New drug delivery system in ophthalmology: results studying the surface structure of soft contact lenses from various polymer

Abstract

The development of an ophthalmic therapeutic system includes research on the spatial structure of soft contact lens polymers and the study of the processes of saturation and release of medicinal substances from them. This allows you to determine the methods of saturation of contact lenses with medicinal agents and will open up new opportunities in the treatment of ophthalmological diseases. The purpose of this preliminary fragment of large-scale research was to study the surface structure of soft contact lenses made of various polymers. The following polymers were used in the work: Nelfilcon A, Hilafilcon B, Nezofilcon A, Etafilcon A, Lotrafilcon B. The following pharmaceutical substances were used: Brimonidine Tartrate, Betaxolol Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride. The surface structure of soft contact lenses was studied using atomic force microscopy. Each material under study has a different surface character, which together with the differences in pore properties determines its individuality. Based on this, it should be assumed that the surface of soft contact lenses affects the possibility of their potential use as a means of delivering drug agent molecules to the eye tissues. In all cases of soft contact saturation, the highest absorption capacity was demonstrated by Hilafilcon B and Etafilcon A with a similar surface.

Contact lens as an emerging platform for ophthalmic drug delivery: A systematic review

“…In addition, a study found that pores of different lengths, widths, and depths affect the saturation drug concentration in traditional immersion loading; the difference in drug concentration is the driving force behind drug release in immersion contact lenses; hence, the spatial structure of the contact lens surface will also affect the drug loading and release processes. This indicates that the spatial structure of the contact lens surface is a major area of future research on drug-loaded contact lenses and is worth investigating [14] .…”