Abstract
Purpose :
Tear film dynamics with soft contact lens (SCL) use remains poorly understood. Herein, we report a novel phenomenon wherein a portion of the silicone hydrogel (SH) SCL causes tears to move from the peripheral area to the center of the posterior SCL surface after an eye blink.
Methods :
100 eyes of 50 regular SH SCL users [Dailies Total 1 (DT1), Alcon and One-Day Acuvue-True-Eye (TE), Johnson & Johnson; 10 men, 40 women; average age, 33.41 years old] were analyzed with Video Placido topography Keratograph 5M (Oculus) and DR-1α tear interferometer (Kowa, Japan). At visit 1 (v1), measurements were performed for the bare eye and for the eye with SCL in place after 15 min. At visit 2 (v2), which was scheduled 30 ± 5 days after v1, measurements were performed after the SCL had been in place for a minimum of 5 h.
Results :
In TE, thin aqueous layer break (TALB) which is unusual tear film break-up pattern in normal eyes was seen in 87% in v1 and 67% in v2 with DR-1α. In eyes with TALB, Keratograph 5M detected no tear change in front of the SCL. Furthermore, in 72% of eyes with TALB, the brightness of the Placido ring on Keratograph 5M gradually increased from the periphery toward the center in the absence of tears on the SCL at least 6 seconds after eye blink. This finding captures the phenomenon of tear movement from the edge of SCL toward the center of the posterior SCL surface. In DT1, TALB was seen in 18% in v1 and 12% in v2. In bare eyes, TALB was not observed (0%).
Conclusions :
This is the first study on tear film dynamics on the posterior surface of SCLs. Water gradient structure used in DT1 was useful for reducing TALB.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.