Effect of aging and the environment on oxygen availability under hydrogel contact lenses

Oxygen availability under hydrogel lenses was followed for 19 subjects over the first 6 months of wear. Each subject was assigned to a specific cleaning group, through which the method and intensity of cleaning was varied. The mean oxygen availability did not change significantly over the first six months of wear, regardless of the cleaning system used. However, the stability of the oxygen supply was dependent on the intensity of the cleaning system.