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Contact Lenses Could Deliver Medications
Roland Piquepaille writes "This UPI Science News article says that eye diseases like glaucoma could one day be treated by pharmaceuticals delivered through contact lenses. "Patients might be able to one day receive prescription medications through tiny particles embedded in soft contact lenses, researchers said Sunday. They said they have developed a method to encapsulate a medication in nanoparticles, particles so tiny they are microscopic and cannot be felt or seen by the eye." However, the lenses are in the very early engineering design stages and have not been tested clinically. Check this column for more details."
For eye medications I can see this... but using it for other medication? Is there really that large of an advantage of useing this vs a patch based method?
It mentions use for people who forget to take eye drop or pills... now, unless they already use contacts, what's to say they won't forget to put 'em in?
Though, personally, I just don't like the idea of contacts for some reason. Contacts and dentists just make me shudder thinking about them.
So _nano_particles (10^-6) are _micro_scopic (10^-9).
Gosh, there's a surprise.
My Journal
a nicotine patch is what immediately came to mind.... although as nasty as nicotine is, you might go blind wearing even a low concentration "patch" on your eyeball...
moox. for a new generation.
I'm sorry, but are there people out there who wear their contacts for two weeks straight? The build up of other potential toxins behind the lens itself couldn't possibly be beneficial. Plus, what about additional reactions of the drug being delivered with the build up of those potential toxins. (Toxins are dependent on dose, so these could simply be a high concentration of natural chemicals!)
Even if they meant contacts you could reuse for two weeks (which is standard for disposables) the drugs are still being released in the cleansing solution overnight meaning a higher initial dose of drug in these nanoparticles. Personally, a lot more thought needs to be put into this.
So these would deliver THC and keep the red in?
Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
Uhh... no.
Cold pot brownies won't get me high? Let's try that again. What did you just eat?
Soon all our grandmas will be getting these, but asking for the colored lenses like some kids wear nowadays.
And the one's that choose red will truly be Hell's Grannies.
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
I can see several other potential trouble areas here, beyond either the medicine wearing off in the wash, and the toxins building up behind the lens. Many people who have sensitive eyes may actually be sensitive to the compounds being used to hold the medicine- and many people who have unmapped lesions may find that this presents real risk. Obviously, this is going to take some screening procedures.
I can also see where this is going to be an issue for people who try to 'stretch' their incomes by wearing contacts too long. I've seen a couple of cases in the community around me where aging folks on limited income and limited insurance try to do stupid things, and medicated contacts just seem like a dangerous idea for people who don't realise that these need to be clean and carefully used...
On the other hand, these are also people who couldn't use eyedrops. Is anybody supervising these people? Who lets them out at recess?
and now for the other side of this: has anybody noticed that eye doctors are the anti-mum? Mum spends half your childhood trying to get you to not stick things in your eyes. You go to the eye doctor, and they right away say, here, let me show you how to stick these things in your eye...
"I'd say 'Have a good time,' but arson is still illegal.
Delivering meds seems like a fine idea. But what about doing things with contact lenses that relate to vision? I want ones that darken slightly in bright light and come in a polarized, blue blocking, 'Like-Revo' version. At least give us some glare reduction for winter, water sports, and CRT viewing.
I don't want to change my eye color, I don't want to change my 2 week replacement schedule. They're already so comfortable I can't feel them. So when AccuView 3's come out how about we see some advances in functionality? Seems a bit overdue.
Eventually I fully expect a Heads-Up-Display on my contacts.
Operator, give me the number for 911!
I need my glacoma medicine!
/me grabs wizard shaped bong
they won't take you away...
Asshat.