Fig. 2: MCL fabrication techniques.

a Schematic illustration of MCL fabrication via irreversible bonding and thermoforming, Reproduced with permission from Elsevier (2019)⁴⁵. b Fabrication process of the MCL via a 3D printed mold, Reproduced with permission from Springer Nature (2020)⁵⁰. c (i) Schematic representation of the CO₂ laser patterning setup (arrows show the laser path), (ii) top view of laser patterned microcavities (scale bar = 300 µm), (iii) photographs of a laser patterned circular microchannel in the contact lens (scale bar = 300 µm), (iv) photograph of a microfluidic contact lens array via laser patterning (scale bar = 200 µm) and (v) microscopy image of a laser patterned microfluidic array in the contact lens (scale bar = 1 mm), Reproduced with permission from Wiley (2018)⁵⁴, and d (i) Schematic comparison of laser ablation via a long pulse laser beam and ultrashort laser pulses, where the insets show a contact lens engraved with each process, (ii) photographs of the spiral channel engraved on a contact lens (scale bar = 5 mm), and (iii) microscopy image of the spiral channel (scale bar = 150 µm), Reproduced with permission from Wiley (2021)⁵⁷