“New Optical Implant Inspired by Butterfly Wing Structure” – Nature Nanotechnology

* The division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech has been working on designing an optical implant that measures intra-optical pressure in glaucoma patients

* It works by having the tiny implant flex as eye pressure changes and this change can be measured by using a handheld reader, held at exactly 90 degrees with respect to the angle.

* The glasswing butterfly’s wings were used to ensure an accurate reading. The butterfly wings are coated in tiny pillars, about 150 nanometers apart and 100 nanometers in diameter. These pillars redirect light from any angle (greatly reducing reflections), a phenomenon known as “angle-independent antireflection”

* The nanostructured coating is created to mimic the butterfly’s wing – the light from the reader will pass through the implant and give the correct reading independent of the angle.