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Biocompatibility of Nanofilm‐Encapsulated Silicone and Silicone‐Hydrogel Contact Lenses
Author(s) -
Yasuda Hirotsugu
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.200500153
Subject(s) - contact lens , biocompatibility , cornea , effects of long term contact lens wear on the cornea , silicone , silicone hydrogel , biocompatible material , lens (geology) , materials science , oxygen , biomedical engineering , corneal epithelium , chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , ophthalmology , optics , medicine , physics , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Summary: A material placed in or in contact with a biological system, that causes the minimum perturbation that can be tolerated by the host biological system, can be considered to be biocompatible. The major effects caused by a contact lens can be considered to be 1) the blocking of the natural supply of oxygen to the epithelium cells of the cornea, 2) interference with the normal evaporation of water from the tear fluid layer, and 3) hindrance of the normal functions of blinking for replenishing oxygen‐saturated tear fluid and removing dead epithelium cells, which result from apoptosis. The encapsulation of a highly oxygen‐permeable contact lens by a nanofilm with an imperturbable surface state minimizes all these terms. The encapsulated contact lens can be worn safely in extended wear.