Hyaluronic acid and graphene oxide loaded silicon contact lens for corneal epithelial healing

Hyaluronic acid (HA) eye drop solution is widely used to treat and manage various corneal diseases like keratoconus (after corneal cross-linking) and dry eye syndrome. However, ocular dosage forms like eye drop solution affect the routine life style of patients due to frequent dosing schedule. In this study, HA and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was directly loaded in the silicon contact lenses (HA-GO-DL) and compared with the conventional soaking method (HA-GO-SM). The contact lenses at lower level of rGO showed permissible swelling and transmittance properties. The water retention property of HA-GO-DL contact lenses was confirmed by water evaporation studies. The flux data of HA-GO-SM contact lenses showed high burst release with 24 h release duration. While, HA-GO-DL lenses confirmed low burst with sustained release up to 96 h. In ocular irritation study, the HA-GO-DL-2 lenses was found to be safe. The HA-GO-DL-2 batch showed high HA-tear fluid concentration (rabbit model) and improvement in the rabbit tear fluid volume (Schirmer strip studies) in comparison to the soaking method (HA-GO-SM-2) and eye drop solution. The study successfully demonstrate the potential of HA-GO loaded contact lenses to improve tear fluid volume to manage various ocular diseases like dry eye syndrome.