Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: : To investigate relation between physical properties of artificial tear preparations and individual ocular comfort in dry eye condition. Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers (age; 24 to 33) without subjective symptom to ocular health were enrolled for this study. Subjects were provided informed consent. Sensory analysis were performed in the two different controlled environments; 1) living condition without visual tasking, 2) 30min exposed to controlled dry eye environment (temperature; 20–25oC, humidity; 30%RH). Each subject applied one drop of artificial tear formulation with varied physical properties (osmotic pressure; 100, 200, 290, 400, 500 and 600mOsm, pH; 6.0, 7.3 and 8.0) to one eye and commercial artificial eye drop (osmotic pressure was 280mOsm, pH was 7.2) to fellow eye as a control in blind manner. The subjects assessed their individual ocular comfort compare to control preparation according to a 0 (apparently inferior) – 5 (apparently superior) point scale, approximately 10min after application. Results: In controlled dry eye environment, the subjects (43%) were favored artificial tear formulation; whose osmotic pressure was 200mOsm and pH was 7.3, and the subjects (43%) were judged the formulation same as control. In living condition, the subjects (39%) were favored artificial tear formulation; whose osmotic pressure was 290mOsm and pH was 7.3, and the subjects (46%) were judged the formulation same as control. Conclusions: Comfortable physical properties of artificial tear are dependent on eye–conditions.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye