SBIR Phase I: Bio-inspired multilayer therapeutic contact lens to treat dry eye disease

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a contact lens for the treatment of dry eye disease, which affects more than 6 million people in the United States. The contact lens is designed to be placed on the surface of the eye to relieve symptoms of pain and irritation associated with ocular dryness. There is no device currently on the market with this design and function, and the objectives of this research are to refine and characterize the lens as well as to test the safety and efficacy of the device in animal studies. Ultimately, this research will enable efficacy studies in humans. The broader impact/commercial potential of this proposed project is the potential to improve treatment of dry eye disease. The cost of treating dry eye disease in the United States is $2 billion dollars annually, despite the relative ineffectiveness of current therapies. Not only will this device improve the quality of life of millions of people, but it will also validate the use of our unique material/design for medical devices in general, which may have a much broader application. This device represents one of very few non-pharmaceutical therapies for dry eye disease, and, therefore, has the potential to broaden the thinking of the scientific community with regard to methods of dry eye treatment.