![]()
A contact lens has been developed that helps to dispense drugs into the eye.
Created by the Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery at
Children's Hospital in Boston, the new lens can dispense medication to the eye at adjustable rates.
It is thought that as little as one to seven per cent of a dose of eye drops is actually absorbed by the eye due to blinking and tearing.
As such the new development could be particularly useful for patients who suffer from glaucoma and similar conditions.
It is also thought to help cure dry eye, a condition which can be alleviated by the wearing of ortho k lenses.
The prototype of the lens has been described in the July issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
In testing, the prototype was found to dispense an antibiotic for 30 days, although some tests found it could continue doing so for over three months.
