# US 2014/0192311 A1 · Contact lenses with hybrid power sources > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192311 A1 - Document ID: US20140192311A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/559,261 - Filed: 2012-07-26 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-26 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Inventors: Nathan Pletcher; Brian Otis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192311A1 ## CPC - G02C 7/04: Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) - G02C 11/10: {Electronic devices other than hearing aids} - H10F 19/30: comprising thin-film photovoltaic cells - A61B 5/14507: {specially adapted for measuring characteristics of body fluids other than blood (devices for taking samples of body liquids A61B10/0045)} - A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement} - A61B 5/6821: {Eye} - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Apparatus, systems and methods of contact lenses with power sources are provided. In some aspects, a contact lens can include a substrate; and a circuit. The circuit can include: one or more sensors disposed on or within the substrate; circuitry disposed on at least a portion of the substrate; one or more photovoltaic cells disposed on at least a portion of the substrate; and a hybrid power component that supplies at least one of two or more different types of power to the circuitry, wherein at least one of the two or more different types of power is radio frequency/inductive power. In various aspects, other types of power can be solar and/or microelectromechanical system power. Additionally, in various aspects, photovoltaic cells can be arrayed in different configurations and/or over a significant portion of a viewing surface of the contact lens. In some aspects, the photovoltaic cells can be transparent. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A contact lens, comprising: a substrate; and a circuit comprising: one or more sensors disposed on or within the substrate; circuitry disposed on or within at least a portion of the substrate; one or more photovoltaic cells disposed on or within at least a portion of the substrate; and a hybrid power component that supplies at least one of two or more different types of power to the circuitry, wherein the at least one of the two or more different types of power is radio frequency/inductive power. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein another one of the two or more different types of power is solar power provided by the one or more photovoltaic cells. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The contact lens of claim 2, wherein the hybrid power component supplies radio frequency/inductive power and the solar power intermittently. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising one or more microelectromechanical systems and wherein another one of the two or more different types of power is electric power provided by the one or more microelectromechanical systems. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The contact lens of claim 4, wherein the hybrid power component supplies radio frequency/inductive power and the electric power from the one or more microelectromechanical systems intermittently. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising a power storage component, operably coupled to the one or more photovoltaic cells, that stores power from the one or more photovoltaic cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The contact lens of claim 6, wherein the power storage component comprises a storage capacitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The contact lens of claim 7, wherein the power storage component comprises a thin film battery. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells are translucent or transparent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The contact lens of claim 9, wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells are disposed over at least half of a surface of the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more photovoltaic cells or the circuitry is disposed along a perimeter of the substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells comprise a circular array of two or more photovoltaic cells. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells comprise at least one single crystal silicon photovoltaic cell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells comprise at least one of organic dyes, thin films, organic polymers or nanocrystals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the hybrid power component supplies a type of power based, at least, on an operation of the circuitry or an environment of the contact lens. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the hybrid power component supplies at least two of the two or more different types of power to the circuitry and alternates between supplying a first one of the at least two of the two or more different types of power and supplying a second one of the at least two of the two or more different types of power. ### Claim 17 A contact lens, comprising: a substrate; and a circuit comprising: one or more sensors disposed on or within the substrate; circuitry disposed on or within at least a portion of the substrate; and one or more solar cells disposed on or within at least a portion of the substrate, that supply power to the circuitry, wherein the one or more solar cells are transparent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The contact lens of claim 17, further comprising a power storage component, operably coupled to the one or more solar cells, that stores power from the one or more solar cells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The contact lens of claim 18, wherein the power storage component comprises a storage capacitor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The contact lens of claim 18, wherein the power storage component comprises a thin film battery. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The contact lens of claim 17, wherein the one or more solar cells comprise one or more photovoltaic cells. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The contact lens of claim 17, wherein the one or more solar cells are disposed over half of a surface of the substrate. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The contact lens of claim 17, wherein the circuitry and the one or more solar cells are disposed along a perimeter of the substrate. ### Claim 24 A contact lens, comprising: a transparent substrate; and a circuit comprising: one or more sensors disposed on or within the transparent substrate; circuitry disposed on or within at least a portion of the transparent substrate; and one or more photovoltaic cells disposed on or within at least a portion of the transparent substrate, that supply power to the circuitry. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The contact lens of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors sense a level of at least one of lactate, glucose, cholesterol or urea in a body of a wearer of the contact lens. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The contact lens of claim 24, wherein the one or more sensors sense at least one of pressure, light, acceleration, temperature or strain. ### Claim 27 A method of operating a contact lens, comprising: supplying, from a hybrid power component on or within the contact lens, at least one of two or more different types of power to circuitry disposed on or within the contact lens, wherein at least one of the two or more different types of power is radio frequency/inductive power; and performing one or more operations, by the circuitry, in response to receiving supplied power. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the supplying comprising supplying two or more different types of power to the circuitry. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the two or more different types of power comprise radio frequency/inductive power and solar power. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the two or more different types of power comprise radio frequency/inductive power and electric power from a microelectromechanical system. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the two or more different types of power are supplied at least one of intermittently or based, at least, on an environment outside of the contact lens. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein the supplying two or more different types of power comprises supplying the radio frequency/inductive power during a first type of operation performed by the circuitry and supplying a second type of power during a second type of operation performed by the circuitry. ### Claim 33 A method of operating a contact lens, comprising: determining at least one of a type of operation performed via the contact lens or an environment outside of the contact lens; selecting a type of power based, at least, on the type of operation or the environment outside of the contact lens; and outputting the type of power. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein the determining the at least one of the type of operation performed via the contact lens or the environment outside of the contact lens comprises determining that the environment outside of the contact lens is a nighttime environment.