Self-Reporting Colorimetric Analysis of Drug Release by Molecular Imprinted Structural Color Contact Lens

Abstract

As a prospective ophthalmic drug delivery device, contact lenses attract a lot of attention because of the improved drug residence time and bioavailability. Herein, we proposed and fabricated a molecular imprinted structural color contact lens for sustained timolol release which could self-report the release process by color change. The specific recognition of target timolol by molecular imprinted sites can not only increase the loading amount and the residence time of the drug but also endow the structure color of lens remarkable blue shift with the accumulative release of timolol. The fascinating contact lens can be further used for controlling release of a large number of ophthalmic drugs and has high potential to be a new generation of functional contact lenses.

Contact Lens Technology: From Fundamentals to Applications

“…Hydrogel contact lenses were recently fabricated using eyeball molds immersed in a petri dish containing a hydrogel, followed by polymerization and cutting . In the majority of cases, injection molding is used to fabricate contact lenses based on novel solutions incorporating sensing properties …”

“…Using NSAIDs as a monomer, ibuprofen and antibiotics were delivered to ophthalmic tissues via contact lenses . Self‐responsive, molecular‐imprinted contact lenses were used for the controlled release of timolol . A visible color change was observable in the lens based on the amount of released drug ( Figure a).…”

“…a) Self‐responsive soft contact lens for timolol ophthalmic delivery, exhibiting a visible color change to monitor releasing times and quantities. Reproduced with permission . Copyright 2018, American Chemical Society.…”

Hydrogel-Based Colloidal Photonic Crystal Devices for Glucose Sensing

“…A recent work reported a CPC contact lens with the properties of anti-ultraviolet and blue light reflection [89]. More recently, HCPC contact lenses with various functionalities, such as pH monitoring, drug releasing, and eye pressure sensing, have been developed for point-of-care ophthalmic health monitoring [90][91][92].…”

Therapeutic Ophthalmic Lenses: A Review

“…The drug is then re-loaded in the polymer by soaking and interacting with the memory sites. This process can lead to a higher drug loading and a slower release profile [81], and it was successfully applied to therapeutic CLs and IOLs [82][83][84][85][86][87][88]. The use of miscible combinations of drugs and monomers is generally preferable over non-miscible ones in order to avoid the use of solvents, since their presence could prevent the orientation of monomers around the drug molecules and result in a less effective imprinting [89].…”