Corticosteroids are widely used as an anti-inflammatory
treatment
for eye inflammation, but the current methods used in clinical practice
for delivery are in the form of eye drops which is usually complicated
for patients or ineffective. This results in an increase in the risk
of detrimental side effects. In this study, we demonstrated proof-of-concept
research for the development of a contact lens-based delivery system.
The sandwich hydrogel contact lens consists of a polymer microchamber
film made via soft lithography with an encapsulated corticosteroid,
in this case, dexamethasone, located inside the contact lens. The
developed delivery system showed sustained and controlled release
of the drug. The central visual part of the lenses was cleared from
the polylactic acid microchamber in order to maintain a clean central
aperture similar to the cosmetic-colored hydrogel contact lenses.