Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a new contact lens material that combines silicone with hyaluronan to improve comfort and performance. The material allows significantly more oxygen to pass through the lens, helping keep eyes healthy. It also reduces dryness by limiting how much moisture the lens pulls from the eye. Together, these features aim to improve comfort and reduce the number of users who stop wearing contact lenses.
Soft contact lenses, especially silicone hydrogels, dominate the market due to their balance of cost and performance. However, many users experience dryness and discomfort, often linked to limited oxygen flow and moisture imbalance at the eye surface. These issues lead a substantial portion of users to discontinue lens wear. A material that improves oxygen delivery while maintaining hydration could address a major unmet need in vision care.
This technology introduces a bio-polymer that integrates hyaluronan into a silicone-based material for ocular use. Silicone provides high oxygen permeability and strong mechanical properties, while hyaluronan enhances surface wettability and lubrication. The resulting material achieves oxygen permeability levels of approximately 700–800 Barrer, significantly exceeding conventional silicone hydrogel lenses, while remaining hydrophilic without requiring bulk water content.
In addition, the researchers developed a controlled manufacturing approach using block copolymers composed of silicone and polyethylene oxide segments, with optional hyaluronan modification. This enables precise control over material structure and composition while improving the durability of hyaluronan integration compared to traditional surface treatments. The material has been evaluated for optical clarity, protein adsorption, and immune cell interaction, demonstrating strong suitability for ophthalmic applications.
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Susan James
Travis Bailey
Ketul Popat
David Prawel
Jackson Lewis
Richard Koch
Aly Hoeher
Aly.Hoeher@colostate.edu
970-491-7100