Have scientists ever used trilobite eyes as camera lenses?

Trilobites have unique eyes formed from calcite prisms. I heard a rumor that some of these lenses are so well presevered that they could be used for camera lenses.

I should make clear that I am refering to their fossilized eyes.

Well you could but you don't normally get that kind of detail and if I recall calcite replacement is not likely to occur for soft parts like eyes. There are some amazing looking trilobite eyes in the fossil record but you don't as a rule use them for more than studying trilobites. Besides they're so tiny why would you use them for that? (I'm going for an average trilobite. I know some were larger)

Hmmm. I could see calcite prisms in fossil trilobites, but never heard of that proposed in a living one. As far as know, horseshoe crabs (probably their closest living ancestors) have normal, compound eyes.

i doubt it