Different Types Of Contact Lenses Research Articles

Does dropout happen even with patients fitted with contact lenses for irregular cornea?

Objectives: Different types of contact lenses play a primary role in improving visual acuity in irregular corneas. Although there are multiple evidences for vision improvement with contact lens patients still drop out of lens wear and choose other methods of treatment, surgeries, or discontinue the lenses. Materials and Methods: Three thousand two hundred patients who were evaluated for 5 years at a specialty contact lens clinic in a tertiary eye care center, but did not return to the clinic for over 18 months from the date of dispensing were identified as dropouts. Only 73 patients were identified as falling under this category of dropout. The reasons for dropout were categorized as comfort-related, vision-related, other reasons, and those who underwent surgical procedures. Results: Unlike previous studies, which included soft lenses, this study revealed only 2.28% (73/3200) of dropouts. There were 38 patients with unilateral lens fitting and 35 patients with bilateral lens fitting. The visual acuity was significantly improving with contact lens in these eyes. The clinical presentation of these patients was analyzed to know about their stage of disease while they dropout from the contact lens clinic. Conclusion: Although dropout of contact lens is much lesser in irregular corneal conditions, it is important for the practitioner to be updated with the alternate and latest modality of lens choices to satisfy vision-related and comfort-related issues of patients.

Biomimetic-Engineered Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens Materials.

Contact lenses are one of the most successful applications of biomaterials. The chemical structure of the polymers used in contact lenses plays an important role in determining the function of contact lenses. Different types of contact lenses have been developed based on the chemical structure of polymers. When designing contact lenses, materials scientists consider factors such as mechanical properties, processing properties, optical properties, histocompatibility, and antifouling properties, to ensure long-term wear with minimal discomfort. Advances in contact lens materials have addressed traditional issues such as oxygen permeability and biocompatibility, improving overall comfort, and duration of use. For example, silicone hydrogel contact lenses with high oxygen permeability were developed to extend the duration of use. In addition, controlling the surface properties of contact lenses in direct contact with the cornea tissue through surface polymer modification mimics the surface morphology of corneal tissue while maintaining the essential properties of the contact lens, a significant improvement for long-term use and reuse of contact lenses. This review presents the material science elements required for advanced contact lenses of the future and summarizes the chemical methods for achieving these goals.

Application of Convergent Science and Technology toward Ocular Disease Treatment

Eyes are one of the main critical organs of the body that provide our brain with the most information about the surrounding environment. Disturbance in the activity of this informational organ, resulting from different ocular diseases, could affect the quality of life, so finding appropriate methods for treating ocular disease has attracted lots of attention. This is especially due to the ineffectiveness of the conventional therapeutic method to deliver drugs into the interior parts of the eye, and the also presence of barriers such as tear film, blood-ocular, and blood-retina barriers. Recently, some novel techniques, such as different types of contact lenses, micro and nanoneedles and in situ gels, have been introduced which can overcome the previously mentioned barriers. These novel techniques could enhance the bioavailability of therapeutic components inside the eyes, deliver them to the posterior side of the eyes, release them in a controlled manner, and reduce the side effects of previous methods (such as eye drops). Accordingly, this review paper aims to summarize some of the evidence on the effectiveness of these new techniques for treating ocular disease, their preclinical and clinical progression, current limitations, and future perspectives.

The impacts of contact lenses on the short- and long-term biochemical parameters of tear films and corneal thickness

Introduction: To investigate the effects of long- and short-term use of different types of contact lenses on corneal metabolism and corneal thickness. Materials and Method: The participants were divided into two groups in the study. In the first group, 20 of the 42 patients were administered a rigid gas-permeable lens (RGPL) with a Dk value of 92x10-11, while the remaining wore a soft contact lens with a water content of 38%. We then explored their Lactate Dehydrogenase (LHD) levels to evaluate the hypoxic effect on tear films in short- (8 hours) and long-term (2nd, 3rd, 5th months) and albumin levels to assess mechanical trauma. In the second group, the corneal thickness was measured using a Haag-Streit optical pachymeter before and at the 8th hour and 2nd month following the first set of lenses, and LDH and albumin values were simultaneously evaluated in tear film. Results: The results yielded no significant increase in tear film LDH and albumin levels in the short- and long-term in both the RGPL and the soft contact lens groups with similar age and sex distribution. In the second part, the corneal thickness measurements resulted in an increase of 5.5% in the RGPL group and 3.63% in the soft lens group at the 8th hour of lens use. However, the groups did not significantly differ by baseline corneal thickness at the 2nd-month follow-up. Similarly, there was no significant increase in LDH and albumin levels in the tear film samples of the same group. Conclusion: The absence of a long-term increase in corneal thickness and no elevated levels of albumin and LDH in tear films indicate that contact lenses fit corneal physiology.

Susceptibility Artefact cause by Different Types of Contact Lenses in MRI Brain: A Phantom Study

Susceptibility Artefact cause by Different Types of Contact Lenses in MRI Brain: A Phantom Study

Role of Different Types of Contact Lenses in Epithelial Thickness.

To evaluate the potential role of different types of contact lenses, such as soft (SCL), hard (HCL), and mini scleral (SCCL), in corneal epithelial thickness with anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). In this cross-sectional study, patients who used contact lens at recent 6 months were recruited consecutively from September 2019 to October 2019, and the epithelial thicknesses of the cornea were obtained by AS-OCT and compared with control subjects who did not use contact lens. In total, 184 eyes (115 subjects) were included; of them, 75 eyes were keratoconic (KCN) and 109 eyes were nonkeratoconic (non-KCN). Twenty eyes in KCN and 79 eyes of non-KCN group had no history of contact lens use and were included for comparison with KCN and non-KCN contact lens users, respectively. Mean duration of contact lens wearing was 75.63±50.42 months. The epithelial thickness of non-KCN SCL group was thinner than that of non-KCN control subjects all over the cornea, whereas the epithelium of non-KCN HCL was thinner at central site as well as nasal and temporal paracentral and midperipheral areas. Epithelial thickness of the KCN HCL group was not different from the KCN control subjects in all sectors. The KCN SCCL group had thinner epithelium at nearly all peripheral sectors as well as inferior, inferotemporal, inferonasal, and nasal midperipheral sectors compared with KCN control subjects. The corneal epithelium was thinner at the peripheral zones in KCN SCCL users; at both peripheral and central zones in non-KCN SCL users and in central zones in non-KCN HCL users.

Physicochemical characterization of a DMPC-based nanoemulsion for dry eye and compatibility test with soft contact lenses in vitro

IntroductionThe use of contact lenses (CL) is often associated with hallmark symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) such as red eye and dryness. Even though lipid-based artificial tears are already marketed for DED, there is little evidence that supports their use while wearing soft CL. MethodsAn oil in water (O/W) nanoemulsion was formulated with a highly-stable oily phase composed of castor oil and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). Physicochemical characterization of the DMPC-based nanoemulsion (DMPC-NE) was performed using the Zetasizer Nano ZSP, and its long-term stability was evaluated over 24 months; in addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of DMPC-NE was determined by Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Finally, the physical compatibility of the DMPC-NE with soft CL was tested by measuring the power, diameter, thickness and UV transmittance of two different types of CL. ResultsDMPC-NE had a mean particle size of 86.48 ± 4.22 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.22 ± 0.01 and a zeta potential of -33.23 ± 0.93 mV that remained with no changes after 24 months. DMPC-NE formulation, free of preservatives, showed no cytotoxicity and it was compatible with the physical properties of FDA-class II and -class IV CL. ConclusionDMPC-NE is a highly stable formulation for dry eye that is safe to be used while wearing soft CL.

Zeta potential of tear samples: A tool to explore the effects of wear of contact lenses

PurposeThe aim was to develop a method to assess the electrostatic properties of human tear samples, and to evaluate their modifications induced by the wear of contact lenses (CLs). MethodThe barrier method was developed for the measurement of the isoelectric point (IEP) on relatively small quantities. The method was applied to compare three groups: tears (TNW) of non-wearers, tears (TW_etaf) of regular wearers of etafilcon A CLs, and tears (TW_omaf) of regular wearers of omafilcon A CLs. Zeta potential (ζ) as a function of pH was measured by a Zetasizer Nano ZS90 (Malvern Instruments) on 40%-diluted samples, obtained by mixing 57 μL of tears of different subjects of the same group with 85 μL of HCl aqueous solution. IEP was deduced as the pH at which ζ is zero, i.e. the net electric charge on tear constituents being neutralized. ResultsWithin an error of about 0.05, IEPs were found to be 2.90 (TNW), 2.80 (TW_omaf), and 3.16 (TW_etaf). On average, a lower H+ concentration is needed to neutralize the surface charge of the tear components of etafilcon A wearers, compared to both TNW and TW_omaf. ConclusionIEP measurements on tear samples of wearers of different types of CLs are proposed in order to enhance the knowledge on the modifications of the profile of charged species in tears. The TW_etaf results, compared to those of the other groups, are compatible with an increase, due to the wear of etafilcon A CLs, of the relative concentration of high-IEP proteins.

Clinical evaluation of different types of contact lenses in keratoconus management

PurposeTo compare the clinical and topographical findings of the keratoconus patients according to the prescribed contact lens type and to investigate the effects of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) and cone location on lens selection. MethodsThe records of 301 eyes of 195 keratoconus patients who were prescribed contact lenses were analyzed retrospectively. The eyes were grouped according to the lens type: Soft toric contact lens (STCL), rigid gas-permeable contact lens (RGPCL), hybrid contact lens (HCL) and mini-scleral contact lens (MSCL). The history of having CXL, ophthalmological examination findings, and the topographical findings were compared between the groups. Brown-Forsythe, Chi-square, and post-hoc tests were used to compare the groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used for subgroup analysis. Comparison of the lens-corrected visual acuity (LCVA) and spectacle-corrected visual acuity (SCVA) levels was made with Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the groups regarding topographical cone location, CXL history, spherical refraction, and LCVA. The difference between spectacle-corrected visual acuity and LCVA was higher in RGPCL and MSCL groups than STCL group (p=0.01). Keratometry of RGPCL and MSCL groups were higher than STCL and HCL groups (p=0.01, p<0.001). In RGPCL group, eyes with central cones had a higher increase in visual acuity with contact lenses compared to eyes with paracentral cones (p=0.043). STCL and MSCL were mostly prescribed in mild and severe keratoconic eyes, respectively. In RGPCL group, the increase in visual acuity with contact lens was higher in eyes treated with CXL (p= <0.01). ConclusionsWhile STCL and HCL were mostly prescribed in mild keratoconus, RGPCL and MSCL were selected for moderate or advanced disease. If appropriately chosen, all types of contact lenses could result in a good visual acuity level. CXL history did not affect the prescribed lens type. Having central cone location and CXL history in RGPCL group improved visual acuity more efficiently.

Conjunctival Microbiome Changes Associated With Soft Contact Lens and Orthokeratology Lens Wearing.

Usage of different types of contact lenses is associated with increased risk of sight-threatening complications. Changes in the ocular microbiome caused by contact lens wear are suggested to affect infection development in those individuals. To address this question, this study compares conjunctival microbial communities in contact lens wearers with those in noncontact lens wearers. Paired-end sequencing of the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the bacterial communities on the conjunctival surfaces of contact lens wearers and nonwearers. No differences in microbial diversity were detected between contact lens wearers and nonwearers. Nevertheless, some slight microbe variability was evident between these two different groups. Bacillus, Tatumella and Lactobacillus abundance was less in orthokeratology lens (OKL) wearers than in nonwearers. In soft contact lenses (SCL) wearers, Delftia abundance decreased whereas Elizabethkingia levels increased. The difference in the SCL and nonwearer group was smaller than that in the OKL group. Variations in the conjunctival taxonomic composition between SCL wearers were larger than those in other groups. Sex differences in the conjunctival microbiota makeup were only evident among nonwearers. Even though there were slight percentage changes between contact lens wearers and nonwearers in some microbes, there were no differences in their diversity. On the other hand, contact lens usage might cause relative abundance of some taxa to change. Our results will help assess whether or not conjunctival microbiome changes caused by contact lens wear affect infection risk.

Current and future use of contact lenses

AbstractThis talk gives an overview of different types of contact lenses and their present applications and future perspectives. The advantages and disadvantages of contact lenses will be discussed. Furthermore, we will present our own data regarding correction of infant aphakia and irregular astigmatism following PKP with rigid gaspermeable contact lenses and the use of soft silicone contact lenses as a drug delivery tool.

Applications of Different Types of Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses in Keratoconus and Their Visual Results

To show applications of different types of gas-permeable contact lenses in patients with keratoconus and to compare visual acuity (VA) results. A total of 229 eyes of 133 patients who used different types of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses between April 2003 and April 2010 at the Cornea and Contact Lens Unit of Eye Clinic 2 of the Ministry of Health, Ulucanlar Eye Training and Research Hospital, were included. Visual acuity of patients was classified as uncorrected and corrected with eyeglasses and corrected with contact lenses. The patients were compared in terms of VA, daily contact lens wear time, and complications. A total of 70 out of 133 (52.6%) patients in our study were male, and 63 (47.4%) were female. The mean age was 25.9 ± 7.03 years (12-45). As for the classification of the 229 eyes included in the study, 136 of 229 (59.4%) eyes had moderate keratoconus, 88 (38.4%) had advanced keratoconus, and 5 (2.2%) had severe keratoconus. Following the contact lens application, the VA in all patients increased when compared to uncorrected and corrected with eyeglasses groups and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.005). When a comparison of different types of contact lenses was made, a statistically significant difference was not found (p>0.5) in terms of increase in VA. When patients were evaluated in terms of contact lens wear times, it was observed that Boston Equalens II was preferred by patients wearing lenses 4-8 hours/day. For patients wearing lenses more than 8 hours a day, Rose K lens was used the most. No serious complication was observed in any of the patients that would lead them to stop wearing contact lenses during the follow-up period. There was also no need for keratoplasty in any patient during the follow-up period. We detected an increase in VA in patients with rigid contact lenses. In addition, some contact lenses were better tolerated by patients and were used for a longer time during the day.

Quantification of protein deposits on silicone hydrogel materials using stable-isotopic labeling and multiple reaction monitoring

This study was designed to use multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) for accurate quantification of contact lens protein deposits. Worn lenses used with a multipurpose disinfecting solution were collected after wear. Individual contact lenses were extracted and then digested with trypsin. MRM in conjunction with stable-isotope-labeled peptide standards was used for protein quantification. The results show that lysozyme was the major protein detected from both lens types. The amount of protein extracted from contact lenses was affected by the lens material. Except for keratin-1 (0.83 ± 0.61 vs 0.77 ± 0.20, p = 0.81) or proline rich protein-4 (0.11 ± 0.04 vs 0.15 ± 0.12, p = 0.97), the amounts of lysozyme, lactoferrin, or lipocalin-1 extracted from balafilcon A lenses (12.9 ± 9.01, 0.84 ± 0.50 or 2.06 ± 1.6, respectively) were significantly higher than that extracted from senofilcon A lenses (0.88 ± 0.13, 0.50 ± 0.10 or 0.27 ± 0.23, respectively) (p < 0.05). The amount of protein extracted from contact lenses was dependent on both the individual wearer and the contact lens material. This may have implications for the development of clinical responses during lens wear for different people and with different types of contact lenses. The use of MRM-MS is a powerful analytical tool for the quantification of specific proteins from single contact lenses after wear.

Tear Film Surface Quality With Rigid and Soft Contact Lenses

The aim of this study was to measure tear film surface quality (TFSQ) using dynamic high-speed videokeratoscopy during short-term (8 hrs) use of rigid and soft contact lenses. A group of 14 subjects wore 3 different types of contact lenses on 3 different nonconsecutive days (order randomized) in 1 eye only. The subjects were screened to exclude those with dry eye. The lenses included a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) hard, a rigid gas permeable (RGP; Boston XO), and a soft silicone hydrogel lens. Three 30-second long high-speed videokeratoscopy recordings were taken with contact lenses in situ, in the morning and again after 8 hrs of contact lens wear, both in normal and suppressed blinking conditions. Recordings were also made on a baseline day with no contact lens wear. The presence of a contact lens in the eye had a significant effect on the mean TFSQ in both natural and suppressed blinking conditions (P=0.001 and P=0.01, respectively, repeated-measures analysis of variance). The TFSQ was worse with all the lenses compared with no lens in the eye in the afternoon during both normal and suppressed blinking conditions (all P<0.05). In natural blinking conditions, the mean TFSQ for the PMMA and RGP lenses was significantly worse than the baseline day (no lens) for both morning and afternoon measures (P<0.05). This study shows that both rigid and soft contact lenses adversely affect the TFSQ in both natural and suppressed blinking conditions. No significant differences were found between the lens types and materials.

Corneal changes following short-term rigid contact lens wear

The aim of this cross-over study was to investigate the changes in corneal thickness, anterior and posterior corneal topography, corneal refractive power and ocular wavefront aberrations, following the short term use of rigid contact lenses. Fourteen participants wore 4 different types of contact lenses (RGP lenses of 9.5mm and 10.5mm diameter, and for comparison a PMMA lens of 9.5mm diameter and a soft silicone hydrogel lens) on 4 different days for a period of 8h on each day. Measures were collected before and after contact lens wear and additionally on a baseline day. Anterior corneal curvature generally showed a flattening with both of the RGP lenses and a steepening with the PMMA lens. A significant negative correlation was found between the change in corneal swelling and central and peripheral posterior corneal curvature (all p ≤ 0.001). RGP contact lenses caused a significant decrease in corneal refractive power (hyperopic shift) of approximately 0.5D. The PMMA contact lenses caused the greatest corneal swelling in both the central (27.92 ± 15.49 μm, p<0.001) and peripheral (17.78 ± 12.11 μm, p=0.001) corneal regions, a significant flattening of the posterior cornea and an increase in ocular aberrations (all p ≤ 0.05). The corneal swelling associated with RGP lenses was relatively minor, but there was slight central corneal flattening and a clinically significant hyperopic change in corneal refractive power after the first day of lens wear. The PMMA contact lenses resulted in significant corneal swelling and reduced optical performance of the cornea.

Effects of Contact Lenses on the Ocular Surface in Patients With Keratoconus: Piggyback Versus ClearKone Hybrid Lenses

Because patients with keratoconus tend to wear contact lens for a long period of time, they are more prone to ocular surface changes induced by the lenses. This study aimed to compare immunohistochemical changes induced by two different types of contact lenses in patients with keratoconus. Twenty-four contact lens-naive keratoconus patients (30 eyes) were included in this prospective study. Group 1 comprised 14 eyes (12 patients) wearing piggyback lenses, and group 2 comprised 16 eyes (12 patients) wearing ClearKone hybrid lenses. The patients were analyzed for bulbar conjunctival impression cytology, tear interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels, and confocal microscopic changes of the cornea before and 6 months after wearing contact lenses. Six months after wearing contact lenses, the groups demonstrated similar epithelial metaplasia rates, tear IL-6 and IL-8 levels, and similar confocal microscopy findings (P>0.05 for all intergroup comparisons). Among the parameters tested in this study, only IL-6 and IL-8 levels and posterior keratocyte density on confocal microscopy showed an increase after 6 months when compared with baseline values but at a similar degree in the two groups. This small sample was not able to demonstrate a difference between the two types of lenses with regard to the variables examined, and further larger trials would be required to determine if differences truly exist or not. However, clinicians may still consider patient comfort and vision in selecting the lens type in patients with keratoconus.

Prevention of Visually Debilitating Deposits on Soft Contact Lenses in Keratoprosthesis Patients

To describe visually debilitating deposit formation on hydrogel contact lenses routinely used for protection in eyes with keratoprosthesis and to present different types of contact lenses that provide improved deposit resistance. Seven keratoprosthesis eyes with a history of rapid and severe deposit formation on their hydrogel lenses were evaluated and documented. The Schirmer values and blink rate of each patient were additionally analyzed. These patients were then subsequently refitted with varying types of contact lenses. When soft hydrogel lenses were replaced with lenses with water-impermeable centers, dramatically fewer deposits accumulated. Deposit formation on hydrogel lenses did not seem to correlate with low Schirmer values but rather with an insufficient blink rate. Excellent deposit resistance can be achieved in these patients with the use of hybrid contact lenses with rigid centers or large-diameter entirely rigid contact lenses.

Characterization of Soft Contact Lens Edge Fitting Using Ultra-High Resolution and Ultra-Long Scan Depth Optical Coherence Tomography

To characterize the edge fitting of soft contact lenses using ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) and ultra-long scan depth optical coherence tomography (UL-OCT). A total of 20 participants (11 men, 9 women; mean age, 32.3 years) were recruited. Four different types of soft contact lenses were randomly fitted to both eyes of each subject on two separate visits. After 30 minutes, the horizontal meridians of the corneal center, midperiphery, and limbus were imaged by UHR-OCT. UL-OCT imaged each lens in vitro and the ocular surface of a physical model eye. Angle-edged lenses had significantly less conjunctival buildup than did round-edged lenses (P = 0.008). Limbal post-lens tear film gaps were present in 42% of the eyes, with the round-edged lenses having the most at 68%. Similarly, post-lens tear film gaps at the corneal mid-periphery were present in 47% of all eyes, with the round-edged lens having the most at 75%. Mismatches between the lens and the ocular surface were simulated based on UL-OCT images of the in vitro lenses and the model eye. The existence of tear film gaps and touching points were predicted in the simulation. The soft contact lens edge fitting was characterized by the conjunctival buildup and tear film gaps. Different types of contact lenses presented different levels of conjunctival buildup as well as different frequencies of tear film gaps. The findings by UHR-OCT were predicted in the simulation by UL-OCT. The application of these new technologies may open new ways of designing lenses and evaluating their fit.

Void volume variations in contact lens polymers

In this study, void size and free volume properties in different contact lens materials have been investigated in their hydrated state using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). PALS is used to characterize the void size distributions inside the lens materials. Three different types of contact lenses were used (Balafilcon A, Hilafilcon B and Polymacon). Measurements on different contact lenses reveal significant differences between the materials, up to ∼ 100% difference in void volume was observed between Hilafilcon B and Balafilcon A, the latter having larger voids. As oxygen diffusion is strongly correlated with the void sizes, the results are in good agreement with the usage recommendations of the specific lens types (daily disposable lenses or 1 month continuous use lenses). The void sizes in monthly lenses (Balafilcon A) were found to decrease 25% under artificial aqueous tear (albumin-water solution) exposure in 4 weeks leading to a significant decrease in the oxygen permeation rate through the contact lens. Yet, the voids were still significantly larger than in disposable or semi-disposable lenses. We have showed that PALS is a viable method to probe the microstructure of biotechnologically relevant polymers and can be used to quantify the void properties in different types of contact lenses. Usage recommendations correlate well with measured void sizes and the median void size decreases during the incubation of albumin solution as a function of time. We anticipate the use of PALS for any polymer-based intracorneal/intraocular device in which diffusivity plays a crucial role.

Degradation of iris recognition performance due to non-cosmetic prescription contact lenses

Many iris recognition systems operate under the assumption that non-cosmetic contact lenses have no or minimal effect on iris biometrics performance and convenience. In this paper we show results of a study of 12,003 images from 87 contact-lens-wearing subjects and 9697 images from 124 non-contact-lens-wearing subjects. We visually classified the contact lens images into four categories according to the type of lens effects observed in the image. Our results show different degradations in performance for different types of contact lenses. Lenses that produce larger artifacts on the iris yield more degraded performance. This is the first study to document degraded iris biometrics performance with non-cosmetic contact lenses.