by Joel Harrison
25. September 2011 12:35
According to Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, MS, FAAO, issues associated with all day comfort still make it impossible for some patients to use contact lenses all day without experiencing certain unpleasant symptoms.
To investigate the problem, a Canadian research group decided to conduct a study assessing how hyaluronic acid used as an internal wetting agent affects selected factors related to contact lens comfort (hydrophilicity, transparency, swelling behaviour and others). During their project, the researchers used model silicone hydrogel and HEMA based lenses.
The results of the study showed that hyaluronic acid improves the hydrophilicity of hydrogel contact lenses and has no negative effects on transparency.
Dr Szczotka-Flynn, commenting on the results, stated that hyaluronic acid could be a very effective wetting agent in both silicone hydrogel and HEMA based contact lenses, as its use improves wettability and increases protein resistance of contact lenses made of various materials. This way contact lenses can be made even more comfortable for patients to wear.
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