How Contact Lenses are made ?

Medical and decorative contact lenses are with no doubt a significant step forward in the aesthetic industry. They are a more convenient alternative for eyeglasses, giving you an attractive look with utmost comfort, as well as the opportunity to change your eye color when you feel like it.

You might think contact lenses are a recent invention, but on the contrary, they date back to the 19th century when the first contact lens was made of plastic in 1948. Since then, a lot of progress has been achieved to deliver greater comfort for your eyes and correct several vision issues. In the1960s, colored contact lenses made a revolutionary trend in the world of cinema and aesthetics as well.

At first, contact lenses were big, rigid, and not permeable for oxygen, which caused discomfort for the user and ease for the lens to slip off the eye. Contact lenses manufacturing developed and presented the hydrophilic generation of lenses; they were more comfortable to wear, more adhesive to the eyes, and the lens’ meridian kept getting smaller till it fit the Iris only.

Nowadays, there are two main methods to manufacture different kinds of contact lenses; the Lathe Cutting Method and the Injection Molding Method.

How Soft Contact Lenses are made

Lathe Cutting Method:

The process is held via a machine-connected computer to cut the hydrophilic plastic component of the lenses.

The substance is placed upon a high-speed spinning pillar.
The programmed machines then start cutting the substance to form soft-edged lenses.
After that, the softening and burnishing phase starts.
A moisturizing solution is then added to give the lenses flexibility.
Finally, the lenses undergo a quality test.

This method consumes more time than that of Injection Molding. However, with technological advancement, it only takes a few minutes to make a single lens.

There are two types of Soft Contact Lenses according to their buildup component:

Regular Soft Lenses, which are made of hydrophilic gel-like plastic substances.
Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses: they are made of hydrophilic hydrogel plastic and Silicone, which is a group of elements including Silicon, Oxygen, and Carbon that give the lenses better Oxygen transmissibility.

Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses offer more comfort for your eyes. Yet, both types of soft contact lenses are more manufactured and consumed than Rigid Contact Lenses.

Injection Molding Method:

The polymeric component of the lenses is melted with heat.
Then it is poured in soft, ultra-thin, lens-shaped, computer-predesigned molds.
Afterward, the lenses are quickly cooled and taken out of their molds.
The lenses are then softened and burnished.
When done, they are placed in the lens solution for moisturizing.
Finally, the lenses undergo a quality test.

The Injection Molding Method is mostly used in Daily Contact Lenses manufacturing since it is less expensive and time-consuming than the Lathe Cutting Method.

How Rigid Contact Lenses are made

They are medical contact lenses prescribed by the doctor for certain eye problems, like Keratoconus (when the cornea takes a cone shape). Rigid Contact Lenses have high Oxygen transmissibility since they are made of Gas Permeable Polymers, like Acrylates, Silicone, Fluorine, and Water.

Just like Soft Lenses, manufacturers use the Lathe Cutting Method to make Rigid Lenses. However, they use a different buildup substance that is more oxygen permeable.

They place this substance upon high-speed spinning pillars to be cut by programmed machines, forming the Rigid Lens. These lenses do not get moisturized at the factory. Instead, the doctor uses a solution to do so before prescribing them to you.

How Hybrid Contact Lenses are made

These lenses require high manufacturing techniques. They have a gas-permeable core of rigid plastic substances, including Acrylates, Silicone, and Fluorine, surrounded by Silicone Hydrogel soft material.

Manufacturers follow the Lathe Cutting Method; they place the plastic spheres upon the pillars with advanced technologies keeping the core attached to the surrounding material. Then, they put the lenses in a moisturizing solution and finally test them for quality.

These lenses are commonly used for:

Shortsightedness and farsightedness.
Astigmatism.
Those who encounter issues wearing traditional contact lenses.

The environment in which contact lenses are made should be thoroughly sterilized to protect them from Microbes contamination that could cause eye infections.

For premium quality medical and decorative contact lenses, Brazilian Solotica Contact Lenses is the best choice with its long record in the industry following international quality standards. Solotica has four different kinds of contact lenses; each has unique and natural colors for every customer’s needs. In addition to the newly added Toric Lenses division to provide Astigmatism patients a solution for their issue.

Solotica lenses are available worldwide, and you can purchase them from within the Arab World from MetroBrazil Store.