The eye is a fascinating organ that is designed to keep things out of it naturally. When the eye thinks something is going to go into it, then it starts blinking wildly and tears start rolling down your face. This can help protect you in many ways. Yet, it makes eye ointments and eye drops very difficult to administer. Research suggests that about 90 percent of these medicines never make it into the body. Another 5 percent ends up being absorbed through the skin instead of through the eye. When this happens, side effects can occur. Now, Jingzhe Deng and a group of researchers at China Pharmaceutical University and Southeast University in China think they have created the perfect solution allowing patients and doctors to know when the medicine gets in the eye. They have created a color-changing contact lens that reacts to medicine. This could be great news for contact lens in Orlando wearers who must regularly put eye drops in their eyes.
Unique Possibilities
The team says that these contact lenses have a couple of different ways that they could be used. First, the contact lens could have the medicine attached to it molecularly. Then, the user would insert the contact lens into their eye. The medicine would come off the contact lens and go into the eye over time. The contact lens would slowly change colors indicating that the process was working and when it was done.
Second Possibility
The team says that there is a second possibility. If the prescribed medicine changes the pH balance of the eye, then it can be put in using drops or an ointment. Then, the contact lens would be inserted. It would change colors over time indicating the changing pH balance of the eye. For example, a person could be given a prescription for eye drops for dry eyes. Then, these contacts would measure if the medicine got in the eye and was producing the desired effect.
Why This Discovery is Exciting
This discovery is exciting because it will allow the medicine to be delivered more reliably. At the present time, some users of some medicines must collect their tears. Then, the tears are tested to make sure that the person is receiving the right dose of prescribed medicines. The team is also excited because these color-changing contact lenses can be reused helping to keep the cost of this life-changing method under control.
In order to learn more about these color-changing contact lenses that may be available soon and other contact lenses in Orlando, call Eyes of Winter Park at (407)672-2020. Set up an appointment with Dr. Francisco José Richardson to make sure that your eyes are healthy and that you are seeing correctly. Your eyes are way to important to ignore.