How glass wings could save sight
Biomimicry – copying forms and systems in nature – has already inspired Velcro, bullet trains, e-reader screens and strong adhesives. Now, scientists researching glaucoma are using the glasswing as their muse. Glaucoma, a group of eye conditions caused by optic nerve damage often related to high pressure, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide after cataracts. Currently, sufferers visit their doctor just a few times a year to have their eye pressure checked. Engineers have been studying the irregular surface structure of the glasswing’s wings to help them develop nanotechnology that allows people with glaucoma to monitor their eye pressure more regularly. A transparent implant the width of a few hairs sends measurements to a handheld reader so patients can take medication if pressure spikes, potentially avoiding irreversible nerve damage. Early versions required the reader to be held perpendicular to the implant, but tiny pillars inspired by the butterfly mean a measurement is given from any angle.