Microneedle contact lens targets the eye for drug delivery

Researchers at NTU Singapore have developed a contact lens eye patch that uses microneedles to painlessly penetrate the eye and deliver drugs more efficiently.

The eye is generally treated with drops or ointments, but its natural defences of blinking and tears are very effective at clearing these away relatively quickly. Injections can be given to the eye, but these can be painful and carry a risk of infection. Due to these factors, many patients with eye conditions do not keep to their prescribed regime, particularly when a condition requires long-term treatment.

“These two current methods only produce a burst release of drug with a short effective duration,” said Prof Chen Peng from NTU’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE). ”This is not ideal, especially when treating chronic progressive eye diseases that require slow and sustained treatment, such as glaucoma.”