Acrylamide Based Hydrogels for Continuous Wear Contact Lenses

Abstract

The primary aim of this research has been the development of a hydrogel polymer having a suitable balance of properties to meet the requirements of a continuous wear contact lens material. This has been achieved by making a number of chemical modifications to a simple acrylamide-based copolymer in order to produce a material of appropriate water content, oxygen permeability, mechanical strength, and long-term dimensional stability whilst not encouraging the accumulation of surface deposits. In order to synthesize such a material, a study of the effect on hydrogel properties of a number of variables including the interaction between functional groups within the polymer network, the cross-link density, and the conditions of polymerization has been undertaken. In addition to this, a number of potential methods for producing a hydrogel surface having a reduced tendency for spoilation by protein deposition will be outlined, together with details of lens manufacture, toxicological testing, and wearing trials that have been carried out prior to the material becoming commercially available.