Appl. Opt. 54, 7195–7204 (2015)

Age-related macular degradation (AMD) is a common eye complaint in the elderly, which degrades vision and is the leading cause of blindness for those over the age of 55. Some AMD patients rely on low-magnification telescopic visual aids to help with the problem. However, such aids are typically bulky and inconvenient. Now, Ashkan Arianpour and co-workers from the USA and Switzerland have developed a 1.6-mm-thick telescopic contact lens that provides both ×1 and ×2.8 magnified vision. The optic features an unmagnified vision path through the central aperture of the lens. This is supplemented with a second vision path based on an 8.2-mm-diameter ring-shaped entrance pupil and four internal reflections in a polymethyl methacrylate precision optic. The design features air gaps to ensure sufficient oxygen flow to the cornea. The switching of the magnifications was implemented by changing the polarization of incoming light. The resolutions of the telescopic lens for each magnification were experimentally tested by using an optomechanical fluid-filled eye model with a full-field view of 34 degrees.