Whether they are working in the field of contact lenses, orthopaedics or robotic surgery, medical device makers need to invent to stay ahead – often in highly regulated markets. With the help of our own resident doctor of medicine, Iprova has innovated in areas that include robotic surgery, CPAP machines for sleep apnea treatment and even disposable products, such as novel types of contact lens.
Our work
A leading technology company asked Iprova to create inventions which would utilise the ever-advancing sensing capabilities of mobile phones and tablets to provide people with healthcare and medical benefits.
Iprova’s success with this client led to subsequent campaigns that have resulted in over 100 patent filings, with the patents granted as a result being cited by Amazon, Canon, ResMed, IBM, Google, Sony and many others.
Example invention
Iprova delivered an invention that enables control of a smart contact lens via a phone or tablet. The invention uses the mobile device to determine if the user is gazing at the device and estimates the distance from the device to the user’s eye. The focal length of the lens can then be continuously adjusted by using data from the mobile device to automatically switch between near and far vision, according to the user’s gaze direction and the distance between the user and the mobile.
This invention improves on smart contact lenses for nearsightedness, as the user’s device is able to take the place of expensive and complex computing components that otherwise would need to be integrated into the lens – making for cheaper products and much-improved user convenience.
Patent: US10416478 (B2) Controlling a lens for adjustable vision correction