[Corneal oxygen demand: open eye versus closed eye conditions (author's transl)]

Oxygen demands of the mammalian cornea were measured under open eye and closed eye conditions. With the lids gently sealed, oxygen availability to the cornea was found to be about 2/3's that predicted by models in the literature. While the silicone contact lens (0.25 mm thickness) tested under those closed eye conditions still allowed enough oxygen to reach the cornea to just avoid clinically detectable edema, a Hema lens of conventional cosmetic thickness (0.15 mm) would be expected to induce significant edema under those sealed lid circumstances.