Artificial iris reacts to light like a human eye

Successful research on Finnish iris by scientists has opened a new hope for the development of future human eye transplants.

Human iris is responsible for adjusting the pupil size and helps measure the amount of light entering the retina. The camera aperture design also takes its meaning from the way the iris works. Even point-and-shot cameras depend on complex control mechanisms to keep the image from being overexposed.

Human iris helps measure the amount of light entering the retina.

According to Engadget, an artificial iris can also automatically adjust the size based on the brightness of the environment. This is the latest research by scientists at Tampere University of Technology, Finland.

Scientists from the team of intelligent photonics materials have successfully developed an artificial iris, using light-sensitive liquid elastomers. The team also uses photoalignment techniques in physics, which precisely locates liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction with only a few picometres of tolerance.

Artificial iris is like a contact lens.

This technique is quite similar to the technique used on LCD TV models to help improve viewing angles and increase contrast, and is later applied on smartphone screens. According to Professor Arri Priimägi, "Artificial iris is like a contact lens. Its central part opens and closes based on the amount of light coming in."

The team hopes to continue developing this technology to become an implantable biomedical device. However, before actual production, researchers will need to improve the light sensitivity of the iris, enabling them to adapt to the slightest light change. Besides, the device also needs to be able to operate even in water environment.