Soft Contact Lenses
Hydrogel and Silicone Hydrogel Lens General Considerations
The FDA gives each contact lens material a generic name. In general, all hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lens generic names end in the suffix “filcon” and all nonhydrogel lenses end in “focon.”
Hydrogel lenses are categorized into four groupings for purposes of evaluating effects of accessory products upon the lens material. Lenses with less than 50 percent water content are considered to be “low water” and the others are “high water.” Less reactive surfaces are termed “nonionic” and more reactive materials are labeled “ionic.” Silicone hydrogel lenses are low water.
Disinfection of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses can usually be done safely and effectively by approved chemical or hydrogen peroxide systems. However, some Group 4 ionic polymers may react negatively with potassium sorbate- or sorbic acid-preserved solutions.
In the term Dk, D stands for diffusion and k for solubility. The oxygen permeability of hydrogel lenses is almost entirely the result of solubility and for GP materials almost entirely the result of diffusion. In silicone hydrogel materials, oxygen permeability is a combination of solubility and diffusion, with the larger amount from diffusion. That is, the hydrogel component in the formulation provides solubility and the silicone component provides diffusion. Each generic material below is accompanied by a representative Dk number.
A clinically useful approximation is to consider Dk values for hydrogel lenses in three groups:
H20 | Dk | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
38±% | 9± | ||||||||||||||||
55±% | 18± | ||||||||||||||||
75±% | 36± |
It is also important to remember that Dk/t (central transmissibility) and Dk/t (average overall transmissibility) are dependent upon contact lens thickness configuration and are more important than Dk with hydrogel lenses. With silicone hydrogel contact lenses, Dk/t and Dk/t are more similar than with hydrogel lenses.
This table should assist you in identifying specific lenses in each category as related to disinfection and Dk; and it will also help you determine an appropriate mix of lens types for your practice.
GROUP 1
Low Water (<50% H20)
Nonionic Hydrogel Polymers
tefilcon (38%) (Dk = 8.9)
- Cibasoft
- Illusions
- Softint
- STD
- Torisoft
- LL Bifocal
tetrafilcon A (43%) (Dk = 9)
- Cooper Clear
- Cooper Toric
- Preference
- Preference Toric
- Vantage Thin Accents
- Vantage
- Vantage Accents
- Vantage Thin
crofilcon (38%) (Dk = 13)
- CSI
- CSI Toric
helfilcon A&B (45%) (Dk = 12)
- Continental Toric
- Flexlens
- Flexlens Toric
- Flexlens Aphakic
- Optima Toric
mafilcon (33%) (Dk = 4)
- Menicon
polymacon (38%) (Dk = 9)
hioxifilcon B (49%) (Dk = 15)
- Alden HP
- Alden HP Toric
- Aquaease
- Essential Soft Toric Multifocal
- Flexlens
- Quattro
- Satureyes
- Satureyes Toric and Multifocal
Note: All X-Cel lenses are available in helfilcon A, hioxifilcon A, hioxifilcon B, and methafilcon A.
Silicone Hydrogel Polymers
lotrafilcon A (24%) (Dk = 140)
- Air Optix Night & Day Aqua
lotrafilcon B (33%) (Dk = 110)
- 020ptix
- Air Optix for Astigmatism
- Air Optix Aqua Multifocal
- Air Optix Aqua
galyfilcon A (47%) (Dk = 60)
- Acuvue Advance
- Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism
narafilcon B (48%) (Dk = 55)
- 1-Day Acuvue TruEye
senofilcon A (38%) (Dk = 103)
- Acuvue Oasys
- Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism
- Acuvue Oasys for Presbyopia
sifilcon A (32%) (Dk = 82)
- 020ptix Custom
comfilcon A (48%) (Dk = 128)
- Biofinity
- Biofinity Toric
enfilcon A (46%) (Dk = 100)
- Avaira
- Avaira Toric
GROUP 2
High Water (>50% H20)
Nonionic Hydrogel Polymers
lidofilcon A(70%)(Dk = 31)
- • Acti Fresh 400
- •CV 70
alfafilcon A (66%) (Dk = 32)
- Soflens Toric
omafilcon A (59%) (Dk = 33)
- Biomedics XC
- Proclear 1-Day
- Proclear EP
- Proclear Multifocal
- Proclear Multifocal Toric
- Proclear Sphere
- Proclear Toric
vasurfilcon A (74%) (Dk = 39.1)
- Precision UV
hioxifilcon A (59%) (Dk = 28)
- Extreme H20 59% Thin
- Extreme H20 59% Extra
- Biocurve Gold Sphere and Toric
hioxifilcon D (54%) (Dk = 21)
- Clarity H20
- C-Vue Advanced Custom Toric
- Extreme H20 54%
- Extreme H20 54% Toric
nelfilcon A (69%) (Dk = 26)
- Dailies AquaComfort Plus
- Focus Dailies
- Focus Dailies Toric
- Focus Dailies Progressive
- FreshLook One-Day
- Synergy
- Triton
hilafilcon B (59%) (Dk = 22)
- SofLens Daily Disposable
acofilconA(58%)Dk = (25.5)
- Flexlens Tricurve Keratoconus
GROUP 3
Low Water (<50% H20)
Ionic Hydrogel Polymers
bufilcon A (45%)(Dk = 16)
- Hydrocurve II 45
- Soft Mate B
deltafilcon A (43%)(Dk = 10)
- Amsoft
- Amsoft Thin
- Comfort Flex
- Custom Flex
- Metrosoft
- Soft Form Toric
phemfilcon A (38%) (Dk = 9)
- DuraSoft 2
- DuraSoft 2 Optifit
Silicone Hydrogel Polymers
balafilcon A (36%) (Dk = 112)
- PureVision
- PureVision Multi-Focal
- PureVision Toric
GROUP 4
High Water (>50% H20)
Ionic Hydrogel Polymers
bufilcon A (55%) (Dk = 16)
- Hydrocurve I
- Hydrocurve 3 Toric
- Softmate II
perfilcon (71%) (Dk = 34)
- Permalens
- Permalens XL
- Permalens Therapeutic
- Permalens Aphakic
etafilcon A (58%) (Dk = 28)
- Acuvue
- 1-Day Acuvue
- 1-Day Acuvue Moist
- Acuvue 2
- Acuvue 2 Colours
- Acuvue Bifocal
focofilcon A (55%) (Dk = 16)
- Fre-Flex
ocufilcon B (53%)(Dk = 16)
- ClearSight 1 Day
- Continental
- Ocu-Flex 53
ocufilcon C(55%)(Dk = 16)
- UCL55
- UCL-Pediatric
ocufilcon D (55%) (Dk = 19.7)
- Biomedics 55
- Biomedics 55 Premier
- Biomedics Toric
- ClearSight 1 Day Toric
ocufilcon E (65%) (Dk = 22)
- Ocuflex 65
ocufilcon F (60%) (Dk = 24.3)
- Hydrogenics 60 UV
phemfilcon A (55%) (Dk = 16)
- DuraSoft 3
- DuraSoft 3 Optifit
- Freshlook
- Freshlook Toric
- Freshlook Colorblends
- Wildeyes
methafilcon A (55%) (Dk = 18)
- Biocurve Advanced Aspheric
- Biocurve 1-Day
- Biocurve Toric & Sphere
- C-Vue1 Day ASV
- C-Vue 55
- Edge III 55
- Elite AC
- Elite Daily
- Elite AC Toric
- Flexlens
- Frequency 55 Sphere & Multifocal
- HD2
- HDX2
- Horizon 55 Bi-Con
- Kontur
- LL55
- New Horizons
- Sauflon 55 UV
- Sauflon 55 Asphere
- Sof-form 55
- Vertex Sphere
- Vertex Toric
methafilcon B (55%) (Dk = 18)
- Frequency 55 Toric
- Hydrasoft Sphere
- Hydrasoft Toric
vilfilcon A (55%)(Dk = 16)
- Focus 1-2 Week Softcolors
- Focus Monthly Softcolors
- Focus Progressives
- Soft 55
- Soft 55 EW
Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Disposable and/or Planned Replacement Hydrogels



Disposable and/or Planned Replacement Tinted Enhancer and Opaque Hydrogels

Toric Disposable and/or Planned Replacement Hydrogels



Multifocal Disposable and/or Planned Replacement Hydrogels

Daily Wear Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Hydrogels


Extended Wear Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Hydrogels

Therapeutic Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Hydrogels

Aphakic Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Hydrogels

Special Design Spherical Clear and Visibility Tint Hydrogels

Daily Wear Tinted Enhancer and Opaque Hydrogels

Customized Tinting
Adventures In Color Technology, Alden Optical, Crystal Reflections, Custom Color Contacts, Specialty Tint, and Ciba Vision Special Eyes Program provide custom tinting of soft contact lenses for prosthetic and other uses. For specific information, call them. Their telephone numbers and addresses are listed in the company directory at the end of this booklet.
Marietta Vision states that the Chromagen lens is available for certain color deficiencies. It has a 5mm to 7mm tinted optic zone and custom parameters. Call (866) 300-6257 for details.
Extended Wear Tinted Enhancer and Opaque Hydrogels

Daily Wear Toric Hydrogels


Extended Wear Toric Hydrogels

Daily Wear Multifocal Hydrogels


Extended Wear Multifocal Hydrogels

Multifocal Toric Hydrogels


Hybrid Soft Skirt/GP Center
