By John Sailer: Senior Editor

 
FORT WORTH, Texas—After more than a decade of product development and a successful European launch, Alcon, a division of Novartis (NYSE:NVS), has introduced the Dailies Total1 water gradient contact lens to the U.S. market. Designed for comfort, the contact lenses feature an increase from 33 percent to more than 80 percent water content from the core to the surface, approaching 100 percent water content at the very outer surface.

“The U.S. launch of Dailies Total1 water gradient contact lenses is a major milestone for Alcon that is more than a decade in the making,” said Erich Bauman, OD, R&D program leader for Dailies Total1 water gradient contact lenses. “Thanks to the diligent efforts of our R&D team and the contributions of hundreds of professionals across the eyecare world, Dailies Total1 water gradient contact lenses will bring unprecedented comfort and breathability in a daily disposable lens to contact lens wearers throughout the U.S.”

Dailies Total1 combine a silicone hydrogel core with the newest generation of Alcon’s proprietary LightStream lens technology and new advancements in surface chemistry to create the delefilcon A water gradient lens material. The new contact lenses have a gradient design in both their material composition and water content, which enhances performance at both the core and the surface. The highly breathable silicone hydrogel core, with a low water content of 33 percent, transitions into a soft hydrophilic surface gel made up of more than 80 percent water content, which then approaches 100 percent water content at the outer surface.

The highly lubricious lens surface results in reduced friction and minimizes interaction with the delicate tissues of the eye. With a Dk/t of 156 at the center of a -3.00D lens, Dailies Total1 water gradient contact lenses provide exceptional breathability, allowing more oxygen through the lens. ■

jsailer@jobson.com

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