Express route to lens disinfection

The new solution, which cleanses, rinses, disinfects and stores contact lenses, includes Polyquad, an anti-bacterial used in many Alcon products, and a new disinfectant agent, myristamidopropyldimethylamine (MAPD). As a result of its combined disinfecting activity, Alcon states that Opti-Free Express offers lens wearers protection against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast, moulds and even Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts. It also prevents deposit formation by removing protein from lens surface. Alcon adds that with its enhanced disinfecting capacity, Opti-Free Express meets the new stand-alone disinfection criteria being adopted by the US Food and Drug Administration and the International Standards Organisation. According to Alcon, clinical studies by the company have shown that the new solution causes less than one per cent irritation among contact lens wearers. The active components in the new solution, it is claimed, do not interact with, and bind to, the lens 'to any significant extent' and, as a result are not released into the wearer's eye during lens wear.