Color perception simulation and experimental characterization of 3D printed multi-material contact lenses for color vision correction

• Multi-material 3D printing of contact lenses for color vision correction. • Atto425, Atto465, Atto495, and Atto565 dyes explored for color vision correction. • Evaluation of 3D printed lenses through simulation and patient trials. • Detailed characterization studies including cell viability, material degradation, and tensile properties. Multi-material 3D printing enables the production of objects with different materials deposited selectively at suitable locations. Multi-material 3D printing can be used to produce advanced contact lenses with novel functionalities. However, further advancements are still required to make it commercially feasible. Here, multi-material 3D printing is explored with vat photopolymerization printer to produce contact lenses for color vision correction. Fluorescent dyes Atto565, Atto425, Atto465, and Atto495 are added to the 3D-printed contact lenses for selective wavelength filtering. Multiple dyes can be added to different layers using a multi-material 3D printing process. The contact lenses were printed using hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel. A HEMA:PEGDA concentration of 35:1 was utilized to provide optimal material properties for 3D-printed contact lenses. Extensive characterization studies were performed on these contact lenses, including water absorption, contact angle, cytotoxicity, hydrogel degradation, dye stability, and tensile behavior. Color vision perception modeling simulation and patient trials were performed to evaluate the performance of multi-material filters. The 3D-printed lenses displayed good optical quality and relatively good materials properties. The results indicate that, with further improvements, 3D printed multi-material contact lenses hold significant potential for color vision correction and various ocular applications.