Drug-Eluting Sandwich Hydrogel Lenses Based on Microchamber Film Drug Encapsulation

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.