Patient-specific hard contact lenses fabricated by vat photopolymerization printing and non-contact fluidization coating

Abstract

Patient-specific hard contact lenses offer significant advantages for vision correction and corneal health, yet their fabrication remains constrained by limited geometric customization and surface-processing strategies. Here, we report a digital manufacturing platform for the fabrication of hard contact lenses with programmable thickness gradients and conformal surface modification. Cornea-specific lens geometries are computationally designed using MATLAB-based algorithms that translate corneal topography into spatially resolved thickness maps, with validation using both real patient-derived data and representative corneal geometries. The lenses are fabricated using DLP-based 3D printing from functional hydrophilic silicone-acrylate formulations and subsequently surface-modified via a non-contact fluidization coating technique. This coating approach enables uniform surface treatment without mechanical contact, preserving lens geometry. The resulting lenses are designed for myopia and hyperopia correction and exhibit controlled thickness variation, mechanical robustness, high oxygen permeability, and excellent cytocompatibility with human corneal epithelial cells. Confocal 3D slicing and scanning electron microscopy confirm precise thickness gradients throughout the lens cross-section. This work establishes a scalable route for a digital manufacturing platform for patient-specific design-capable hard contact lenses, integrating computational design, additive manufacturing, and non-contact surface engineering.