CONTACT
LENS
[Link] FRANCIS SELVAN
III BSc Chemistry
St. Johns college
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Working Of Eye
• Light rays are focussed by
the cornea.
• The Iris controls the amount
of light by adjusting the size
of the pupil.
• The crystalline lens is
located directly behind the
pupil and focuses light.
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• This lens helps the eyes to
focus on the objects
through accommodation.
• The light rays reaches
the retina at a particular
point called focal point.
• Image of the object falls on
the retina at this focal
point.
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Defects of human eye
Myopia : (near sightedness)
In this defect, far objects appear
blurred but near objects are clear.
It can be corrected by concave
lens.
Hypermetropia :
In this defect, there is difficulty
with near vision but far objects
can be seen easily.
The image is focussed behind
the retina.
It can be corrected by convex
lens.
Peresbyopia :
It is similar to that of hyperopia
But it is caused because of
hardening of the lens
It appears nearly at the age of 40
Though it is similar to hyperopia it
cannot be corrected by convex lens
It can be corrected by bifocal or
multifocal lens
Astigmatism :
In this defect, the light rays do not come
to a single focal point on the retina.
Some focus are either in front of or
behind the retina.
This is caused by non-uniform curvature
of cornea.
This can be corrected by using a
spherical cylindrical lens.
History of contact lens
The first concepts of contact lenses were
developed by Leonardo da Vinci in the year
1508.
In1632 Rene Descartes suggested the idea of
corneal lens.
In 1827 sir John .F.W. Herschel suggested
that a glass lens Covld protect the eye from
infection.
Atlast in the late of 18th century, A dolph Fick,
Eugene Kale and August Miller worked and
created the first cornea scleral shell contact
lenses
Features of corneo scleral contact lenses
o It consists of brown glass molded from rabbit and
cadaver eyes.
o This lens covered the whole eye including the white
portion.
o They were very thick and heavy .
Disadvantages :
o These lenses were very uncomfortable.
o It take several months for the patients to be
fitted correctly.
o The thickness of the lens gave the eye an
unnatural appearance.
o Pressure from the weight of the lenses causes
discomfort damage to the eye.
o These lenses are so painful therefore cocaine
anaesthetic was used.
Hard contact Lens
• In 1936 William Feinbloom, an American
Optometrist, fabricated the first plastic
contact lens.
• In 1948, Kevin Tuohey designed the first
corneal contact lens from poly (methyl
methacrylate) known as PMMA.
• This commercial hard contact lens
become available since 1979 until today.
• This PMMA contact lenses replaces the
earlier scleral contact lenses
Hard contact Lens
Polymethyl methacrylate
(PMMA)
Preparation of PMMA
Properties :
Strong, durable and cheap
High optical quality but hydrophobic
Non-toxic
Melting point – 160 degree C
Refractive index – 1.4914
More stable than plastics such as
polystyrene and polyethylene
Density(1.17g/cubiccm) is less than glass
Relatively inert biologically
Dissolves in organic solvents and poor
resistant to many chemicals
Uses of PMMA :
It is used in rear lamps, light fixtures etc.
It is also used in contact lenses, bone cements
and in artificial eye.
Merits :
It give good clarity of vision
It can last for many years
Demerits :
It has very Poor oxygen permeable nature.
It is very hard and rigid.
The users have to apply wetting solution into
their eyes before inserting these lenses.
How cornea gets oxygen?
Cornea gets oxygen
directly from the
atmosphere during day
At night, it gets oxygen from
blood vessels in the eyelids
Layers of cornea
Soft contact Lens
In 1963, Otto Wichterle developed the first
soft contact lens with a use of a polymer
Poly hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (P-HEMA)
The PHEMA Lenses were got approved by
FDA and were commercially produced in
1971.
These lenses are hydrophilic, soft and
more flexible than PMMA contact lenses.
Soft contact Lens
• A linear PHEMA can be formed by radical
polymerisation at 60deg celcius in ethanol
solvent. It is then crosslinked with
hexamethylene diisocyanate to become a
hydrogel.
• The PHEMA lenses can be easily made
using simple and efficient spin cast
method.
• Since different corrections could be made
by varying the spin rate and would optic,
this became a very efficient method for
manufacturing lens.
Structure of PHEMA
Hydrogels :
• These are three dimensional Polymeric
networks in which hydrophilic macromolecular
chains are chemically cross linked.
PHEMA Hydrogels :
• This can be easily prepared from aqueous
mixtures containing HEMA,
EGDMA(crosslinker) and DPAP(Photoinitiator)
• The amount of water content present is
responsible for the size of the pores
• These hydrogels are oxygen permeable and
can be used in contact lenses.
Monomer
Methafilcon (co polymer of HEMA and MMA)
and Polymacon (co polymer of HEMA and
EGDMA )
Crosslinked polyacrylamide is also used for
producing soft contact lens.
Between 38% and 79% of this contact lens
contain water
However, this high water content makes the
lens more fragile and reduces the clarity of
the vision
Merits of soft contact lens :
It is permeable to oxygen.
It is highly hydrophilic.
The presence of hydrogel in the contact
lens helps to transport the oxygen to the
cornea through diffusion
It is very light and comfortable for the
wearers.
It is soft and flexible.
Demerits :
oxygen permeability is limited.
These lenses have very short life time.
These lens need special care and different
solutions will be required to clean, rinse,
disinfect, hydrate and to store these
lenses.
If the patients sleep without removing
these lenses, worse conditions such as
allergies, redness and corneal damage
may happen.
The presence of hydrogels may reduce
the clarity of vision.
Rigid Gas permeable lenses (RGP)
The hard PMMA lenses are very rigid and it
is not oxygen permeable. Hence it is not so
appreciable.
The PHEMA lenses are soft, flexible and
hydrophilic. However, its oxygen permeable
quality is less than required.
Therefore there is a need for a gas
permeable contact lens. Few developments
were made to fulfil such requirement.
CAB contact lenses
o It was manufactured in United states.
o It is permeable to oxygen.
o In 1972, Irving Fatt proposed Cellulose
acetate butyrate as a material for contact
lens.
o In 1978, it got approved by FDA.
Silicone contact lenses
o After the advent of silicone usage in
medical industry, silicone based contact
lenses were made.
o Siloxane methacrylate material was
developed in 1970 by using silicone
molecules bonded to methyl methacrylate
structures
o This makes the contact lens more oxygen
permeable. They also protect our eyes
from microbial growth.
o In 1979, Siloxane acrylates material was
commercially introduced under the name
Polycon.
Polydimethyl siloxane
Benefits :
Oxygen permeability is high.
Wearing time of lens is long.
They are themselves permeable to
oxygen
Vision quality is good because of less
water content
Drawbacks :
The lipid deposits on the lens is more.
They tends to attract proteins and other
tear products towards itself
It decreases the life span of lens.
• So there is a need to make a deposit
resistant contact lens.
• Elements like Fluorine and carbon
were used in specific proportions to
synthesize Fluoro-siloxane acrylates
and Fluoro carbon acrylates.
• As a result, these lenses successfully
controlled the lipid deposits to occur
on the lens surface.
• It also has highest level of Oxygen
permeability, continuous wear,
extended wear and flexible wear.
Silicone elastomer
In 1956, Silicone elastomer material was
developed by walter Becker.
It has high oxygen permeability and more
flexible than RGP lenses.
But it has poor wettability nature. It is
brittle and it also attracts lipids.
In 1981, a silicone elastomer material
was commercialised for a condition called
aphakia in children.
Polymer contact lens
However, most people preferred soft
contact lenses for its softness.
In the period of 1985-1985 Works
were made to minimize the lipid
deposits in the soft contact lens.
The deposits on the lens may cause
discomfort, bulbar conjunctival
redness, allergic reactions in the
upper tarsal conjunctiva and lack of
oxygen supply.
Daily disposable soft contact lenses
were came into use in 1994.
These lenses ensure maximum comfort
and good ocular health.
These disposable soft lenses can be
easily prepared by cast moulding
method.
However, the oxygen permeability is less
in these lenses.
Soft lenses RGP lenses
Hydrogel Silicone
Silicone hydrogels
Scientists combine the silicone with
hydrogel(soft) lenses to improve its
oxygen permeability.
The first silicone hydrogel lens was
marketed in 2002.
In these lenses OH groups were
incorporated to increase the water bound
content of the lens material and (PVP)
was also incorporated to improve the
wettability of the lens.
Manufacturing Process :
Injection moulding :
• The contact lens polymer materials are
heated to a molten state.
• Then injected into computer-designed
moulds under pressure.
• These lenses are then quickly cooled and
removed from the moulds.
• Finally, the edges of the lenses are
polished smooth.
• These are less expensive process.
Lathe process :
• The poymer materials are made into non-
hydrated disks.
• Then they are individually mounted on
spinning shafts and are shaped with
computer controlled precision cutting tools.
• Incase of rigid lenses, the central part
consists of gas permeable plastic which is
surrounded by soft lens materials at the
edges.
• It is a time consuming process but involve
more steps.
• Atlast, these lenses
are tested for assured
quality and packed
and send to doctors.
• Where they are
hydrated and
preserved in suitable
solutions.
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Care should be taken:
Lens should always be in wet
condition
The lens should not wear in
night
Lens should be checked for
dirt after removing
Lens should be handled with
clean dry hands
New cleaning solution should
be used daily
Lens should be stored
always in the solution
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Why do we prefer contact
lens than spectacles?
• It gives more natural vision
• It gives entire field of view
in focus
• No reflections in view
• No weight and constant
slipping down
• Affordable sunglasses
could be wore
• It wont blur during rain
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Contents and role contact
lens cleaning solution
• Boric acid is a disinfectant,
antifungal agent used in this
solution to prevent growth of
micro organisms
• Ascorbic acid and edetate
sodium are the preservatives
used to stop the growth of
micro organisms
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• Hydrogen peroxide is a
very good disinfectant
• Enzymatic solution is
used to remove the
protein deposits in the
contacts
• Some solution contains
tiny silica gel abrasive
particles
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