Application of Nanonstructured Smart Surfaces to Ophthalmic medical Devices

Contact lens discomfort is the primary factor that limits an annual increases in the proportion of successful

contact lens patient outcomes. A stagnant level of 3.7 million UK patients masks an underlying turbulence with

30% discontinuing lens wear annually and over 50% of these citing discomfort as the causal factor, a trend

repeated globally. Recent research has pinpointed the eye-to-lens interface, ie. the lens surface, as the critical

factor in patient perception of comfort. Specifically the surface factors that can enhance comfort are the

reduction of (i) friction between the CL and ocular surface; (ii) and accumulation of denaturated protein and

lipid deposits. Inclusion of hydrophobic silicone monomers in contact lenses to amplify oxygen transport to the

avascular cornea tend to reduce lubriciousness whilst increasing lipid deposition. Contamac propose to exploit

novel nanofabrication protocols to create nanoscale polyethylene glycol (PEG) lens surface coatings that can

facilitate smart properties in order to provide greatly enhanced contact lens comfort through elimination of the

causal factors outlined above.