Graphene-integrated contact lenses for ocular sensing, drug delivery, and antimicrobial protection

The integration of graphene into contact lens technology has emerged as an active area of ophthalmic materials research due to graphene’s unique combination of optical transparency, electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and tunable surface chemistry. This review critically examines the current state of graphene-based contact lens research, including material properties, fabrication strategies, biocompatibility considerations, and proposed biomedical applications. Reported studies have explored graphene-enhanced contact lenses for biosensing, drug delivery, antimicrobial protection, and ocular monitoring; however, the maturity of these technologies remains highly variable. While several laboratory proof-of-concept studies and early preclinical prototypes have demonstrated promising functionality under controlled conditions, many proposed systems remain conceptual and have not yet achieved clinically validated wearable implementation. This review therefore emphasizes the distinction between conceptual designs, experimental demonstrations, and integrated prototype systems. In addition, key translational limitations are discussed, including manufacturing reproducibility, oxygen permeability, long-term ocular safety, regulatory uncertainty, and the lack of standardized chronic exposure studies. Although graphene-based contact lenses may offer future opportunities for multifunctional ophthalmic devices, substantial technical, toxicological, and regulatory challenges must still be addressed before routine clinical application can be realistically considered.