UV-blocking silicone hydrogel contact lenses can reduce or eliminate harmful effects from the sun’s UV rays, according to a study published this month in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, an official journal of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

Overexposure to UV light can cause harmful changes in the cornea, conjunctiva and lens, including cataracts, according to the investigators and authors of the article, “Prevention of UV-Induced Damage to the Anterior Segment Using Class I UV-Absorbing Hydrogel Contact Lenses.”

In the study, 12 rabbits were assigned to one of three treatment groups:

1. Those wearing a UV-blocking silicone hydrogel contact lens.
2. Those wearing a silicone hydrogel lens that doesn’t block UV.
3. Those wearing no contact lenses.

For five days, the animals were exposed to UV radiation capable of producing corneal changes. Only the rabbits who wore the UV-absorbing contacts were not affected by the exposure.

The UV-absorbing contact lenses used in the study were made of a silicone hydrogel material called senofilcon A. The material is used to produce Acuvue Oasys disposable contacts.

Heather Chandler, PhD, from Ohio State University’s College of Optometry, was lead investigator in the study. “The data generated from this study could support the use of UV-absorbing contact lenses and greatly impact the health of a large number of people,” Dr. Chandler said in an ARVO press release this week.

The study was supported by Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

Each year, the professional eye care journal Contact Lens Spectrum conducts and commissions market research about contact lenses and the contact lens industry.

In this month’s issue, the journal reports on the status of contact lenses in 2009. Here are some of the findings:

• The current worldwide soft contact lens market is estimated at $5.3 billion, while the U.S. soft lens market is estimated at $2.0 billion.
• Most contact lens wearers (84 percent) return to their eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam every year, whereas most patients who don’t wear contact lenses (61 percent) have complete eye exams every two years.
• Silicone hydrogel contact lenses were used in approximately 60 percent of new contact lens fittings and refits in the U.S. in 2009, whereas standard hydrogel lenses were used in 29 percent of fittings and gas permeable contact lenses were used in 9 percent.
• Spherical soft lenses (for correction of nearsightedness or farsightedness only) were used for 50 percent of contact lens fittings in the U.S. in 2009, followed by soft toric lenses to correct astigmatism (25 percent) and soft multifocal lenses to correct presbyopia (12 percent).
• Most contact lens patients wear their lenses on a daily wear basis, using either a two-week (40 percent) or monthly (40 percent) replacement schedule.
• About 11 percent of soft contact lens wearers in the U.S. were fit with daily disposable contacts in 2009. This is a significantly lower percentage compared with Europe (38 percent) and Asia (54 percent).
• Approximately 80 percent of eye care practitioners in the U.S. recommend multipurpose contact lens solutions for lens care, whereas 20 percent recommend hydrogen peroxide-based lens care systems.

SOURCE: Contact Lenses 2009. Contact Lens Spectrum. January 2010.

Scleral contact lenses provide acceptable visual acuity and comfort in patients with keratoconus, according to researchers evaluating the effect of these extra-large gas permeable (GP) lenses on people with the corneal condition.

In a report published in this month’s issue of Eye & Contact Lens, researchers Muriel M. Schornack, OD, and Sanjay Patel, MD,  described the results of a study of 32 patients with keratoconus who were evaluated for scleral contact lens wear.

Of these, 12 patients (37.5 percent) decided not to be fitted with scleral lenses after an initial contact lens exam and consultation.

The remaining 20 patients (32 eyes) underwent the fitting process with Jupiter scleral contact lenses (Medlens Innovations, Front Royal, Va., and Essilor Contact Lenses, Inc., Dallas, Texas).

Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the keratoconic eyes prior to being fitted with the scleral lenses was 20/76, as tested on a standard eye chart. After being successfully fitted with the lenses, mean BCVA improved to 20/30.

One patient (two eyes) abandoned the fitting process because he needed cataract surgery. The remaining patients (95 percent) continued to wear the scleral lenses successfully over a follow-up period ranging from 3 to 32 months.

Scleral contact lenses differ from conventional gas permeable contacts in their size and design. Scleral lenses have a much larger diameter than regular GP lenses so they can vault over the entire clear front surface of the eye (cornea) to correct vision problems caused by severe corneal irregularities.

SynergEyes, Inc. (Carlsbad, Calif.) recently received a CONNECT Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Award for 2009 for its patent-pending ClearKone hybrid contact lenses designed for people with keratoconus.

CONNECT is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining the growth of innovative technology and life sciences businesses in the San Diego area.

The MIP Award finalists were selected from approximately 100 entries representing a broad range of companies within eight categories. The SynergEyes ClearKone hybrid contacts won the MIP Award in the Life Science - Medical Products category.

ClearKone hybrid contact lenses are designed specifically for people with moderate to advanced keratoconus who characteristically have poor vision with eyeglasses. The patent-pending hybrid lens design is optimized to vault the irregularities of the keratoconic cornea, thereby restoring visual acuity to a vast majority of patients without compromising comfort or eye health, according to the company.

“It is a great honor to receive an award recognizing SynergEyes as a technology leader among the medical device companies in San Diego,” said Kellie Kaseburg, Vice President of Global Marketing, in a press release issued by SynergEyes, Inc.

Since the market release of ClearKone hybrid contact lenses in May 2009, approximately 2,500 keratoconus patients have been prescribed the lenses, the company says.

To learn more about SynergEyes hybrid contacts and to find an eye doctor that prescribes ClearKone lenses for keratoconus, visit www.SharingOneVision.com.