The idea is to create smart sunglasses that can detect and automatically darken bright spots and glares. The lenses will be LCD screens with a light detecting sensor at the nose which will be able to work with a microprocessor to identify the glare. The pixels could be switched on and off to black out certain areas of the lenses and could identify the movements of the user's head and respond to the new areas of glare. The glasses could have applications for people with light...

The idea is to design shoes that will use haptic feedback and Google Maps to guide the visually impaired to their destination. The shoes will be intended to guide the user to specific destinations through vibrations on different areas of the shoe. The user will enter their destination on Google Maps with special application enabled smartphone, which will communicate with the circuit board in the heel of the shoe. By following Google's turn-by-turn directions, the vibrators will...

The idea is to develop a new eye test device for children that will use cartoons and games to simplify eye exams. The system will able to screen the child's eyes while they watch a short cartoon or play a video game. The device will use infrared light to gather data, and the assessment will be available within one minute. The test will also work without the need for eye dilation or verbal responses from the child.

Utilizing the body's own defense system may lead to less harmful ways of treating melanoma and other cancers. There is the study that involves a process known as adoptive t-cell therapy, in which immune cells are primed to seek out and kill cancer cells in the body. The results of the study are optimistic- out of nine patients, the cancer in four of them was rendered stable, and in one patient the disease disappeared, and has not returned even two years later. The method is...

A new contact lens will be able to deliver anesthetic over an extended time in uniform doses, providing better comfort for post-eye surgery patients. The lenses will be created specifically with laser eye surgery patients in mind. The dosing them with vitamin E will extend the time of release of 3 common anesthetics from 2 hours to a whole day. The vitamin E will also function as a barrier, keeping the medication on the eye.

Taking advantage of the new microneedle patch technology, I suggest developing a dissolving patch that will allow patients to self-administer vaccines - painlessly. The patch will consist of microneedles only seven-tenths of a millimeter long and use dry virus-like particles instead of the usual liquid containing the dead or attenuated virus. An added stabilizing agent means the patches will not have to be refrigerated, and the precise delivery method of the small needles will...

A skin patch that delivers drugs directly into the foot could provide a new source of relief for diabetics who frequently suffer from foot ulcers. Diabetes causes both blockages in the blood vessels and hinders the formation a protein called hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1a)--a protein that triggers the genes that form capillaries at wound sites. These two factors both slow wound healing, which can in turn lead to amputation. In order to assist in the body's healing, a...

A new method of imaging brain tumors will help surgeons see precisely where the tumor ends and healthy tissue begins, guiding the doctor through the surgery. The technique will work by hitting the brain with a non-invasive laser, and then analyzing the spectrum of light that emerges. The system will be able to sense the vibrations of chemical bonds, with healthy tissue and tumors differentiated by the amount of lipids and proteins in the cells. The data will be transmitted as a...

The polycarbonate lenses of the glasses will feature an optical coating that will remove the wavelengths of light between the colors red, green and blue. This will eliminate the overlap between the red and green cone cells and allow the colors that do get through to be amplified, reducing the effects of red/green color blindness. The sturdy polycarbonate lenses will also make the glasses safe for wearing during sports or other athletic activities.

A wrist-worn device will be made of polished stainless steel and will be comfortable and lightweight. It will encourage the body to produce melatonin - the hormone that encourages good sleep.