Driving home after eight or more hours in an office where the air seems to be piped in from the Sahara—a little too warm and very dry—those contact lenses aren’t as comfortable as when your patient put them in that morning. Contact lens discomfort is a principal factor in contact lens dropouts. According to a recent article in PubMed, 70 percent of contact lens wearers report discomfort late in the day. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort found that discomfort resulted from “reduced compatibility between the contact lens and the ocular environment.” When patients need to remove their lenses sooner than they would like or need to, they may discontinue wearing contact lenses altogether.

In the search for greater comfort and longer wearing time, contact lens experts have turned their attention to the contact lens surface and how it contributes to performance. As part of that search, Tangible Science, in collaboration with VSP Optics, launched Unity BioSync Contact Lenses, featuring HydraMist technology. BioSync is a daily disposable silicone hydrogel lens with high oxygen transmittance, and HydraMist is a 90 percent water polymer that mimics the eye’s natural tear film. It is designed to attach to the surface of Unity BioSync contact lenses for a full day of wear, to improve lens hydration and provide a durable, comfortable experience for contact lens users. HydraMist aims to improve the biocompatibility of the contact lens material and the surface of the eye to improve the overall experience for contact lens wearers.

Before launching the Unity BioSync with HydraMist contact lenses, VSP contracted an independent research consultant to conduct a multicenter masked, randomized crossover clinical trial. A group of 70 subjects rated BioSync with HydraMist lenses 9 out of 10 for overall vision, 9 out of 10 for initial comfort, and 8 out of 10 for overall comfort. Considering that contact lens dropout rates are estimated at 20 to 60 percent, those are great ratings!

When you have a contact lens made of one of the highest oxygen transmittance materials combined with a moisture-retaining polymer coating that stabilizes patients’ tear film and ensures consistent moisture to the eye during all-day wear, it can be like giving eyes a day at the spa every day. Learn more about Unity BioSync with HydraMist contact lenses with our CE in this issue.

Linda Conlin
Pro to Pro Managing Editor
[email protected]