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Synthesis of Soft Polysiloxane-urea Elastomers for Intraocular Lens Application
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Obituary--rigid contact lenses.

Nathan Efron1

  • 1Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia. n.efron@qut.edu.au

Contact Lens & Anterior Eye : the Journal of the British Contact Lens Association
|August 3, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, once dominant, are now obsolete, fitting only 2% of new contact lens wearers. This decline is due to discomfort, pathology, and the rise of superior soft lens alternatives.

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Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Optometry
  • Contact Lens Technology

Background:

  • Rigid lenses dominated the contact lens market before the 1960s.
  • Current fitting rates for rigid lenses (rigid gas permeable/gas permeable) are extremely low globally.
  • The prediction of their obsolescence by 2010 has largely materialized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document the obsolescence of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses in mainstream contact lens fitting.
  • To identify and enumerate the key factors contributing to the decline of RGP lens fittings.
  • To acknowledge the diminished role of RGP lenses in contemporary optometric practice.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of contact lens market trends.
  • Review of factors influencing practitioner and patient choices in lens type.
  • Comparative assessment of rigid versus soft lens technologies and fitting characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Rigid lenses now represent only 2% of new fits in the UK and similarly low rates in 27 other surveyed countries.
  • Ten primary reasons identified for the demise of rigid lens fitting, including discomfort, pathology, and advancements in soft lens technology.
  • RGP lenses are now fitted by a specialist minority, no longer considered a mainstream correction.

Conclusions:

  • Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses have become obsolete as a mainstream contact lens correction.
  • The shift away from RGP lenses is attributed to a combination of inherent limitations and superior alternatives.
  • The future of RGP lenses is limited to niche applications by highly trained specialists.