Contact lenses have advanced significantly in recent years. Over the last decade we’ve seen the transition from hydrogel lens materials to silicone hydrogel lenses. Silicone hydrogel lenses differ from their predecessor, as their name implies, by the introduction of silicone. Although this creates the opportunity to allow greater levels of oxygen through the lens to the cornea, it also creates challenges with solution-lens interactions. Most notable was the work of Dr. Gary Andrasko that looked at fluorescein staining of the cornea after lenses were soaked in various contact lens solutions and worn for several hours.
Needless to say, the advent of new lens technologies have brought about advancements in solutions themselves, the most recent, appropriately, in the era of silicone hydrogel lenses. These products aim to optimize comfort and disinfection of both hydrogel and, more importantly, silicone hydrogel lenses. Although hydrogen peroxide systems definitely have a place in our practices, for the intentions of this article, we will focus on multipurpose disinfecting solutions.
By Dave Kading, OD, Mile Brujic, OD
Read more at: http://www.optometricoffice.com/OO/OO-Archives/SOLUTION-SOLVERS-4862.aspx
