Hydrogel contact lens dehydration in controlled environmental conditions

• Main Authors: Morgan, Philip, Efron, Nathan, Morgan, Sarah, Little, Simon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2004
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/11041/

PURPOSE: To ascertain the impact of environmental conditions on hydrogel contact lens dehydration. METHODS: Six young adult subjects wore an ACUVUE lens in one eye and a Proclear lens in the other eye for 200 minute sessions in arid, temperate, and arctic conditions, maintained in a purpose-built environmental chamber in an aerospace medical facility. Dehydration was determined by measuring lens water content before and after each session using a soft contact lens refractometer. Comfort of the lenses was assessed at the conclusion of each session. RESULTS: Lens dehydration was similar for the three environmental conditions (F2 = 0.3, P = 0.75). There was less dehydration with the Proclear lens compared with ACUVUE lens (F1 = 43.0, P = 0.001). No differences were detected with respect to lens comfort between the three environmental conditions (F2 = 2.0, P = 0.18) or the two lens types (F1 = 1.4, P = 0.29). CONCLUSION: Soft contact lens dehydration is unaffected by environmental extremes.