Summit Vision Center

Dr. Langford September 27th, 2007

There is a brand new lens on the market. It’s called Biofinity from Coopervision.

Let me tell you why many should be very excited about this lens. This is a very breathable lens. This lens would be great for those who have tried silicone hydrogel (breathable) contact lenses and had to go back to their old ones due to comfort issues. Other lenses on the market that are breathable tend to be thicker (a.k.a. increased modulus) which can sometimes lead to a mechanical interaction with the upper eyelid which causes little bumps to form. Biofinity is high oxygen while maintaining its softness.

Another plus is that it’s also high water content. Typical silocone hydrogel lenses (class of breathable lenses like Focus Night and Day, O2Optix, Acuvue Oasys, PureVision) tend to have less water in their matrix. The more wettable the lens, the generally more comfortable it is. The new Biofinity offers increased “wetness” compared to its counterparts.

Another key distinction is that most silicone (breathable) soft contact lenses incorporate a surface treatment just to be comfortable. I’ve heard about rare reports of this surface coating breaking down before its normal lifespan, causing the lens to become unwearable. Biofinity doesn’t have any special surface coating just to make the lens comfortable to wear. It incorporates Aquaform technology throughout the entire lens matrix. I’ll quote from the Coopervision website about what this means for you:

Excellent comfort through naturally wettable Aquaform™

Key Features

• High oxygen performance
• Soft and moist lens material
• Round lens edge
• Aspheric front surface [excellent optics]

Benefits

• Better all day comfort
• Whiter, healthier eyes
• Sharper vision

For now this monthly replacement lens is only FDA approved for daily wear (taking out every night); however, we expect it to become cleared for extended wear later. So far it’s only available for mild-to-moderately high nearsighted individuals. During your contact lens evaluation at Summit Vision Center, we can determine if you would be a likely candidate for the new Biofinity contact lens when it becomes generally available soon. Summit Vision Center now has the Biofinity contact lens!
If you want to see some technical data, see this article.

Share This

• General
• Comments(0)