Which Contact Lens is 79% Water?

CaptainKremen · #1 (**permalink**) 05-13-2008, 08:58 AM

I read that soft contact lenses can contain from 38% to 79% water. Which contact lens has 79%? That sounds like an awful lot of water.

hema1999 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-22-2009, 11:30 PM

Contact lenses often provide better visual acuity and peripheral vision than do eyeglasses and can be prescribed to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisometropia, aniseikonia, aphakia (absence of the lens) after cataract removal, and keratoconus (a conical-shaped cornea). Either soft or rigid lenses are used to correct myopia and hyperopia. Toric soft contact lenses (which have different curvatures molded onto the front lens surface) or rigid lenses are used to correct significant astigmatism; they are satisfactory in many cases but require expert fitting.

Presbyopia can also be corrected with contact lenses. In one approach, termed monovision, the nondominant eye is corrected for reading and the dominant eye is corrected for distant vision. Rigid and soft bifocal and multifocal contact lenses can also be successful, but the fitting procedure is time-consuming because precise alignment is essential.

skumar · #3 (**permalink**) 08-28-2009, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainKremen

I read that soft contact lenses can contain from 38% to 79% water. Which contact lens has 79%? That sounds like an awful lot of water.

Originally, the first modern-day contact lenses were made of hard plastic, which was hard on the eyes and required a lot of maintenance to prevent irritation of the eye. A saline solution was applied frequently to keep the eyes moist.

Then came the development of soft flexible contact lenses. The range of possibilities expanded.

Soft contact lenses are made from a gel-like plastic that contains from 38%-79% water. Being softer, they’re more comfortable. And they last longer, too, some for up to a year with proper care.

There are a number of different types of soft contact lenses. Let’s look at some of the most common:

* Disposable lenses – replaced every day, every few weeks or every few months
* Daily-wear lenses – removed nightly
* Oxygen permeables (RPGs) – transmit oxygen; they don’t contain water, so they resist deposits and bacteria
* Color-tinted lenses – change the natural eye color
* Disposable contact lenses with ultra-violet absorber – protects against the sun’s harmful ultra-violet rays.

Enah · #4 (**permalink**) 08-28-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hema1999

Contact lenses often provide better visual acuity and peripheral vision than do eyeglasses and can be prescribed to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisometropia, aniseikonia, aphakia (absence of the lens) after cataract removal, and keratoconus (a conical-shaped cornea). Either soft or rigid lenses are used to correct myopia and hyperopia. Toric soft contact lenses (which have different curvatures molded onto the front lens surface) or rigid lenses are used to correct significant astigmatism; they are satisfactory in many cases but require expert fitting.

Presbyopia can also be corrected with contact lenses. In one approach, termed monovision, the nondominant eye is corrected for reading and the dominant eye is corrected for distant vision. Rigid and soft bifocal and multifocal contact lenses can also be successful, but the fitting procedure is time-consuming because precise alignment is essential.

That was a lovely report on contact lenses, hema. I'll give you a C for the completeness of your information, however the question was about the water content of contact lenses, which is not mentioned in your report at all. It helps to actually read the question before you attempt to answer it.

CaptainKremen · #5 (**permalink**) 08-28-2009, 09:42 AM

This is a weird thread. I asked about water content in contact lenses and all I'm getting is what look like articles about contact lenses in general copied and pasted into the posting. I didn't realize I had asked such a hard question.

kyles414 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 01:35 AM

Were you referring to the brand of contact lens that is composed of 79% water? I haven't use soft contact lens before and I would be glad to hear information about it too.

That was a very interesting post, Skumar. I don't know if this could be possible. But, what if the contact lens suddenly breaks while wearing it, would the content irritate your eyes?

BoSoxFan · #7 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hema1999

Contact lenses often provide better visual acuity and peripheral vision than do eyeglasses and can be prescribed to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisometropia, aniseikonia, aphakia (absence of the lens) after cataract removal, and keratoconus (a conical-shaped cornea). Either soft or rigid lenses are used to correct myopia and hyperopia. Toric soft contact lenses (which have different curvatures molded onto the front lens surface) or rigid lenses are used to correct significant astigmatism; they are satisfactory in many cases but require expert fitting.

Presbyopia can also be corrected with contact lenses. In one approach, termed monovision, the nondominant eye is corrected for reading and the dominant eye is corrected for distant vision. Rigid and soft bifocal and multifocal contact lenses can also be successful, but the fitting procedure is time-consuming because precise alignment is essential.

That's some great information, hema1999. Now how about actually answering the question instead of copying and pasting random information?

CaptainKremen · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyles414

Were you referring to the brand of contact lens that is composed of 79% water? I haven't use soft contact lens before and I would be glad to hear information about it too.

That was a very interesting post, Skumar. I don't know if this could be possible. But, what if the contact lens suddenly breaks while wearing it, would the content irritate your eyes?

*Sigh* I guess I'm going to have to answer my own question as well as yours.

I did a Google search for the key words "contact lens 79% water." Was that so hard, people? There was no need to copy and paste a vaguely related article about the history of contact lenses. Just do a Google search. I found a lot of articles that mentioned that soft contact lenses are from 25% to 79% water, but there was no mention of which contact lens brand has the maximum of 79% water. I was hoping that someone else in the Lens 101 community could do better than that, but so far, no good.

To answer your question kyles, yes, a broken contact lens will irritate your eye, although I don't know why it would "suddenly break" in your eye. Most likely it will rip while you are trying to put it in or fish it out.

BoSoxFan · #9 (**permalink**) 12-11-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainKremen

*Sigh* I guess I'm going to have to answer my own question as well as yours.

I did a Google search for the key words "contact lens 79% water." Was that so hard, people? There was no need to copy and paste a vaguely related article about the history of contact lenses. Just do a Google search. I found a lot of articles that mentioned that soft contact lenses are from 25% to 79% water, but there was no mention of which contact lens brand has the maximum of 79% water. I was hoping that someone else in the Lens 101 community could do better than that, but so far, no good.

To answer your question kyles, yes, a broken contact lens will irritate your eye, although I don't know why it would "suddenly break" in your eye. Most likely it will rip while you are trying to put it in or fish it out.

Thanks for trying, Captain. That's better than copying and pasting something that doesn't really help me.

Knotlob · #10 (**permalink**) 12-11-2009, 06:52 PM

OK BoSoxFan, I will try to help or at least send you in the right direction.

Have a look at this link of different lens material properties:

http://hamerlik.com/lens/contact_lenses_permeability.html

If you look at the water content column you will see that 79% is the highest there and the lens material is Lidofilcon B. That material is reportedly used in Bausch & Lomb CW79 and also in Lombart LL79. (I guess the 79 in each name refers to 79% water).

I think the Bausch & Lomb CW79 is a specialist aphakic extended wear contact lens for medical treatment, not general day to day use.

Hope this helps.

knotlob

Enah · #11 (**permalink**) 12-30-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

OK BoSoxFan, I will try to help or at least send you in the right direction.

Have a look at this link of different lens material properties:

http://hamerlik.com/lens/contact_lenses_permeability.html

If you look at the water content column you will see that 79% is the highest there and the lens material is Lidofilcon B. That material is reportedly used in Bausch & Lomb CW79 and also in Lombart LL79. (I guess the 79 in each name refers to 79% water).

I think the Bausch & Lomb CW79 is a specialist aphakic extended wear contact lens for medical treatment, not general day to day use.

Hope this helps.

knotlob

Wow. I never heard of any of those lenses. They don't even have a catchy name like O2 Optix or Acuvue Oasys.

Knotlob · #12 (**permalink**) 12-30-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enah

Wow. I never heard of any of those lenses. They don't even have a catchy name like O2 Optix or Acuvue Oasys.

That list is far from complete. I started building my own list with that list as a starting point. There are a load extra ones in Europe, so it gets confusing - though a few of the lens names are just re-branded lenses - but maybe confusion is the name of the game here.

knotlob

BoSoxFan · #13 (**permalink**) 02-10-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

OK BoSoxFan, I will try to help or at least send you in the right direction.

Have a look at this link of different lens material properties:

http://hamerlik.com/lens/contact_lenses_permeability.html

If you look at the water content column you will see that 79% is the highest there and the lens material is Lidofilcon B. That material is reportedly used in Bausch & Lomb CW79 and also in Lombart LL79. (I guess the 79 in each name refers to 79% water).

I think the Bausch & Lomb CW79 is a specialist aphakic extended wear contact lens for medical treatment, not general day to day use.

Hope this helps.

knotlob

Thanks for your help, knotlob. I've seen your posts around these parts and it sounds like you are very knowledgeable. How did you get so smart?