Research & Development

Capabilities

The Institute conducts world-class research and product development through multidisciplinary projects.

• Vision sciences: optometry, ophthalmology, vision science, clinical science, vision care delivery
• Biological sciences: epidemiology, microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, biostatistics, physiology
• Physical sciences: materials science, precision optical and biomedical engineering, polymer and surface chemistry
• Development of new contact lens designs
• Benchmarking of existing eye care products

Design Achievement
A major Institute achievement has been the development of toric soft contact lenses, in collaboration with Ocular Sciences Inc.

Toric contact lenses are used for the correction of astigmatism, a condition where the two principal meridians of the eye have different powers.  Astigmatism, which affects 20% of the world population and is responsible for 30% of all refractive errors, is primarily corrected with spectacles.  This is because toric contact lenses are often regarded as difficult and troublesome to fit.  Common problems encountered with fitting soft toric lenses are providing stable lens orientation (preventing rotation), and lens wear comfort.  A toric contact lens that provides good quality continuous vision for people with astigmatism has the potential to attract up to 40% of prospective lens wearers (over 1 billion people).

Institute researchers designed a lens that provides superior performance to other currently available designs.  The Biomedics lens was launched in the US market in the first quarter of 2001, followed by worldwide release in 2002.  Using a unique wedge shape and smooth front surface, the OSI lens is already the world's fastest selling contact lens for this market and is attracting substantial royalties for the Institute.  In September 2002 the Biomedics toric lens won a patent design award from the United States Patent Office for novel and excellent design.

Activities

Research at the Institute is particularly focused on two vision-related issues: refractive error, and corneal infection and inflammation. 

Soft Contact Lenses in Orthokeratology
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is the programmemed use of specially designed contact lenses to improve unaided vision by reshaping the cornea.  Ortho-K lenses are generally worn while sleeping and removed upon waking.  The main benefit of Ortho-K is that people can be free of spectacles or contact lenses for the majority or possibly all of their waking hours.  Also, recent work has suggested a possible role for orthokeratology in slowing the progression of myopia. 

Traditionally orthokeratology has been conducted with rigid gas permeable lenses, as they were able to provide the oxygen permeability required for corneal health.  However the development of highly oxygen permeable silicone hydrogel lenses has opened the way for soft lens orthokeratology, offering the benefits of superior comfort and potentially improved corneal health.  This project is investigating the use of soft lenses for Ortho-K with a view to expanding the use of this convenient form of vision correction and also investigating its potential in slowing the progression of myopia.

Management, Prevention or Cure of Infection and Inflammation of the Cornea
The Institute for Eye Research has a range of projects that aim to develop further understanding of infection and inflammation, and to develop strategies to prevent or cure these conditions.  The development of new products and systems to eliminate these conditions will significantly expand the contact lens market and improve the eye care available to patients. 

In addition, much of what is learned of the mechanisms of corneal infection and inflammation and the host’s immune response during contact lens wear can be directly applied to non-contact lens-associated infections and inflammation.  The anti-infection and anti-inflammatory strategies developed in these projects have the potential to be applied to the wider biomaterials market.

Antimicrobial Contact Lenses
Contact lens wear, especially extended wear, is associated with an increased risk of corneal infection and inflammation, caused by bacterial contamination of contact lenses.  This research project is aimed at creating an antibacterial contact lens to prevent bacterial adhesion and reduce the occurrence and severity of infection and inflammation.  

Substances called furanones, derived from a class of secondary metabolites of Australian marine algae, have been found to inhibit adhesion and colonisation of ocular bacteria onto contact lens surfaces, and to inhibit bacterial virulence.  Researchers at the Institute and Biosignal Ltd have screened and selected a group of furanone compounds with high activity and low toxicity to be used in contact lens coatings.  Strategies have been developed for covalent attachment of furanones on contact lens surfaces or within contact lens matrices, and such coated lenses markedly reduce adhesion of both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Studies are continuing on the effect of furanone-coated lenses in reducing the occurrence and symptoms of contact lens-associated corneal infection and inflammation.  This research is conducted in partnership with Biosignal Ltd and international contact lens manufacturers.

Antimicrobial Efficacy of Contact Lens Solutions
Contact lens disinfecting solutions are needed during routine lens wear to minimise bacterial colonisation of lenses and help in the general cleaning of the lens surface.  The Institute has studied the effectiveness of various multipurpose contact lens disinfecting solutions for manufacturers and for internal research purposes.

Risk of Microbial Keratitis with Contact Lenses
Although microbial keratitis is rare, approximately 10-15% of cases of this contact lens related infection lead to permanent loss of vision. 

A large scale epidemiology study is being run by the Institute in conjunction with Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, UK, to assess the relative risk of microbial keratitis with different lenses and modes of wear, and to determine the risk factors associated with corneal infection.  This research is timely with the release of the new silicone hydrogel lenses and the number of people now wearing these.  The high oxygen permeability of new lenses was suggested to reduce the incidence of certain complications of contact lens wear.  Results to date indicate that the major risk factor for developing microbial keratitis is still sleeping in lenses, regardless of the oxygen permeability of the lenses.

Tear Film Diagnostics
This is an on-going project with the aim of finding disease-specific markers in tears, which may lead to early, reliable non-invasive diagnosis of these diseases. In partnership with Minomic Pty Ltd and the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Institute researchers are analysing tear proteins from diabetic patients and normal subjects using 2-dimensional electrophoresis and a range of other proteomic techniques.  In 2005 the Institute established a collaboration in this work with Associate Professor Carol Morris from Southern Cross University.  The results to date are promising.  The goal is to develop a diagnostic test that could be used in optometric practice to evaluate the start or progression of diabetes, and a grant application based on these preliminary results has been submitted.  This work is also being extended to other diseases such as prostate cancer in collaboration with Sydney Urology Centre at St George Hospital.

Tear Film Supplements
Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is a high molecular weight and mucoadhesive component which has been used successfully in artificial tears for lubrication and relief of dye eye symptoms. CMC can reduce the rate of defects occurring post LASIK and is useful in association with contact lens wear.  Contact lenses conditioned with CMC are more comfortable during wear. 

The Institute has shown that CMC can bind to human corneal epithelial cells and tear proteins although the molecular nature of the interactions are yet to be characterised. CMC can also promote in vitro wound healing response of human corneal epithelial cells in culture.  This data provides some basis for the effects that CMC has during treatment of dry eye or as an ocular lubricant during soft contact lens wear.  This research was funded by a grant from Allergan Inc, USA. 

Angiogenesis
In the US alone, up to 1.4 million people per year may experience blood vessel growth into the cornea.  Corneal blood vessel growth or vascularisation can result from microbial, chemical or traumatic insult to the cornea.  Despite newly-developed antibiotics and other modes of therapy for treating the causes of vascularisation, it continues to be a major cause of vision loss.

The Institute is currently investigating a novel natural product, 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (12-MTA), originally extracted from sea cucumbers, which is anti-inflammatory in mammals for its effect on corneal angiogenesis initiated  by either infection or trauma to the cornea.  Preliminary investigations in vivo suggest that this compound has excellent potential to be an effective treatment for blood vessel growth in the cornea.

This work is performed in collaboration with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Viswa Biotechnology Pty Ltd (a spin-off company of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation).