Introduction to Contact Lens Silicone Hydrogel

After continuous improvement and innovation, a new material called silicone hydrogel has been added to contact lenses, which many wearers do not fully understand. Today, the editor will briefly introduce what is silicone hydrogel.

Silicon hydrogel is an organic polymer material with strong hydrophilicity. It is developed on the basis of hydrogel and breaks through the limitation of water content on oxygen permeability. Silicon hydrogel has a dual-phase material framework, in which both channels of silicon molecule and hydrogel can be used to transmit oxygen, and the produced contact lens has higher oxygen permeability.

Traditional hydrogel materials transmit oxygen through water, and the higher the water content, the better the oxygen permeability. However, the solubility of oxygen in water is very limited, and the high water content also has the disadvantage of accelerating water evaporation and causing dry eyes, so hydrogel contact lenses have certain limitations on oxygen permeability.

However, after adding silicon molecules to the hydrogel, the solubility of oxygen becomes very high. It can be said that silicon hydrogels mainly rely on silicon to transport oxygen. In this way, not only the oxygen permeability coefficient is greatly increased, but the moisturizing property is also good, and it can also support higher water content.

Of course, silicone hydrogels also have some disadvantages. Due to the increased lens thickness, people with sensitive eyes may experience a more pronounced foreign body sensation or require a longer adaptation period. If the lens is more moist, it may be difficult to remove, and if the operation is too forceful, the lens will be damaged. Finally, in terms of price, the unit price of silicone hydrogel is much higher than that of contact lenses made of hydrogel, but considering its safety and health, it is still the best choice for ensuring oxygen permeability.