technology has demonstrated biocompatibility in laboratory testing, and is advancing toward in vivo evaluation and commercialization
Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, have developed a digital manufacturing platform that combines novel silicone materials with advanced 3D printing technology to produce customized contact lenses in approximately 20 minutes, a development that could significantly shorten the fitting process for patients requiring specialty lenses.
The technology enables patient-specific contact lenses to be designed, manufactured, and potentially dispensed during a single optometry visit, according to the research team.
Most commercially available contact lenses are produced in standardized sizes and shapes. While these lenses meet the needs of many wearers, patients with irregular corneas often require rigid gas permeable lenses that must be individually fitted. Achieving an optimal fit can require multiple appointments over several weeks or months. Researchers in Waterloo's Department of Chemistry developed the platform to address these limitations through a combination of custom lens design software, a newly formulated silicone material, and additive manufacturing techniques.
"We are very excited about this work because it brings us closer to contact lenses that are truly personalized," said Shirley Tang, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. "Our technology produces lenses with patient-specific surfaces for a precise fit while delivering the optical clarity and mechanical performance expected of commercial contact lenses."
The software designs a lens with an inner surface tailored to the patient's corneal topography while generating an outer surface that provides the required refractive correction.
"Our software designs a lens with an inner surface that precisely matches the patient's cornea and an outer surface that provides the required vision correction," said Sayan Ganguly, PhD, research associate in Waterloo's Department of Chemistry. "The novel hydrophilic silicone material we created, combined with our manufacturing process, produces smooth, transparent lenses that are comfortable to wear."
A key advance was the development of a hydrophilic silicone formulation compatible with vat photopolymerization 3D printing. Although silicone is widely used in contact lenses because of its biocompatibility and oxygen permeability, conventional silicone materials generally cannot be processed using additive manufacturing methods.
The researchers also addressed a common challenge associated with 3D printing curved optical devices. Layer-by-layer fabrication can create microscopic surface irregularities that affect transparency and wearer comfort. To overcome this, the team developed an ultra-thin, non-contact fluidization coating process that smooths the lens surface while preserving its customized geometry and optical performance.
Laboratory testing demonstrated that the printed lenses are biocompatible, and the researchers are preparing to begin in vivo studies.
The team has filed a provisional patent covering the hydrophilic silicone material and is preparing a full patent application. Commercialization efforts are underway in collaboration with the Centre for Vision and Eye Research, a joint research institute of the University of Waterloo and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The technology recently received a Gold Medal at the 2026 Shanghai International Exhibition of Inventions.
The findings were published in Materials & Design in the paper, "Patient-specific hard contact lenses fabricated by vat photopolymerization printing and non-contact fluidization coating."
