Eye problems in contact lens wearers

Bandage contact lens for in-game corneal abrasion can allow immediate return to play

While the prevailing treatment for corneal abrasions outside the athletic sphere is the application of a bandage contact lens (BCL), which lessens pain and allows for the maintenance of binocular vision, this is not the case during athletic play. This brief report highlights the advantage of BCLs in treating in-game corneal abrasions, ultimately allowing for an immediate return to play. Additionally, this report summarizes the mechanisms of bandage contact lenses, differentiates them from standard hydrogel contact lenses, and highlights the significant steps necessary to apply the bandage contact lens during an in-game corneal abrasion event. Overall, we link modern ophthalmology clinical practice and sports medicine, allowing for the attenuation of acutely-induced ocular pain to a manageable state.

Smart soft contact lenses for continuous 24-hour monitoring of intraocular pressure in glaucoma care

Continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure, particularly during sleep, remains a grand challenge in glaucoma care. Here we introduce a class of smart soft contact lenses, enabling the continuous 24-hour monitoring of intraocular pressure, even during sleep. Uniquely, the smart soft contact lenses are built upon various commercial brands of soft contact lenses without altering their intrinsic properties such as lens power, biocompatibility, softness, transparency, wettability, oxygen transmissibility, and overnight wearability. We show that the smart soft contact lenses can seamlessly fit across different corneal curvatures and thicknesses in human eyes and therefore accurately measure absolute intraocular pressure under ambulatory conditions. We perform a comprehensive set of in vivo evaluations in rabbit, dog, and human eyes from normal to hypertension to confirm the superior measurement accuracy, within-subject repeatability, and user comfort of the smart soft contact lenses beyond current wearable ocular tonometers. We envision that the smart soft contact lenses will be effective in glaucoma care.

Candidacidal and Antibiofilm Activity of PS1-3 Peptide against Drug-Resistant Candida albicans on Contact Lenses

The recent emergence of antibiotic-resistant fungi has accelerated research on novel antifungal agents. In particular, Candida albicans infections are related to biofilm formation on medical devices, such as catheters, stents, and contact lenses, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the antifungal and antibiofilm effects of a peptide against drug-resistant C. albicans. α-Helical peptides in which the sequence of KWYK was repeated twice and four times, designated peptide series 1 (PS1)-1 and PS1-3, respectively, were generated, and the candidacidal activities of PS1-1, PS1-3, and fluconazole against drug-resistant C. albicans cells were assessed. The PS1-3 peptide showed higher killing activity than PS1-1 or fluconazole and acted via a membranolytic mechanism. In addition, the PS1-3 peptide exhibited more potent activity than PS1-1 and fluconazole in terms of fungal biofilm inhibition and reduction at the minimum fungicidal concentration on the contact lens surface. Overall, these findings established PS1-3 as a potential candidacidal agent for applications on contact lenses.

Photonic Crystal-Embedded Molecularly Imprinted Contact Lenses for Controlled Drug Release

As a noninvasive eye disease detection and drug delivery device, contact lenses can improve eye bioavailability and enable continuous drug delivery. In order to monitor the release of drugs in real time, molecularly imprinted contact lenses (MICLs) based on photonic crystals (PCs) were prepared for the treatment of diabetes-related diseases. The specific adsorption of molecularly imprinted polymers on dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) increased the drug loading and optimized the drug release behavior. At the same time, the drug release ensures the rapid color report during the loading and releasing of drugs due to the volume and refractive index change of the hydrogel matrix. The continuous and slow release of DSP by MICLs in artificial tears was successfully monitored through structural color changes, and the cytotoxicity test results showed that the MICL had good biocompatibility. Therefore, MICLs with a PC structure color have great biomedical potentiality in the future.

A long-term retaining molecular coating for corneal regeneration

Corneal injuries will cause corneal surface diseases that may lead to blindness in millions of people worldwide. There is a tremendous need for biomaterials that can promote corneal regeneration with practical feasibility. Here we demonstrate a strategy of a protein coating for corneal injury regeneration. We synthesize an o-nitrosobenzaldehyde group (NB)-modified gelatin (GelNB), which could adhere directly to the corneal surface with covalent bonding to form a thin molecular coating. The molecular coating could avoid rapid clearance and provide a favorable environment for cell migration, thereby effectively accelerating corneal repair and regeneration. The histological structure of the regenerated cornea is more similar to the native cornea. This molecular coating can be used conveniently as an eye drop solution, which makes it a promising strategy for corneal regeneration.

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A convenient molecular coating strategy is applied for corneal tissue engineering.

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The new hydrogel shows controllable integration, short gelling time, and a clear gelling mechanism.

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Gelatin modified with o-nitrosobenzaldehyde groups could exist on the ocular surface and avoid rapid removal.

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The hydrogel provides a suitable microenvironment for cell migration and corneal regeneration.