SOFT LENS PROPERTIES

WATER CONTENT
WATER CONTENT
Soft contact lens characteristics that are influenced by water content
1. Oxygen permeability
2. RI > increased water = less RI
3. Rigidity > Increased water = less rigid
4. Durability > increased water = Less durable
5. Thickness > to prevent pervaporation
6. Environmental susceptibility > increase water = increased spoilage
7. Lens care choice
LOW WATER
ADV
1. Less susceptible to environment
2. More rigid
3. Higher RI
4. Any lens care product
5. Greater reproducibility
6. More wettable
7. Less pervaporation
HIGH WATER
ADV
Higher Dk
More flexible
Faster restoration of shape

HIGH WATER
DDV
1. More susceptible to environment
2. More deposit prone
3. Fragile
4. Low RI
5. Heat disinfection not good
6. More difficult to make
7. Less stable
8. Not too thin
LOW WATER
DDV
Low Dk
Less flexible
Thin lenses difficult to handle

5 disadvantages of soft high water content contact lenses

- Fragile
- More deposit prone
- More susceptible to the environment
- Low refractive index
- Less stable
- Heat disinfection not good
- More difficult to make
- Not too thin
Soft contact lens characteristics that are influenced by water content
O2 permeability
Refractive index, increase water thus decrease refractive index
Rigidity, increase water decrease rigidity
Durability, increase water, decrease durability
Thickness, to prevent pervaporation
Environmental susceptibility, increase water, increase spoilage
Lens care choice
Increase O2 supply to the cornea by
1. increase the water content of the lens
2. decrease the thickness of the lens

IONICITY

Ionicity of soft lenses

Ionic
Net negative charge on surface of lens

materials
Non-ionic
Comparison

Ionic
More
More
More
More

No net surface charge

deposits
bound deposits
wettable
susceptible to pH changes

Non-ionic
Less deposits
Do not bind charged particles
Less wettable

Discuss ionicity
Ionic materials have a net negatively charge on the surface of the lens.
- Non-ionic materials have no net surface charge
Ionic materials:
- More wettable
- More deposits prone
- More susceptible to pH changes
Non-ionic materials:
- Less deposits prone
- Do not bind to charged particles
- Less wettable materials.

OXYGEN PERMEABILITY
DK
permeability for movement of gas in solid (property of a material and not
the contact lens
D = Diffusion coefficient (indicates ease with which O2 molecules can
move within material)
K = solubility coefficient (ability of material to hold oxygen
Oxygen permeability is influenced by:
1. Water content
2. Chemistry of polymer
3. Electrostatic binding
Methods of water retention can be bound or free
4. Temperature
Higher temperature means increased agitation of molecules resulting in increased
potential intermolecular space
Higher temperature means higher Dk
5. PH
Acidic means less water
Alkaline means more water
6. Tonicity of tears
Hypertonic means less water content of lens

Without Oxygen:

Cornea manifests signs of metabolic dysfunction

Long term > permanent change

DK

DK = permeability
Diffusion coefficient gives an indication of the ease with which O 2 molecules can move
within a material
Solibility coefficient shows ability of material to hold O 2

Graph: Relative permeability vs Water

content
Effect of water content on oxygen
performance

OXYGEN TRANSMISSIBILITY
DK/L
DK/L = Transmissibility of lens (physical property of contact lens)
How
DK/L
affects stromal
pH

Thickness of material considered

Some regulatory mechanisms of epithelium and endothelium are pH
sensitive
pH alters cell function
changes induced by CL wear might be pH mediated
Stromal pH reduced when wearing soft lenses
Lens power and DK/L affects degree of acidosis
Amount of central stromal acidosis dependant on thickness profile of lens

Reduced pH is result of:

1. Increase in stromal lactate due to hypoxia
2. Formation of carbonic acid resulting from accumulation of CO2 between
lens and tear film
Discuss briefly the concept of DK/L. List the methods of measuring DK/L
- DK/L is the transmissibility of the lens
- Physical property of the contact lens or contact lens phenomenon
- Indication of the amount of O2 that moves through the contact lens to the cornea
- DK/L affects the degree of acidosis
- As thickness changes, so does the DK/L
- DK/L suggested to prevent oedema:
o Daily wear: 34
o Extended wear: 70 90
- Quoted for the centre of the lens at 35C
- Minus lenses provide less O2 in the periphery where the lens is the thickest
- Contact lens companies always quote centre DK/L but perhaps the periphery is more important
- There are 2 methods available to measure DK/L
o Polagraphic electrode
o Coulometric technique

Two methods available for measurement of DK/L:

1. Polarographic electrode
2. Coulometric technique (only hard lenses)
Polarographic electrode:

Cathode-anode system
Cathode negative in the presence of oxygen converts oxygen to OH Electrons flow, and flow is dependent on erate of arrival of oxygen molecules at
cathode
Have to have water
Hydrogels have their own water
RGPs need a reservoir
Layer of water on a hydrogel or the water reservoir used with RGPs have their own
resistance to the flow of oxygen
Resistance of flow of oxygen influences measurement of DK/L (boundary effect)
Needs to be allowed for when determining DK/L
As sample being measured gets thinner, boundary effects get larger
Edge effect: Sample being measured is usually greater than diameter of electrode
Funnel effect pathway for oxygen diffusion from atmosphere to electrode
DK/L measurements higher than reality (25%)

Limitations of measurements:
1. Boundary effect > resistance to O2 (water on filter paper)
2. Edge effect > excess O2 entering

Discuss the edge and boundary effects

Boundary effect
The layer of water on hydrogel or water reservoir
used with RGPs have their own resistance to the
flow of O2
This resistance to the flow of O 2 influences
measurements of DK/L of the lens used.
This problem is known as the boundary effect
Needs to be allowed for when determining DK/L
as sample being measured gets thinner,
boundary effects get larger

Edge effect

Edge effect
Another problem with measurements of DK/L =
edge effect
Sample being measured usually greater than
diameter of electrode
Results in funnel effect pathway for O 2 diffusion
from the atmosphere to the electrode
Means that DK/L measurements will be higher
than reality

Polarographic technique
Oxygen that diffuses across lens from anterior
CL environment establishes equilibrium
current across electrodes of polarographic
sensor placed against back surface of lens.

Coulometric technique
Oxygen that diffuses across lens from anterior
environmental
chamber
to
posterior
environmental chamber is carried by flow of
inert gases to coulometric oxygen sensor

Rigid lens: aqueous bridge separates lens

surface from sensor (necessary to allow
electrochemical reaction involving molecular
oxygen to occur at sensor tip

By means of a diagram show how the coulometric

technique method of measuring O2 diffusion through a
contact lens material works (Module 1 slide pg 3)

By means of a diagram show the polagraphic

technique of determining the O2 permeability of a
contact lens material (Module 1 slide pg 3)

EOP (Hill)
Two methods to determine what happens on cornea
1. Gas and airtight goggles plus corneal swelling/thirst
2. Contact lens and swelling/thirst
Procedure:
Correlations and extrapolations made to relate amount of swelling/thirst in cornea after
gas of known oxygen level to amount of swelling/thirst after CL wear
Neither fully define corneal oxygenation
For low to average DK/L , relationship with EOP is linear
As DK/L of lens increases, so does EOP
Graph: EOP vs DK/L

Graph: EOP vs DK

Graph: Relative EOP vs Distance from

lens centre

EOP vs Lens thickness

Effect of lens thickness
performance

Anterior corneal oxygen flux comparison

between
five-layer
Harvitt-Bonanno
model vs EOP based model

Anterior corneal oxygen flux comparison

between eight-layer model vs EOP based
model

Describe how EOP is determined

on

oxygen

1. There are 2 methods available to determine what is happening at the cornea

1. Gas and airtight goggles plus corneal swelling/ thirst
2. Contact lens and swelling/ thirst
2. Correlations and extrapolations are then made to relate the amount of swelling/ thirst in the cornea after a gas of
known O2 level has been exposed to the eye to the amount of swelling/ thirst after a contact lens have been worn.
3. Neither of these methods is considered optimal and neither fully defines corneal oxygenation but they are best we
have.
Show by means of sketches the relationship between
- EOP and DK (Module 1 Slide 2 pg 1)
- Lens thickness and EOP (Module 1 Slide pg 2)
FLUX
Description

Assumptions

Things
consider

to

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Relationship between oxygen flux and DK/L obeys Ficks law

Flux = mathematical model
Maximum flux occurs in open eye = 7.54
Corneal oxygen consumption is equal to flux through contact lens
Corneal oxygen consumption is same under open and closed eye
conditions
EOP = partial pressure of oxygen under CL (P0)
Eop is used in one of the assumptions
Diminishing returns is old news
Flux numbers must be large
Many assumptions made in determination of flux
Where is the boundary between a lens that results in physiological
compromise and one that does not, even though flux values seem to be
close?

Oxygen flux vs oxygen permeability for

range of average lens thicknesses and
for open eye and closed eye states

Differentiate between O2 flux and EOP

Flux
Movement of O2
With advent of increase DK/L things started
changing
Relationship between O2 flux and DK/L obeys
Ficks law
Flux mathematical model
Maximum flux that can occur in an open eye is
7.54

EOP

Equivalent oxygen performance

Level of O2 at the corneal surface beneath a
contact lens in a living eye
The EOP of RGP contact lenses is higher than
soft contact lenses
An ideal contact lens maintain an EOP of 21% at
the corneal surface

Discuss the relationship between DK/L, EOP and oedema

DK/L = O2 transmissibility
EOP

Oxygen performance of a
contact lens
The ease with which O2 may
pass through a contact lens of
a given thickness
D = diffusitivity = the speed
with which the O2 molecules
dissolve in the material
K = solubility = how easy it
is for the O2 molecules to
dissolve in the material

Equivalent
oxygen
percentage
Level of O2 at the corneal
surface beneath a contact
lens in a living eye
The EOP of RGP contact
lenses is higher than soft
contact lenses
An ideal contact lens
maintain an EOP of 21% at
the corneal surface

Oedema = corneal swelling in

response to decrease O2
Increase production of lactate
in corneal epithelium
Cornea is deprived of O2 and
anaerobic metabolism takes
over
Striae, folds and haze

If DK/L decreases, the EOP will decrease and this may result in corneal oedema.
Assumptions made in O2 flux
1. Corneal oxygen consumption is equal to the flux through the contact lens
2. Corneal oxygen consumption is the same under open and closed eye conditions
3. EOP = p0

Detail characteristics of a well fitted soft contact lens. Include measurements that can
be taken to increase the supply of O2 to the cornea under a soft contact lens
Comfort
A lens that is fitting well is comfortable in all directions of gaze
Gives complete corneal coverage
Appears properly centered
Movement on blinking
Normal blinking results in about 1mm of vertical movement when eye is in primary
position
Movement on upwards/ lateral gaze
Lens lags by up to 1.5mm on upwards gaze or lateral movements of the eye
Vision
Good
Remaining stable on blinking
Over refraction
Precise endpoint
Correlating with BVP of spectacle Rx
Retinoscopy reflex
Clear before and after blinking
Keratometry
Mires are sharp and stable before and after blinking
Slitlamp
No limbal injection or scleral indentation
Placido disc
Regular image