Healing eyes with contact lenses

Someone putting in a contact lens Patented bandage contact lens material could release drugs as needed to help eye abrasions heal faster A cross-disciplinary University of Waterloo team has developed a new contact lens material that could act as a bandage for corneal wounds while releasing drugs in a controlled manner to help the eye heal faster. Typically, corneal abrasion patients spend seven to 10 days wearing a clear, oxygen-permeable bandage contact lens, often instilled with eyedrops containing antibiotics. However, the one-time antibiotic application makes it difficult to ensure enough drugs stay on the eye for sustained treatment. "It's a targeted-release drug delivery system that is responsive to the body," said Dr. Lyndon Jones, a professor at Waterloo's School of Optometry & Vision Science and director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE). "The more injured you are, the more drug gets delivered, which is unique and potentially a game changer." Jones knew there was a market for a drug-delivering bandage contact lens that could simultaneously treat the eye and allow it to heal. The question was how to develop it. As the University of Waterloo has several researchers and entrepreneurs building technology to disrupt the boundaries of health, Jones was able to team up with Dr. Susmita Bose (PhD'23), Dr. Chau-Minh Phan (PhD'16) and Dr. Evelyn Yim, an associate professor of chemical engineering working on collagen-based materials.