Making A Case For Clean Contact Lens Cases
| Making A Case For Clean Contact Lens Cases | |
| Date: June 11, 2006 | |
| In a 1977 study of 141 new soft contact lens wearers, it was reported that 70% of contact lens cases were contaminated by bacteria, fungi, yeasts or amoebae. As you might expect, shorter lens wearing times and longer lens storage times did reduce the percentage of contaminated cases. Meanwhile in a separate study it was determined that 42% of contact lens cases cultured positive for bacteria alone. The bacteria that adhere to contact lens cases undergo a series of transformations, one of which involves releasing a biofilm that protects the bacteria and allows them to live off one another. This in turn creates a strain more resistant to lens disinfection products. Using a fresh, new lens case is a surefire way to eliminate the risk of microbial biofilms, which begin to develop within one week of the life of the case. The following are good habits that should be practiced for contact lens hygiene:
**NEW TECHNOLOGY UPDATE** Wouldn't it be great if the contact lens case, instead of being a source of contamination, actually contributed to the disinfection process? Help is on the way. CIBA Vision has developed the Pro-Guard lens case with antibacterial properties. The storage case, currently available as MicroBlock in Europe and Canada, is made of polypropylene infused with silver, an inorganic antibacterial agent. Pro-Guard has been clinically proven to reduce the incidence of lens case contamination. The Pro-Guard lens case is FDA approved and expected to debut in the United States later this year. If you have any questions please contact our offices in Stillwater at 405-372-1715 or Pawnee at 918-762-2573. |
|