Hydrogel for Contact Lenses
Hydrogels possess immense versatility and offer a wide range of possibilities in the realm of ophthalmology. They have found extensive applications such as pliable contact lenses, flexible intraocular lenses, gel-based formulations for targeted drug delivery to the eye, and adhesive materials for repairing ocular wounds.
Introduction to Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are prosthetic devices designed for various purposes.
Contact lenses for Eye Treatment
Contact lenses are used to address ocular dysfunctions, particularly irregularities in the cornea, as well
as aid in post-surgical refractive rehabilitation.
Contact lenses for Drug Delivery
The contact lenses for drug delivery enable the achievement of sustained and controlled release of
therapeutic agents directly onto the ocular surface.
Contact lenses for Cosmetic
The hydrogel contact lenses are available in a wide range of colors, providing individuals with the
opportunity to alter their eye color for cosmetic purposes.
Utilization of Hydrogel for Contact Lenses
Hydrogels consist of hydrophilic monomers with electrochemical polarities that allow them to interact with water. Additionally, these hydrogels possess both oxygen permeability and flexibility while retaining a significant amount of water within their polymer network. As a result, hydrogels are an attractive material option for manufacturing contact lenses. The primary utilization of hydrogels in drug delivery design stems from their exceptional comfort, substantial targeted drug release, and enhanced bioavailability.
Fig. 1 The
schematic of hydrogel-based contact lenses. (Cassano R, et al., 2021)
- Conventional hydrogel-based contact lenses
The manufacturing process of traditional contact lenses entails submerging them in a pharmaceutical solution, where the absorption and release of drugs rely on their affinity. Nevertheless, this can be altered by modifying the temperature and duration during loading.
Fig. 2 Effect
of loading temperature on the release of drug. (Chatterjee S, et al., 2020)
- Functional hydrogel-based contact lenses
The functional hydrogel exhibited enhanced protein resistance and a significantly higher equilibrium drug encapsulation capacity compared to the conventional hydrogel.
Silicone based hydrogel contact lenses
Liposomal drug delivery-based contact lens
Cyclodextrin based contact lensesNanoparticles drug delivery-based contact lens
Microemulsion based contact lenses
Drug-polymer film embedding to contact lens
It is of utmost importance to maintain fundamental characteristics such as water content, optical transparency, and modulus without any compromise in order to attain favorable outcomes both in vitro and in vivo for achieving a sustained drug delivery profile from hydrogel contact lenses.
Fig. 3 Properties or requirements suitable for hydrogel as contact lenses. (Aswathy SH, et
al., 2020)
The Hydrogel Development Services We Provide
With professional equipment and experienced specialists, Matexcel provides high-quality thermally responsive hydrogel development services, pH-responsive hydrogel development services, poly(methacrylic acid)-based hydrogel development services, and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based hydrogel development services. Please contact us for more information.
References
- Cassano R.; et al. Gel-Based Materials for Ophthalmic Drug Delivery. Gels. 2021;7(3):130.
- Chatterjee S.; et al. Advances in chemistry and composition of soft materials for drug releasing contact lenses. RSC Adv. 2020;10(60):36751-36777.
- Aswathy SH.; et al. Commercial hydrogels for biomedical applications. Heliyon. 2020;6(4):e03719.