title: Hydrogel contact lens dehydration in controlled environmental conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the impact of environmental conditions on hydrogel contact lens dehydration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six young adult subjects wore an ACUVUE lens in one eye and a Proclear lens in the other eye for 200 minute sessions in arid, temperate, and arctic conditions, maintained in a purpose-built environmental chamber in an aerospace medical facility. Dehydration was determined by measuring lens water content before and after each session using a soft contact lens refractometer. Comfort of the lenses was assessed at the conclusion of each session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lens dehydration was similar for the three environmental conditions (F2 = 0.3, P = 0.75). There was less dehydration with the Proclear lens compared with ACUVUE lens (F1 = 43.0, P = 0.001). No differences were detected with respect to lens comfort between the three environmental conditions (F2 = 2.0, P = 0.18) or the two lens types (F1 = 1.4, P = 0.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soft contact lens dehydration is unaffected by environmental extremes.
authors.affiliation: Eurolens Research, Department of Optometry and Neuroscience, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, UK. philip.morgan@umist.ac.uk
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Simon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Little
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D003890:Desiccation; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008297:Male; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014867:Water