OPTI LINK

How would a change in material impact the quality of the lenses?

 

“There are many different types of lenses. For example, there’s a soft lens that you wear overnight, and replace every month. A soft lens that you replace daily but wear every two to three weeks. And there’s a soft lens that you wear only once and throw away.

 

The challenge I see here is what type of lens would you put into this stainless steel case and how many would you put in to maintain sterility? And when you dispense it, how do you dispense it so the remaining lenses don’t get contaminated?"

 

Are there any regulatory standards that should be considered when implementing a reusable contact lens case?

 

“Sterility is the main concern. Different companies have different sizes, shapes, and colors, but they’re all uniform in terms of the saline solution and their labeling.

 

“Every company says their polymer plastic, their contact lenses, are the best. And the polymer differs significantly from one company to another. For example, the variables are the polymer, diameter, base curve, inside curvature of the lens, water content, and the color.” Within each company, there are several different lenses that have different permeability.”

 

What benefits do you see for patients and practitioners with this change in packaging?

 

“There needs to be a way of sending the packages back and forth and having the lenses easily available. If you have a steel container, at 100 degrees fahrenheit, sitting in a non-air conditioned distribution center, how would that temperature affect the lenses in the containers, even with enough saline to soak the lenses?” 

 

What challenges might contact lens wearers face when transitioning to a reusable case?

 

“Storage might be a big deal. People who travel quite frequently might find this cumbersome! If they have to take two, three, or six months worth of lenses and one steel container with them, getting them through airport security—that sort of thing.”

 

Are there any other considerations we haven’t discussed that you think we should be aware of when making this change?

 

“No I think you’ve covered it pretty well. A lot of the ophthalmological devices have to do with home diagnostic implements of visual fields and intraocular pressure. The magic word is tonometer. A tonometer measures pressure inside the eye for glaucoma, and there are some devices that people take home to measure the pressure in their eye by themselves, which might involve a probe and sterile covering over the probe that may be used once and disposed of."