"Smart" contact lenses that measure pressure within the eye and dispense medication accordingly could be made possible using a new material developed by biomedical engineers at University of California.

Tingrui Pan, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and postdoctoral researcher Hailin Cong started with a material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

They developed a method for placing powdered silver on the PDMS in a precise pattern, to create conductive wires. The silver also has antimicrobial properties.

The researchers say they were able to shape the PDMS-silver into a contact-lens shape and show that it could function as a simple pressure sensor.

Glaucoma, in which drainage of fluid that delivers nutrients and removes metabolic waste is blocked, is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.

A contact lens that could continuously measure pressure within the eye and relay the data to a computer would allow doctors to learn more about glaucoma and improve patient treatment.

The researchers plan to apply for approval to begin trials of the lenses in humans, Pan said.