The Disinfection of Bacterial, Fungal, and Viral Contaminated Contact Lenses and Cases with Hypochlorous Acid

Abstract

Purpose : Disinfection of contact lenses and contact lens cases is essential for proper contact lens hygiene. This is especially true for multiuse fitting lenses used by eye care professionals for the fitting of contact lens. There is no standardized procedure to disinfect these fitting lenses between patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity of 0.01% hypochlorous acid (HyClear™, Contamac^®, Grand Junction, CO, USA) against ocular isolates of bacterial, yeast, and viruses inoculated onto hybrid rigid gas permeable contact lenses fitted with silicon hydrogel skirts and single-well contact lens cases.

Methods : Four PBS-rinsed hybrid lenses (concave surface only) and 4 UV-sterilized cases were inoculated with ~10³-10⁴ CFU or PFU of the following ocular pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), Serratia marcescens (SM), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP), Achromobacter xylosoxidans (AX), Candida albicans (CA), adenovirus type 19/64 (HAdv19/64) and HSV-1. Two contaminated lenses/cases each were sprayed 4X with HyClear™ or vehicle with a 90^o rotation of the lenses/cases after each spray to ensure coverage of their entire concave surfaces. Following a 1-minute exposure, the lenses were placed in 3 ml of PBS, whereas 1 ml of PBS was added to the cases. The lenses/cases were sonicated to remove the organisms from their surfaces and the CFU and PFU were quantified.

Results : Four sprays of HyClear™ completely eradicated CNS, PA, SM, SP, AX, CA, HAdv19/64 from hybrid lenses after a 1-minute exposure, whereas the vehicle had no effect. HyClear™ completely eradicated SA from only 1 of 2 lenses. There was no antiviral effect demonstrated on HSV-1 on 4 lenses. For the cases, HyClear™ completely eradicated all test organisms after a 1-minute exposure.

Conclusions : 0.01% hypochlorous acid (HyClear™) was effective in disinfecting hybrid contact lenses and cases contaminated with bacteria, a yeast, and adenovirus. HyClear™ was effective in eliminating HSV-1 from cases but not the lenses. 0.01% hypochlorous acid (HyClear™) has the potential to be used as a disinfecting agent for contact lenses and contact lens cases.

This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.