The effects of high-Dk rigid contact lens center thickness, material permeability, and blinking on the oxygen uptake of the human cornea.

PURPOSE

The human corneal oxygen uptake responses associated with the static (nonblinking) and dynamic (blinking) wear of five rigid gas-permeable materials with high oxygen permeabilities were determined for three different center thicknesses and compared with the responses for the normal open eye and severe hypoxic stress (static wear of polymethylmethacrylate).

METHODS

Corneal oxygen uptake rates were measured with a Clark-type polarographic electrode during two sessions with each of 10 human subjects. Measurements were made on the right eye for the normal open eye (air) and after 5 minutes of static and dynamic wear of polymethylmethacrylate and five rigid gas-permeable contact lens materials: Fluoroperm 92 (paflufocon A, Dk = 92), Fluoroperm 151 (paflufocon D, Dk = 151), 1992 Menicon SF-P (melafocon A, Dk = 102), 1995 Menicon SF-P (melafocon A, Dk = 159), and Menicon Z (tisilfocon A, Dk = 163-250). Lenses were manufactured in three different center thicknesses (0.12, 0.16, and 0.20 mm), with all other parameters remaining constant. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used and included lens material (five levels), blinking condition (two levels), and lens thickness (three levels) as within-subject effects.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found in corneal oxygen responses to lens material (p < 0.001) and lens thickness (p < 0.001), with lenses of lower oxygen permeability and thicker lenses being associated with higher oxygen uptake. No statistically significant differences were noted between static or dynamic wear of the lens materials (p = 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

For those very high Dk rigid lens materials studied here, moderate changes in lens thickness or material permeability may result in modest differences in corneal hypoxic relief, whereas blinking results in no significant improvement to corneal oxygenation.