ECS04 – The Eye Reimagined
The Eye Reimagined: A Lens-Embedded Platform for Real-Time Care and Beyond.
Delivering real-time visual correction, health monitoring, and digital interaction through adaptive optics, embedded electronics, and seamless connectivity.
- Vega1,*
1Azalea Vision, Ghent, Belgium
Azalea Vision is developing the first medical-grade smart lens platform that adapts, connects, and delivers real-time clinical value. Spun off from imec and Ghent University, Azalea integrates adaptive optics, liquid crystal technology, and embedded electronics within a scleral lens to treat complex vision conditions like keratoconus and presbyopia. Backed by leading investors and supported by public innovation grants, Azalea’s technology dynamically corrects vision and communicates with smartphones or wearables via NFC. Future applications include tear-based biosensing, precision drug delivery, and integration into AR/VR systems—redefining vision as an intelligent, connected health interface.
Extended Summary:
Azalea Vision is pioneering the future of connected ocular health through the development of the first medical-grade, intelligent lens-embedded system designed for real-time clinical impact.
Founded in 2021 as a spin-off from imec and Ghent University, Azalea combines deep expertise in microelectronics, biomedical optics, and medical device innovation. The company is backed by leading HealthTech, MedTech, and DeepTech investors—including imec.xpand, Elaia Partners, Sensinnovat, and SPRIM SGI—and supported by public innovation grants such as the European Innovation Council (EIC) and VLAIO.
At the core of Azalea’s platform is a breakthrough smart lens technology that integrates adaptive optics, liquid crystal filters, custom ASICs, and NFC-enabled communication—all engineered within a scleral lens format. This technology mimics the natural responsiveness of the human eye, adapting in milliseconds to changes in light, focus, and motion, while remaining seamlessly connected to external devices like smartphones or smartwatches.
Azalea’s first clinical application targets patients with corneal irregularities, such as keratoconus and irregular astigmatism, conditions often underserved by existing static or surgical solutions. The lens provides dynamic, personalised correction of higher-order aberrations (HOAs), improving visual acuity and quality of life for patients who cannot benefit from standard interventions.
And Azalea’s platform goes far beyond correction. It is built to scale across a pipeline of future applications, including:
– Tear-based biosensingfor conditions like glaucoma, dry eye, and diabetes (via glucose, IOP, etc.)
– Precision drug deliverydirectly through the lens
– Adaptive optics for AR/VR integrationand real-time visual enhancement
By reimagining the eye as a connected interface—not just a sensory organ—Azalea Vision is shaping a future where vision is intelligent, personalised, and deeply integrated into digital health ecosystems.
We’re not just building a lens.
We’re building the next platform in ocular care.