Eyeglasses-powered, contact lens-like platform with high power transfer efficiency.

Abstract

We present a contact lens-like platform that is wirelessly powered by an external coil embedded in eyeglasses via magnetic resonance coupling at 13.56 MHz. The platform is composed of a transparent parylene film as a host substrate, an embedded spiral inductor as a power receiving coil, and metal interconnects for additional electronics. A multilayer thin-film parylene packaging process is used to meet the form factor of a contact lens. A 36 μm-thick metal plating technique is employed on a parylene film to enhance the quality factor (Q) of the receiving coil (Q = 27.3 at 13.56 MHz). The power transfer method and techniques to compensate for coil misalignment are demonstrated on a pig eye, achieving a power transfer efficiency of 17.5 % at a 20-mm powering distance. The effect of tissue on the coil and the power transfer efficiency is examined. The high power transfer efficiency along with the wearable prototype demonstrated herein make promising progress toward smart contact lens in ocular diagnostics.