Rational Design of Medicated Contact Lenses Using ToF-SIMS for Ocular Drug Delivery

Introduction: Ocular drug delivery remains a major challenge due to the eye’s physiological barriers [1]. Contact lenses, worn by over 150 million users globally, offer a promising platform for sustained drug delivery [2]. However, the complex formulations and patent restrictions of commercial contact lenses complicate prediction of the release profile impregnated actives. This study uses Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to investigate the 3D chemical composition of a highly breathable, layered commercial silicone hydrogel lens for the rational design of drug-loaded contact lenses.