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Self-moisturizing contact lenses, naturally
July 09, 2008Even contact lenses are joining the trend to go green.
Chemical engineering researchers at McMaster University have shown that a common fluid found in our bodies can be used as a natural moisturizing agent in contact lenses.
This is a step up from the current wave of self-moisturizing contact lenses that use synthetic materials as a wetting agent to prevent eye dryness and increase wearer comfort.
It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of people who stop wearing contact lenses do so because of discomfort caused by dryness, which is particularly high at the end of the day.
The research from McMaster, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, showed that hyaluronic acid can be entrapped in existing contact lens material without affecting optical properties.
It was also found that using hyaluronic acid considerably reduces the build up of proteins which can cloudy contact lens material, the cause of up to 30 per cent of all after-care visits by contact lens wearers to optometrists. [That's one less appointment and one more step towards reducing your carbon footprint.]
Hyaluronic acid is a natural polymer that acts to reduce friction. An average person weighing 70-kg has about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid in their body, one third of which is turned over daily. The body uses hyaluronic acid to repair skin, provide resiliency in cartilage, and contribute to the growth and movement of cells, among other things. It is also used by the medical profession to treat patients with dry eyes, in cataract surgery, and for other eye-related procedures.
While manufacturers have not yet produced contact lenses with hyaluronic acid, the researchers remain hopeful.
"We've shown that the process works," said Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering at McMaster and a member of the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, who was involved in the research. "We're optimistic that a manufacturer will see the benefits of using this naturally based technology to provide contact lens wearers with greater comfort and convenience."
McMaster University
It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of people who stop wearing contact lenses do so because of discomfort caused by dryness, which is particularly high at the end of the day.
The research from McMaster, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, showed that hyaluronic acid can be entrapped in existing contact lens material without affecting optical properties.
It was also found that using hyaluronic acid considerably reduces the build up of proteins which can cloudy contact lens material, the cause of up to 30 per cent of all after-care visits by contact lens wearers to optometrists. [That's one less appointment and one more step towards reducing your carbon footprint.]
Hyaluronic acid is a natural polymer that acts to reduce friction. An average person weighing 70-kg has about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid in their body, one third of which is turned over daily. The body uses hyaluronic acid to repair skin, provide resiliency in cartilage, and contribute to the growth and movement of cells, among other things. It is also used by the medical profession to treat patients with dry eyes, in cataract surgery, and for other eye-related procedures.
While manufacturers have not yet produced contact lenses with hyaluronic acid, the researchers remain hopeful.
"We've shown that the process works," said Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering at McMaster and a member of the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, who was involved in the research. "We're optimistic that a manufacturer will see the benefits of using this naturally based technology to provide contact lens wearers with greater comfort and convenience."
McMaster University
Contact Lenses Current Events and Contact Lenses News RSSCataract surgery helps AMD patients; steroid improves DME; online eye health forum
This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) reports on a national study that finds cataract surgery is likely to benefit patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at all stages of the disease, on a clinical trial showing that the steroid triamcinolone may be effective in advanced diabetic macular edema (DME) patients when standard treatment fails, and on the public's use of two Academy-sponsored online eye health forums.
A drug-dispensing contact lens
Taking eye drops multiple times a day can be difficult for patients to do, and because of blinking and tearing, as little as 1 to 7 percent of the dose is actually absorbed by the eye.
Sight for sore eyes
In a world-first breakthrough, University of New South Wales (UNSW) medical researchers have used stem cells cultured on a simple contact lens to restore sight to sufferers of blinding corneal disease.
'Gecko vision': Key to the multifocal contact lens of the future?
Nocturnal geckos are among the very few living creatures able to see colors at night, and scientists' discovery of series of distinct concentric zones may lead to insight into better cameras and contact lenses.
UAB Tear Research Focused on Contact Lens Risks, Benefit
Contact lenses are great for sight, but do they have an impact on general eye health? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry are working to answer that question by analyzing tears.
Violent Video Games Can Improve Vision
Video killed the radio star, the old song goes - but violent video games, a new Tel Aviv University study finds, can also improve the real-world vision of teens who play them.
Eye exercises help patients work out vision problems, UH optometrist says
You've probably been there. In a doctor's office, being advised to do what you dread - exercise. You get that feeling in your gut, acknowledging that, indeed, you should exercise but probably won't. Now imagine that the doctor is your optometrist.
Knobbly kneed ID
Forget LED thumb-pad identification devices, complex retinal laser scanning, or even computerized iris recognition, the way forward for biometric validation is a quick X-ray snapshot of a person's knees, according to a report published in the International Journal of Biometrics.
Strategy Discovered for Fighting Persistent Bacterial Infections
Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered a promising strategy for destroying the molecular scaffolding that can make Pseudomonas bacterial infections extremely difficult to treat in cystic fibrosis patients, wearers of contact lenses, and burn victims. Jerry Nick, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at National Jewish Health, and his colleagues report in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Medical Microbiology that a long string of aspartic acid molecules disrupts the molecular bonds that hold together the structure supporting Pseudomonas biofilms.
Biofilms: Even Stickier Than Suspected
Biofilms are everywhere - in dental plaque and ear canals, on contact lenses and in water pipelines - and the bacteria that make them get more resilient with age, finds a new study in FEMS Microbiology Letters.
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