title: The effects of ophthalmic solutions on the transmission of light through hydrogel lenses.
abstract: We incubated ten different hydrogel lens materials in nine different artificial tear preparations and in cromolyn sodium (Opticrom) 4% at 35 degrees C for a period of 6 months. The subsequent ability of these hydrogel materials to transmit visible light was analyzed spectrophotometrically as a measure of each solution's compatibility with the different hydrogel materials. Ultra Tears solution was found to be significantly incompatible with four of the hydrogel materials: tetrafilcon A, deltafilcon A, phemfilcon A, and polymacon. Seven other solution/hydrogel combinations had relatively high absorbance readings that were not statistically significant. These combinations should probably be avoided. Cromolyn sodium 4% was found to be compatible with all hydrogel lens materials tested, as were the majority of artificial tear solution/hydrogel combinations. We believe that the use of the compatible solution/hydrogel combinations should produce no alteration in the ability of the hydrogel lens to transmit visible light (400-700 nm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Slonim
mesh_terms: D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D004205:Cromolyn Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008027:Light; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000378:metabolism; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D004205:Cromolyn Sodium