Extra credit week one:

Article:
http://www.economist.com/node/18750624

Summary:
New "smart" contact lenses are being developed that exploit the unusual characteristics of the eye that can diagnose diseases and deliver medicine to the wearer. The main disease that these contacts are being used to diagnose and treat is Glaucoma. In addition to Glaucoma, these lenses may also be developed to diagnose hypertension and brain tumors by examining the retina of the eye. They also may be advanced into being used to measure the level of cholesterol or alcohol in your blood. These contact lenses work by using embedded sensors and electronics that monitor disease and dispense drugs. Not only would they work as sensors, but they would use pixels to create a display as well on the lens. By adding tiny light-emitting elements to the contact lenses, it is possible to map digital images directly onto the patient's field of vision to create a display overlay that requires no additional screen except for the contacts. Best of all, the contact lenses that aid in treating Glaucoma are already on the market. There is a varied version of the smart contact lens that is meant to be worn continuously. Unfortunately, it is still under development and not available yet. It would be set at aiding diseases rather than just monitoring them by using sensors. The lenses would release the drugs through the eye over a long period of time, and would be released when the disease peaked. However, there are still some concerns with this innovation. The drugs may be triggered to release by false situations. For example, the drug may be directed to release by the harmless cough of someone. Another concern is that the lens may have a negative effect on the wearer's vision when the drugs are released, clouding the vision of the patient.