A research group of Professor Matsuhiko Nishizawa of the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University has developed a material with high electroosmotic flow generation efficiency and excellent moldability. Demonstrated to reduce.It is likely to attract attention because it does not require complicated eye drops and can be expected to be effective in alleviating dry eye.
According to Tohoku University, human tears contain a small amount of lipids that form a film on the surface of the eye to prevent it from drying out, but when you wear contact lenses, this film breaks and the tears evaporate, causing dry eye. May cause.
In the past, many attempts were made to improve the water retention of contact lens materials as a measure against dry eye, but the research group focused on the principle of electroosmotic flow in which water is pulled when electricity is applied, and the three types used for contact lenses. A material that efficiently generates an electroosmotic flow was synthesized from the material.
Furthermore, using an oxygen catalyst, a battery compatible with the living body is installed so that it can be driven without external electricity supply.As a result, tears were drawn from the back of the lower eyelid, and the speed of drying could be suppressed.
The research group hopes that the technology using electroosmotic flow will develop as a method of injection into the eye, along with eye drops and syringes.
Paper information:[Advanced Materials Technologies] “Self-Moisturizing Smart Contact Lens Employing Electroosmosis”
