• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.191-201
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• 2016

Purpose: In the present study, the effect of artificial tears with different ingredients on tear film stability and subjective symptoms of dry eyes in the early stage of soft contact lenses wear was investigated. Methods: The three kinds of artificial tears and saline solution were respectively applied onto 50 dry eyes which wore soft contact lenses made of etafilcon A. Then, non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT) was measured at every five minutes for 30 minutes right after the instillation of artificial tears, and the changes in blink rate and subjective symptoms were estimated after 30 minutes from the instillations. Results: All three kinds of artificial tears increased NIBUT larger than saline. The effect of increasing NIBUT immediately after the instillation of artificial tears was the largest when the artificial tear containing viscosity enhancer was used. The duration time of the effect was the longest when the artificial tear having both surfactant and viscosity enhancer was applied. The blink rate was not significantly changed when both artificial tears and saline solution were instilled. Subjective symptoms were significantly improved by the instillation of both artificial tears and saline solution and dryness, irritation, tiredness, stiffness, dazzling were improved by the use of most solutions. However, the subjective symptoms were rebounded to the level before the instillation of artificial tears after 30 minute-instillation. Conclusions: It was revealed that both artificial tears and saline solution could improve the subjective symptoms of dry eye in the early stage of soft contac lenses however, the effect of these solutions on the tear film stability was different according to the components. From the results, it is suggested that the proper selection of artificial tears is necessary for the improvement of dry eye symptoms at the early stage of soft contact lenses wear in dry eye.

• Life and Agrochemicals
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• v.28 no.4 s.227
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• pp.37-37
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• 2007

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2012

Interfacial and rheological properties of selected hydrogel formulations were studied to understand the contact-lens comfort in end use. It was concluded that protein adsorption from aqueous solution decreased monotonically with increasing surface energy (water wettability) of tested hydrogels. Also, it has revealed that friction coefficient of polydimethylsiloxane-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PDMS-PVP) was significantly larger that 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) based hydrogels. Interestingly, in artificial tear solution, friction coefficients of HEMA based hydrogels were larger than silicone hydrogels.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2016

Purpose: The study was aimed to figure out the effect of materials and pigmentation of soft contact lens on the adherence of Staphylococcus aureus upon soft contact lenses deposited with tear components. Methods: The number of adherent S. aureus on clear and circle soft contact lenses made of etafilcon A, hilafilcon B, nelfilcon A was measured before and after incubation in artificial tear. Furthermore, the denaturalization level of tear protein with time after incubation in artificial tear was estimated by electrophoresis. Results: The adherence of S. aureus was significantly different according to the lens materials. The pattern of bacterial adherence on clear and circle contact lenses was different. That is, the adherent amount of S. aureus was somewhat larger on circle lens made of etafilcon A however, amount on circle lenses made of hilafilcon B and nelfilcon A was 89.3% and 71.3% of the number on clear lenses. When the tear protein was deposited on contact lenses, the number of adherent bacteria decreased and its degree was varied according to the lens material. The degree of decrease was the biggest in clear soft lens made of etafilcon A. Anti-bacterial effect of tear protein decreased with time after deposition of tear protein on soft contact lens and the amount of lysozyme also decreased. The reduction of anti-bacterial effect and quantity of lysozyme was different according to contact lens materials and pigmentation. Conclusions: It was revealed that the adherence of S. aureus depends on contact lens materials and pigmentation, and the specification of lens material affects more on adherence of S.aureus than pigmentation. It was further figured out the denaturalization level of anti-bacterial protein on soft contact lens varies according to lens materials and pigmentation, which produces an effect on the quantity of bacterial adherence.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.215-225
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study was to figure out how the characteristics of soft contact lens materials and pigmentation affect the adherence of C. albicans on soft contact lenses pre-deposited with tear constituents. Methods: The adherent number of C. albicans on clear soft contact lenses (hereinafter clear lenses) and circle soft contact lenses (hereinafter circle lenses) made of etafilcon A, hilaiflcon B and nelfilcon A, respectively, was measured before and after the deposition of artificial tear. Also, bacteria adherence on lenses were observed by a scanning electron microscope. Results: Adherence of C. albicans was significantly different according to lens materials. The amount of adsorption was not different between clear lenses and circle lenses made of etafilcon A however, the number of bacteria absorption was bigger in hilafilcon B and nelfilcon A lenses. More absorption of C. albicans was found in the non-pigmented central area compared the pigmented area, and non-pigmented peripheral area has more bacterial absorption than non-pigmented central area. The number of C. albicans decreased in the case that tear protein was pre-deposited. The maintenance of antibacterial activity against C. albicans was different according to lens materials thus, etafilcon A has the longest period of its maintenance. Conclusions: It was revealed that the number of C. albicans was different according to the characteristics of lens materials, pigmentation or non-pigmentation, the pigmented area of soft contact lenses. Thus, it is suggested that the management method should be different according to the adsorption characteristics of C. albicans.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2011

Purpose: To study the effect of hyaluronic acid(HA), which was widely used in artificial tears, multi-purpose solution(MPS), cosmetics, and drug acting on the musculo-skeletal system, in wettability and comfort of contact lens, we compared HA including lens(+HA) with HA excluding lens(-HA) by clinical evaluation. Methods: During four weeks, the selected 28 university student volunteers who did not have any eye disease wore +HA contact lens on their right eyes, and -HA contact lens on their left eyes, and then compared right eyes to left eyes as control. After prescribing by spherical equivalent calculation, over-refraction by auto-refractometer, and contact lens wearing for two weeks and four weeks, tear evaluation, the anterior of eyes examination, fitting convenience evaluation, surface wetting test, surveys were checked up. Results: Compared with the control group (-HA contact lens), +HA contact lens provided better wetting properties. The amount of released tear in -HA contact lens group became less in four weeks than before, but that in +HA contact lens group showed no significant difference from the initial one. In terms of the redness in eye, there was no significant difference between +HA and -HA contact lens groups. Fitting of +HA contact lens on eye was much easier than the control, -HA contact lens. From the results of survey, comfort, wettability, ease of cleaning, and dryness of eye in +HA contact lens group were generally better than those of -HA group, but redness and contact lens handling showed little difference. Conclusions: The addition of HA in soft contact lens(+HA) may enhance the wettability of lens during lens wearing, resulted in the better comfortable wearing of lens eventually.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 2013

Purpose: Adsorption properties of lysozyme and albumin according to physiochemical properties of commercial contact lens classified with the FDA categories and a contact lens fabricated in the laboratory were investigated. Methods: The contact lens were prepared using HEMA(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and TRIM(3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate) in a cast mold. Artificial tears containing lysozyme and albumin were prepared. We measured the amounts of protein adsorbed on the each lenses with varying adsorbed time (48 hour) and the pH range (6, 6.8, 7.4, 8.2, 9) of artificial tear. Amount of the proteins absorbed on the contact lenses were measured by using HPLC. Results: Time to reach the equilibrium of protein adsorption for silicone hydrogel lens was taken longer than hydrogel lens. The amount of adsorbed both lysozyme and albumin at equilibrium were greater for the hydrogel lens than the silicone hydrogel lens, and larger for the ionic lens than the non-ionic lens. Lysozyme was more adsorbed on the higher water content of contact lens, whereas albumin was more adsorbed on the lower water content of contact lens. Only lysozyme was adsorbed on the Group IV hydrogel lens of ionic higher water content. The adsorption of protein on contact lens increased with pH of artificial tears as close to the isoelectric point of each protein. Conclusions: The adsorption amount of lysozyme is more affected by the ionic strength of the contact lens surface than the water content of contact lens. Albumin adsorption is more affected by water content than the ionic strength of the contact lens surface. For the adsorption of proteins on the silicone hydrogel lens, the pore size, determined both by the number of Si atoms and the chemical structure of the silicone-containing monomers, as well as the polarity of contact lens should be also considered.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a dry eye test method using a paper based microfluidic device that improves inaccuracy caused by using one of current point-of-care dry eye tests such as Shirmer's. Methods: Wax printed hydrophilic chromatography papers were dyed with anthocyanin extracts to detect colorimetric display of liquid samples with varying pH. Fluid distribution rates were measured using artificial tears and human tears directly from 32 subjects. Results: With Shirmer's, fluid distribution rates with small amount of samples (less than $0.5{\mu}l$) were not displayed. However, with paper based microfluidic device, fluid imbibition distances over time were clearly showed. Also clinical results of dry eye from newly developed paper based microfluidic device showed correlation with the results from tear break up time tests. Conclusions: The newly developed paper based microfluidic devices were easy to use and exhibited more accurate clinical results than current dry eye point of care tests such as Shirmer's.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2009

Silicone hydrogels incorporated with poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) were prepared and characterized to evaluate the effects of PEG on contact lenses. The silicone hydrogels were copolymerized with methacryloxypropyl tris(trimethylsiloxy) silane (TRIS), methyl methacrylate (MMA), N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMA) and PEG-containing monomers such as poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEG- MEM). The silicone hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron spectroscopy of chemical analysis (ESCA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Water absorbance, water contact angle and light transmittance of the silicone hydrogels were evaluated. The experiments of protein adsorption were also carried out to evaluate the protein adsorption in tears. The peak intensity of C-O bond was increased by the incorporation of PEG-containing monomers and thus PEG incorporation into silicone hydrogels could be confirmed. Phase separation was not shown by the SEM observation of the cross-section of silicone hydrogels. Water absorbancy was increased, while water contact angle and light transmittance were decreased with increasing incorporation of the PEG-containing monomers. The absorption of proteins in tears, albumin, lysozyme and $\gamma$-globulin, on the surface of silicone hydrogels was decreased with increasing incorporation of the PEG-containing monomers.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2023

In this work, we developed a Nafion polymer-coated impedance sensor with two gold electrode configurations to measure the ion concentration in solution samples. The gold electrodes were fabricated through the sputtering process, followed by surface modification using Nafion polymer. The resulting sensors enable the prevention of the polarization phenomenon on the electrode surface, resulting in stable measurement of electrochemical signals. Spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements revealed that the thin film of Nafion was coated uniformly onto the surface of the gold electrode. The Nafion-coated sensor exhibited more stable impedance signals than the conventional gold electrode. It showed a highly reliable calibration curve (R² = 0.983) of the impedance sensor using a standard sodium chloride solution. In addition, a comparison experiment between the impedance sensor and a commercial conductivity sensor was performed to measure the ion concentration of artificial tears, showing similar results for the two sensors.