Lyndon Jones, DSc, PhD, FCOptom, presented the second of two keynote speeches on Thursday, Jan. 16, at the 2025 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS). In the “Contact Lenses—Beyond Vision Correction” session, he posited that “when you talk about the future of contact lenses, you could almost say that the future is now.”

Dr. Jones highlighted nine areas in which the contact lens industry is seeing innovation. He noted that wearable health sensors (smart mouthguards, glasses, and contact lenses) are already being used.

Contact lenses are being utilized for the diagnosis and screening for systemic disease. Specific considerations in terms of contact lenses finding appropriate materials for the lens itself as well as for the sensors, battery, and antenna. Several studies have already been conducted that examine ways electronics added to lenses can help with the diagnosis or treatment of diabetes.

Contact lenses can also be used for the diagnosis and screening for ocular disease. He pointed to one commercially available lens that measures intraocular pressure and provides that data back to the practitioner to help with glaucoma patients.

Dr. Jones explained that drug delivery to the ocular surface is an area that has been around for a while; he noted that it was included in Otto Wichterle’s patent in 1961. Drug-eluting contact lenses have potential applications for microbial keratitis, severe corneal abrasions, and long-term glaucoma therapy, among others. There had been a drug-eluting indicated for ocular allergy, but it has since been discontinued. Other recent forays into this area include sclerals with bevacizumab put into the bowl of the lens and held against the eye for a longer time and cyclosporine put into lens with preservative-free saline for corneal vascularization. Another novel use is the development of a gelatin type material that could release a therapeutic application depending on the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) level in tear film in patients who have Sjögren’s syndrome.

Other areas seeing innovation include the development of antimicrobial lenses or cases, individualized medicine, and augmented or virtual reality.

Dr. Jones ended his presentation by reminding attendees that innovation will not stay around by default. He pointed photochromic and drug-eluting contact lenses that were both discontinued in 2024. “When they come to market, if not using them, they will be discontinued,” he said.

Lyndon Jones, DSc, PhD, FCOptom, presented the second of two keynote speeches on Thursday, Jan. 16, at the 2025 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS). In the “Contact Lenses—Beyond Vision Correction” session, he posited that “when you talk about the future of contact lenses, you could almost say that the future is now.”

Dr. Jones highlighted nine areas in which the contact lens industry is seeing innovation. He noted that wearable health sensors (smart mouthguards, glasses, and contact lenses) are already being used.

Contact lenses are being utilized for the diagnosis and screening for systemic disease. Specific considerations in terms of contact lenses finding appropriate materials for the lens itself as well as for the sensors, battery, and antenna. Several studies have already been conducted that examine ways electronics added to lenses can help with the diagnosis or treatment of diabetes.

Contact lenses can also be used for the diagnosis and screening for ocular disease. He pointed to one commercially available lens that measures intraocular pressure and provides that data back to the practitioner to help with glaucoma patients.

Dr. Jones explained that drug delivery to the ocular surface is an area that has been around for a while; he noted that it was included in Otto Wichterle’s patent in 1961. Drug-eluting contact lenses have potential applications for microbial keratitis, severe corneal abrasions, and long-term glaucoma therapy, among others. There had been a drug-eluting indicated for ocular allergy, but it has since been discontinued. Other recent forays into this area include sclerals with bevacizumab put into the bowl of the lens and held against the eye for a longer time and cyclosporine put into lens with preservative-free saline for corneal vascularization. Another novel use is the development of a gelatin type material that could release a therapeutic application depending on the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) level in tear film in patients who have Sjögren’s syndrome.

Other areas seeing innovation include the development of antimicrobial lenses or cases, individualized medicine, and augmented or virtual reality.

Dr. Jones ended his presentation by reminding attendees that innovation will not stay around by default. He pointed photochromic and drug-eluting contact lenses that were both discontinued in 2024. “When they come to market, if not using them, they will be discontinued,” he said.