Quantifying Ocular Surface Changes with Contact Lens Wear

TL;DR

This study introduces a novel mathematical model to quantify how contact lenses mechanically interact with the ocular surface, predicting deformations and stresses under various conditions, which could improve understanding of discomfort and eye health.

Contribution

The paper presents the first comprehensive mathematical model capturing the nonlinear interactions between contact lenses and the eye, including lens configuration, suction pressure, and ocular deformation.

Findings

Higher ocular stresses at the center and limbal regions.

Heterogeneous eye models show increased deformations.

Stiffer lenses cause greater stresses and displacements.

Abstract

Over 140 million people worldwide and over 45 million people in the United States wear contact lenses; it is estimated that 12%-27.4% contact lens users stop wearing them due to discomfort. Contact lens mechanical interactions with the ocular surface have been found to affect the ocular surface itself. These mechanical interactions are difficult to measure and calculate in a clinical setting, and the research in this field is limited. This paper presents the first mathematical model that captures the interactions between the contact lens and the open eye, where the contact lens configuration, the contact lens suction pressure, and the deformed ocular shape are all emergent properties of the model. The non-linear coupling between the contact lens and the eye is achieved by assuming that the suction pressure under the lens is applied directly to the ocular surface through the post-lens tear film layer. The contact lens mechanics are modeled using a previous published model. We consider homogeneous and heterogeneous linear elastic eye models, different ocular shapes, different lens shapes and thickness profiles, and extract lens deformations, suction pressure profiles, and ocular deformations and stresses for all the considered scenarios. The model predicts higher ocular deformations and stresses at the center of the eye and in the limbal/scleral regions. Accounting for heterogeneous material eye parameters increases the magnitude of such deformations and stresses. The ocular displacements and stresses non-linearly increase as we increase the stiffness of the contact lens. Inserting a steeper contact lens on the eye results in a reduction of the ocular displacement at the center of the eye and a larger displacement at the edge of the contact lens. The model predictions are compared with experimental data and previously developed mathematical models.