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."

Comments

Well...

[Drakin]

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.

Re:Well...

[Simon Field]

I could see anti-alergy medications being delivered this way, or other medications that need to be delivered into the nasal cavity via the channels that drain tears into the nose.

People currently smear petrolatum-based ointments under the eyelid to cure conjuctivitis. For people who are already comfortable with contacts, this may be preferable.

It might also be a way to get to the brain, along the optic nerve or other paths, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.

For people who live in smoggy areas, how about lenses that counteract ozone and nitrogen oxides by dispensing a buffering solution? Or is that as bad as politicians who suggest solving the problem of ozone holes by issuing everybody hats?

Not just medications

[Strange Ranger]

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.