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Research supports use of Tangible-Hydra PEG coating for scleral lenses in dry eye
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Patients with dry eye wearing scleral lenses coated with Tangible Hydra-PEG improved across several measures when compared to wear with their habitual uncoated scleral lenses, according to a new study.
“We now have evidence to support the use of Tangible Hydra-PEG coating for our dry eye patients,” Chandra Mickles, OD, MSc, FAAO, FSLS, who participated in the research, told Primary Care Optometry News.
In the multicenter, randomized, double-masked crossover study, 19 moderate to severe dry eye patients wore their habitual scleral lenses and scleral lenses with the same parameters coated with Tangible Hydra-PEG for 30 days, with a 1-week wash out period in between, according to a press release from Tangible Science.
Study subjects included 16 women and three men with a mean age of 51.8 years. Subjects used ScleralFil (Bausch + Lomb) for lens application and Clear Care (Alcon) for disinfection during the test phases.
Contact lens comfort, conjunctival papillae, dry eye symptoms (Ocular Surface Disease Index, or OSDI) and signs (tear film break-up time, ocular surface staining and lid wiper epitheliopathy) showed significant improvement.
As for lens comfort, CLDEQ-8 scores were 17.30 in untreated lenses and 11.89 in the treated lenses, according to Mickles.
OSDI scores improved from 35.10 in untreated to 28.24 in treated lenses. Patients also reported greater improvements in comfortable lens wearing time and frequency of foggy vision when wearing the coated lenses.
Additionally, those wearing the coated lenses experienced foggy vision at almost half the rate than when the lenses were uncoated, according to the release.
“While my dry eye patients report improved comfort with their Tangible Hydra-PEG treated scleral lenses, I was pleasantly surprised by the significantly longer comfortable wearing times and the reduced foggy vision seen with the moderate to severe dry eye participants of this study,” Mickles said. “This speaks volumes to how this surface treatment can help even the most symptomatic patients in a meaningful way.”
Tangible Hydra-PEG is a unique polymer coating permanently bonded to custom contact lenses that minimizes deposits and lens fogging and improves wettability, lens surface retention, lubricity and patient comfort, according to the release.
The company is launching companion products this year, Tangible Clean and Tangible Boost. They are designed to protect coated lenses and restore the coating and its benefits, to enable an improved lens wearing experience.
Eye care professionals can confidently prescribe this surface treatment to improve outcomes for patients, Mickles added. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: Mickles reports receiving research funding from Tangible Science and Alcon. She is a consultant for Alcon and a speaker for Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision.