DEVICE TO PREVENT RETINAL HYPOXIA

A contact lens configured to decrease dark adaptation comprises one or more LEDs and directs light from the LED away from the fovea and toward the parafovea or perifoveal regions of the retain. In some embodiments, soft contact lens embedded with one or more arrays of microLEDs and electronics operating the LEDs is configured to be worn at night in order to inhibit dark adaptation and reduce oxygen consumption by the rods. The contact lens may be made of a single layer of a contact lens material or multiple layers sandwiching a flexible transparent plastic layer comprising the electronics and the LED arrays. The contact lens may be made of a hydrophilic hydrogel material that is biocompatible to the human cornea, or a silicone hydrogel material. The contact lens may be spherical and may provide refractive correction to the eye of the wearer.