| It’s the contact
lens solution that made headlines everywhere. When researchers
at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
(IBN) came up with the idea to create a contact lens
that delivers drugs straight to the eye, it got coverage
in The Economist, R&D Digest and international medical
journals.
Patients suffering from eye ailments are often prescribed
eye drops to treat illnesses or relieve discomfort. However
it has been found that up to 95% of the medication drains
through the nasal cavity and can seep into the blood stream
of other organs. “Delivering medication through eye
drops is not the most effective way – patients forget
to apply their medication, eye drops are cumbersome, they
lead to wastage and can enter the bloodstream,” says
Dr Edwin Chow who is behind this IBN brainchild.
Chow and the IBN team of nano-engineers set their sights
to create a highly effective, efficient and easy way to
solve the problem. They created a time-release drug capsule
encased in a contact lens. Chow is the first to mix oil-based
materials and water components together to form the contact
lens. By using a highly secretive special
ingredient to gel the two, he’s proven that oil and
water can mix!
The eye-opening technology works by adding medication
into the lens solution. The solution contains a mixture
of molecules, when set create a network of tiny channels
that are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a strand
of hair. These channels direct the drug to be released
when the lens comes into contact with the eye. And by adjusting
the channel size, dosages can be administered over the
course of hours and even days.
Looking ahead, Chow has a great vision for this multi-tasking
medical marvel that will change the way we view the humble
contact lens. When probed…all he had to say was… Watch
this space for more.”
We certainly will. |
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