1) Proper care and maintenance of RGP contact lenses involves regularly cleaning, rinsing, and disinfecting the lenses to remove deposits, decrease microbes, and increase wettability. 2) The care system typically includes a daily cleaner, rinsing solution, disinfecting solution, weekly protein remover, and rewetting drops if needed. Proper storage in a lens case is also important. 3) Hands must be washed with soap and dried before handling lenses. Lenses should never be rinsed with water and should only be handled using the recommended solutions and techniques.

1. care and maintenance of
rGP lens
RAJU KAITI
Consultant Optometrist
Dhulikhel Hospital, KUH

2. Introduction
• Care and maintenance is one of the most crucial
aspects of contact lens wear.
• It can influence the success of contact lens wear and
patients’ satisfaction with their lenses.
• Aftercare visits greatly depend upon how one care
and maintains his contact lens.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF RGP LENS MATERIALS
• Small matrix pores
• Deposits remain on lens surface
• Complex surface chemistry
• Silicone component decreases wettability

4. 4
Purpose of care & maintenance
• Clean lens
• Good vision
• Good comfort
• Safe lens wear
BY
– Minimizing deposit
accumulation
– Decreasing microbial
contaminants
– Increasing lens wettability

5. 5
Why clean CL?
• Pt comfort
• Optimize lens performance
dirty lens don’t feel good & can affect vision
• CL wear increases the risk of microbial infection
• CL prevents clearance of debris & microbes, & allows
for bacterial adhesion ,disrupts normal tear flow
,weakens epithelial adhesions
• Microbes introduced to ocular surface with lens
insertion

6. It includes….
 Appropriate use & handling (pt education on lens
care is important)
 Hygiene
 Additional instructions
 Solution use

7. 7
Lens handling technique
• Insertion & removal
• Accidental lens ejection & displacement
• Emergency lens removal
• Storage & removal from the case
• Rub & rinse process

8. Proper Lens Care
Personal Hygiene
Before handling contact lenses, wash your hands
with soap and water, then rinse and dry them with a
lint-free towel.

9. 9
General measures
• Good hygiene
 wash hands
 mild soap & warm water
 hands free of debris ,lotions & rough surfaces
• Never soak/rinse lenses in water
• Use only approved solutions
(don’t use home-made solutions)
• Don't swim with lenses on

10. 10
General measures
• Prescribe wearing schedules
- important that patient adheres to clinician
prescribed use & wearing schedules
• Need to continue to monitor patient for signs of
complications & intervene as appropriate

11. 11
Care & maintenance components
• Cleaning solution
• Rinsing solution
• Disinfecting solution
• Protein removers
(weekly)
• Rewetting/lubricating
solution
• Lens storage case

12. 12
RGP lens care products
• Wetting solutions
• Cleaner
• Disinfecting /soaking agents
• Lubricant /rewetting solution

13. 13
RGP lens cleaning
• Daily surfactants
• Enzyme cleaner
• Polish (as necessary)
• Cleaning pad ?

14. Daily cleaner function
14
• To remove
 loosely bound
 foreign matter
 cell debris, mucus, lipid,
protein, cosmetic or other
surface contaminants
• Majority of microorganisms

15. 15
Recommended technique
• Wash hands and Place lens in
palm of hand (2-3 drops of cleaner
on each lens surface )
• Rub with forefinger (15/side)
‘To’ & ‘fro’ action or L-R action
• Roll forefinger in both directions
to clean lens periphery
• Rinse well

16. 16
RGP lens cleaning technique……
• Avoid
vigorous rubbing
excessive pressure on lens
prolonged cleaning with mildly abrasive cleaner

17. Formation of ring deposit

18. 18
Protein removers
• Aids in removing /loosening
tightly bound protein deposits
• Enzymes-
papain,subtilisin,pronase &
pancreatin
• Weekly done
• Lenses should be cleaned & rinsed
after enzymatic treatment

19. 19
Rinsing function
• To remove
 Daily cleaner
 Loosened deposits
 Micro-organisms
 Rehydrate lens
 Dissolve enzyme
tabs

20. RINSING SOLUTION
TYPES
• Saline
– preserved
– unpreserved
• Multi-purpose solution

21. 21
Disinfecting function
• Physical or chemical process producing destruction
of pathogenic micro-organisms (USA FDA,1973)
• Not imply for spores
• Kills or deactivate microbes left on the lens
• Include –bacteria
-viruses
-fungi
-amoeba
• Restores & maintains lens hydration (more with
SCL),though low level of hydration required with
RGP

22. DISINFECTION
• Micro-organism can attach to deposits
• Use chemical disinfection systems
• Soaking time 4 hours to overnight or as recommended
• Preservatives incorporated

23. PURPOSE OF DISINFECTION
Contact lenses may compromise
the eye’s natural defense by:
• Inhibiting tear film washing action
• Introducing more micro-organisms
• Compromising epithelial barrier
function

24. DISSINFECTING SOLUTION
•FUCTIONS
• Kill or deactivate potentially pathogenic
organisms including:
– bacteria
– fungi
– viruses
– amoebas
• Maintain lens hydration

25. 25
Disinfection
• Mode of action
cell membrane disruption
enzyme inhibition
protein coagulation/complex formation
• More common disinfectants:
benzylkoniumchloride,chlorhexidine,thimero
sal,dymed,polyquad

26. DISINFECTION SYSTEM
• TYPES
• Heat (thermal unit, microwave)
• Chemical
• oxidative
- hydrogen peroxide
 very effective
 provide least amount of irritation to allergic pt
- chlorine
• cold chemicals
-various disinfectants

27. 27
H2O2 based disinfection
• One-step(AO Sept)
catalytic disc (Pt)
delayed –release neutralizing
tablet
• Two-step
dilution
catalytic disc
neutralizing agents
catalase

28. 28
H2O2 based disinfection
• Minim 3 hrs in 3% H2O2 recommended
- bacteria 10-15 mins
- fungi 1 hr
- acanthamoeba 3-6 hrs
• Suitable for all lens type
• Neutralizing agents
-sodium pyruvate
-sodium sulphite
-sodium thiosulphate

29. 29
Wetting & soaking solutions
• Also k/a conditioning soln
• Function –disinfection,wetting & storage
• Composition
-antimicrobial agents
-wetting agents
-viscosity enhancing agent
-buffer sys
-salts

30. 30
Rewetting drops
Used during lens wear to
Functions
• To alleviate discomfort resulting from
insufficient lubrication by tear film
• To rehydrate CL
• clean lens surface
• maintain lens wettability
• To flush debris from lens & eye
• Viscosity enhancing agent like
polyvinyl pyrrolidone methylcellulose

31. 31
Every time

32. 32
Prerequisites of all CL solution
• Stable, sterile & transparent
• Harmless to eye if instilled undiluted
• No adverse effect on CL material
• Compatible with all other soln for same CL type
• Should be self -sterilizing

33. 33
Lens storage & cases
• CL stored in
-a clean CL storage case
-fresh disinfecting soln
• Care of lens cases
discard used soln
scrub with a toothbrush &
detergent weekly
rinse with hot water
air dry

34. 34
RGP lens replacement
• At least annually
• Residual deposits can irritate lids (esp. UpperLid)
• Resurface (polish) lens annually as alternative to
replacement
• At dispensing
clean & soak lenses overnight
verify lenses

35. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS

36. Avoid Contact with Water
• Minimize contact with water
• Remove lenses before swimming or using a hot tub.
• Contact lenses should not be rinsed with or stored in
water (tap water).
• Lens cases should be rinsed with solution, not tap water

37. • Appropriate Solutions
• Never put your lenses in your mouth to wet them.
Saliva is not a sterile solution.
• Do not use saline solution and rewetting drops to
disinfect lenses. Neither is an effective or approved
disinfectant.

38. • To clean rgp contact lenses, you will usually have
two or more solutions. One is a cleaner and the
other a conditioner.
• The cleaner washes away buildup and debris that
has been attracted to the lens during wear. And the
conditioner puts a nice coating on the contact lens
that protects it from getting dirty and keeps it
comfortable.

39. ALWAYS
Wash, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly before
handling your lenses.
Have an up-to-date pair of spectacles for when you need
to remove your lenses.
Replace the lenses at the interval specified by your
practitioner.
Have regular check-ups with your practitioner as
recommended.
Seek professional advice if you are having problems with
your contact lenses.

40. • Ask yourself these three important questions each
day that you wear your lenses:
Do my eyes look good?
Do my eyes feel good?
Do I see well?
If you cannot answer ‘yes’ to all of these, or you have
any other doubts concerning your contact lenses,
remove your lenses immediately and seek the advice
of your contact lens practitioner.

41. NEVER
Go to bed with a painful red eye - seek advice immediately.
Bring any contact lens in contact with tap water.
Wet your lenses with saliva.
Wear your lenses for swimming (unless you use goggles)
or showering.

42. In the past GP lenses often were rinsed with tap water
after cleaning
was the system originally approved by the FDA.
But now doctors recommend against this practice
 microorganisms in tap water can cause eye infections.
 Depending on the system, rinsing should be done with
multi-purpose solution or sterile saline.

43. Rinsing your contact lenses with water can
actually make them uncomfortable to wear. Tap
water also contains microorganisms that cause
eye infections.

44. 44
Summary
• Purpose of care & maintenance
• clean lens ,good vision, good comfort & safe lens wear
• Care system involves
• C,R,D &weekly protein removing, rewetting soln if needed &
lens storage case
• Care system should be selected according to
wearing schedule, lens material ,lens replacement schedule,
convenience & ocular sensitivity
Wash hands before insertion & removal of lens with soap
without fragrance
Proper care should be taken while handling lenses

45. THANK
YOU……
CARE YOUR LENSES,LENSES WILL CARE YOUR
VISION.