Singapore scientists invent drug-dispensing contact lens

	Tweet

Scientists in Singapore have invented a contact lens capable of releasing precise amounts of medication to treat glaucoma and other eye diseases, doing away with eye drops, the developers said.

The government-backed Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is now looking for partners to commercialize the product, which also minimizes the harmful seepage of drugs to other body organs.

“Glaucoma accounts for 20 percent of blindness in Singapore and is rapidly becoming the second major cause of blindness in Asia after cataracts,” the IBN said in a statement.

“Contact lens wearers with dry eyes may also benefit from this invention as the material can be modified to produce self-lubricating contact lenses,” it added.

According to industry studies, the eye care market is undergoing exponential expansion due to population growth, ageing, widening of licensing for prescription of ophthalmic drugs and novel technologies.

The market for ophthalmic drugs worldwide is estimated at about 4.0 billion US dollars per year, growing at 10-15 percent annually.

Most opthalmic medications are now delivered through eye drops but the drugs usually mix with tears and reach other organs through the bloodstream, potentially causing serious side effects.

IBN developed a simple method of making entirely new polymeric lens materials whereby drugs are added directly into the solution that eventually becomes the lens, a spokesman said.

The drugs sit in the structure of the lens material and are released into tiny channels from which they slowly leak onto the surface of the eye.

IBN scientist Edwin Chow, a co-inventor of the new contact lens, said the delivery system can be tailored to different drugs and remain effective for extended periods.

“Drugs may also be encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles which are then dispersed through the lens material,” he said.

“By altering the size, concentration and structure of these polymeric nanoparticles, we can further control the drug delivery rates, while retaining the appropriate lens clarity,” he added. 

RELATED STORIES:
Gene therapy shows promise against age-related macular degeneration   Age-related Macular Degeneration Patient Receives Investigational Eye Drops   Tiny Cup Attached to Eye Improves Drug Delivery for Retinal Diseases   Team led by Scripps Scientists increases understanding of two types of blindness   Eyes reveal health secrets of the brain   OU Researchers Find Way to Prevent Blindness in Research Model for Retinitis Pigmentosa   Omega-3s linked to less age-related vision loss   Genetic sleuth solves glaucoma mystery   Electronic lenses could replace bifocals   Genentech says eye drug improves vision   Rice bioengineering students’ invention may help diagnose painful eye condition   Molecular medicine could avert predicted catastrophic vision loss in the aged

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]