Optometry and Vision Science

Contact lens

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Contact lens (CL) is a lens implanted in the eye used to treat cataracts or myopia. These are implanted during cataract surgery, after the cloudy crystalline lens (otherwise known as a cataract) has been removed. CL replaces the original crystalline lens, and provides the light focusing function originally undertaken by the crystalline lens. There are some intraocular lens which is placed over the existing natural lens, and is used in refractive surgery to change the eye's optical power as a treatment for myopia or nearsightedness.CL usually consist of a small plastic lens with plastic side struts, called haptics, to hold the lens in place within the capsular bag inside the eye. CL was traditionally made of an inflexible material (PMMA), although this has largely been superseded by the use of flexible materials. Most CL fitted today is fixed monofocal lenses matched to distance vision. However, other types are available, such as multifocal CL which provides the patient with multiple-focused vision at far and reading distance, and adaptive CL which provide the patient with limited visual accommodation.