Contact Lenses Could Deliver Medications

Roland Piquepaille writes "This UPI Science News article says that eye diseases like glaucoma could one day be treated by pharmaceuticals delivered through contact lenses. "Patients might be able to one day receive prescription medications through tiny particles embedded in soft contact lenses, researchers said Sunday. They said they have developed a method to encapsulate a medication in nanoparticles, particles so tiny they are microscopic and cannot be felt or seen by the eye." However, the lenses are in the very early engineering design stages and have not been tested clinically. Check this column for more details."

Well...

[Drakin]

For eye medications I can see this... but using it for other medication? Is there really that large of an advantage of useing this vs a patch based method?

It mentions use for people who forget to take eye drop or pills... now, unless they already use contacts, what's to say they won't forget to put 'em in?

Though, personally, I just don't like the idea of contacts for some reason. Contacts and dentists just make me shudder thinking about them.

Re:Well...

[Randolpho]

If you want to find out what it's like wearing contacts, I suggest you watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

You do not know pain until you have gotten a contact stuck behind your eyeball.

Re:Well...

[Simon Field]

I could see anti-alergy medications being delivered this way, or other medications that need to be delivered into the nasal cavity via the channels that drain tears into the nose.

People currently smear petrolatum-based ointments under the eyelid to cure conjuctivitis. For people who are already comfortable with contacts, this may be preferable.

It might also be a way to get to the brain, along the optic nerve or other paths, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.

For people who live in smoggy areas, how about lenses that counteract ozone and nitrogen oxides by dispensing a buffering solution? Or is that as bad as politicians who suggest solving the problem of ozone holes by issuing everybody hats?

Re:Well...

[C21]

you can bypass the blood brain barrier by going alternate routes but the whole idea of the blood brain barrier is that something must be absorbed into the bloodstream to be effective in the brain. It's not an obstacle to pass by, its the route chemicals are delivered to the brain.

Re:Well...

[Simon Field]

No, that's not what the blood-brain barrier is.

There are chemicals you can put into the bloodstream that cannot reach the brain.

The brain is protected better than most organs.

Ahem

[samael]

So _nano_particles (10^-6) are _micro_scopic (10^-9).

Gosh, there's a surprise.

Re:Ahem

[spotted_dolphin]

Your exponents are reversed. nano = 10^-9 micro = 10^-6

Re:Ahem

[samael]

Yeah, I noticed as I hit "Submit" and then felt stupid.

the new nicotine patch

[Hadlock]

a nicotine patch is what immediately came to mind.... although as nasty as nicotine is, you might go blind wearing even a low concentration "patch" on your eyeball...

Re:the new nicotine patch

[Randolpho]

I thought perhaps it might be a great way to deliver THC instead. This whole push to legalize pot for medicinal uses is fine, but the problem is people want to smoke it, and I sure as hell don't want another form of smoking out there.

So, hey, if people can get their THC from their contacts.... maybe they'll drop the pipe?

Nah, it'll never happen. ;)

Re:the new nicotine patch

[Hadlock]

well by that logic, you could just stick pure THC in a gell capsule and a glass of water. unfortunately, THC is heat-activated, which is why you see it baked into brownies and whatnot (Still warm) and smoked (hot THC vapors)...which means unless your average body temp is somewhere around 190 F, you're gonna be SOL.

LSD might work, although that's a sight (no pun intended) more illegal than mary jane

Two weeks?!?

[spotted_dolphin]

I'm sorry, but are there people out there who wear their contacts for two weeks straight? The build up of other potential toxins behind the lens itself couldn't possibly be beneficial. Plus, what about additional reactions of the drug being delivered with the build up of those potential toxins. (Toxins are dependent on dose, so these could simply be a high concentration of natural chemicals!)

Even if they meant contacts you could reuse for two weeks (which is standard for disposables) the drugs are stil

Re:Two weeks?!?

[Hadlock]

i regularly wear my contacts for two weeks straight, although i should be taking them out nightly. if i start getting eye strain earlier in the day than normal, or any other symptoms that i am pushing it with my contacts, i go ahead and take them out and let them soak for a few days. i'm sure other people do this too.

Re:Two weeks?!?

[cubedbee]

They make contacts that are designed for continuous wear. Up to 30 days, I believe. 'Focus Night & Day' is one brand of these contacts.

for glaucoma?

[Hubert_Shrump]

So these would deliver THC and keep the red in?

colors

[Joe the Lesser]

Soon all our grandmas will be getting these, but asking for the colored lenses like some kids wear nowadays.

And the one's that choose red will truly be Hell's Grannies.

I question advisability of this dispersal method

[SolemnDragon]

A great may people who are going to be using these, it would appear, fall int o the high risk i'm-getting-glaucoma-and-fail-to-use-my-eyedrops category. They may need it. But i agree that this poses serious eye risks if they're convincing people who ALREADY have eye trauma to use contacts that they are to keep in for weeks at a time.

I can see several other potential trouble areas here, beyond either the medicine wearing off in the wash, and the toxins building up behind the lens. Many people who have sensitive eyes may actually be sensitive to the compounds being used to hold the medicine- and many people who have unmapped lesions may find that this presents real risk. Obviously, this is going to take some screening procedures.

I can also see where this is going to be an issue for people who try to 'stretch' their incomes by wearing contacts too long. I've seen a couple of cases in the community around me where aging folks on limited income and limited insurance try to do stupid things, and medicated contacts just seem like a dangerous idea for people who don't realise that these need to be clean and carefully used...

On the other hand, these are also people who couldn't use eyedrops. Is anybody supervising these people? Who lets them out at recess?

and now for the other side of this: has anybody noticed that eye doctors are the anti-mum? Mum spends half your childhood trying to get you to not stick things in your eyes. You go to the eye doctor, and they right away say, here, let me show you how to stick these things in your eye...

Not just medications

[Strange Ranger]

Delivering meds seems like a fine idea. But what about doing things with contact lenses that relate to vision? I want ones that darken slightly in bright light and come in a polarized, blue blocking, 'Like-Revo' version. At least give us some glare reduction for winter, water sports, and CRT viewing.

I don't want to change my eye color, I don't want to change my 2 week replacement schedule. They're already so comfortable I can't feel them. So when AccuView 3's come out how about we see some advances in functionality? Seems a bit overdue.

Eventually I fully expect a Heads-Up-Display on my contacts.

Re:Not just medications

[vidnet]

Eventually I fully expect a Heads-Up-Display on my contacts.

I tried those. The USB cable wasn't comfortable.