Ultraviolet (UV) transmittance characteristics of daily disposable and silicone hydrogel contact lenses

The ultraviolet (UV) transmittance spectra of daily wear hydrogel and disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses were measured. Average transmittance percentages were calculated for each lens for the entire UV spectrum and individually for the UVC, UVB and UVA portions of the spectrum. The significance of the differences in transmittance spectra obtained for the lenses was analysed using a one-way ANOVA planned comparisons test (α = 0.05). The transmittance data were then used to calculate a UV protection factor (PF) for each contact lens brand tested. The PFs for 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ (6.22), ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ (10.02) and ACUVUE® OASYS™ (11.96) contact lenses show that these contact lenses have superior UV-blocking capabilities. The PFs for Focus® DAILIES® (1.79), SofLens™ 1-day disposables (1.72), NIGHT & DAY™ (1.84), O2 Optix™ (1.99) and Purevision™ (2.62) show that these contact lenses posses more modest UV-blocking characteristics. This paper reviews the importance of protection of the anterior ocular surface from UV damage and quantifies the protection afforded by selected commercially available disposable contact lenses.