Bausch and Lomb: Secrets of the polymers

When scientists and clinicians at Bausch and Lomb set out to develop a new silicone hydrogel (SiH) contact lens, the goal was seemingly simple: to provide all three of the key attributes of lens wear – comfort, vision and health – even in today’s digital environment. The answer, as they discovered, was anything but simple.

‘There are thousands of silicones, not just one or two,’ says Dr Daniel Hook, senior principal scientist and group leader of the structural and science group within Bausch and Lomb.

‘But when we looked at the commercially available SiHs, we really weren’t happy with the properties they would give the lens. We also had several manufacturing platforms for making soft lenses but we didn’t think those were capable of working with new chemistry.’