Our Technology
Contact lens companies have known about PEG’s remarkable potential for decades. But none succeeded in developing a chemically stable material with commercially viable shelf life. Ocutec’s solution to the PEG stability challenge was to use innovative polyurethane chemistry instead of traditional free radical chemistry. The result is our proprietary PEGgel polymer material platform.
Key attributes of PEGgel include:
- Richly hydrated lens surfaces that behave like the extra cellular matrix that bathes cells in the human body, supporting tear film stability, ocular health, and wearing comfort.
- Protected by 9 issued patents, PEGgel can be engineered for either hydrogel or silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses. It can be manufactured by either cast molding or injection molding processes.
The PEG surface significantly decreases the formation of dry spots and the deposition of lipids and proteins which are part of the eye’s reaction to a foreign body.
PEGgel chemistry deploys step growth polymerization to achieve 100% reaction. In contrast, traditional chain growth polymerization leaves unreacted toxic monomers that must be removed by means of costly extraction processes during production.
