Correlations between permeability properties and the pore - size distribution of the porous media "hydron" useful as contact lenses
E. Gatin, D. Alexandreanu, A. Popescu, C. Berlic, I. Alexandreanu
Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, P.O. Box 11, Bucharest - Magurele (Romania)
Manuscript received: June 10, 1999; revised: November 16, 1999.
Accepted for publication: November 17, 1999.
Abstract
The pore-size distributions of the porous media "Hydron", commercially used ad soft contact lenses, as a function of water permeability and diffusion properties is presented. The materials have been investigated using several independent methods for compiling data concerning the nature of membrane pores: - the Hagen-Poiseuille (solvent permeability) method; - the "bubble pressure" technique; - direct observation with standard and scanning microscopes. The average pore diameter was calculated with Ferry’s equations and the results compared to those obtained by examination of samples using environmental scanning microscopes. In our study we advance on investigation for the hydrophilic materials to compare their functional properties and biocompatibility. It was achieved a simulation programme of the copolymerization for the two main components of a contact lens material; have been chosen 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxypropyl metacrylate. Have been calculated the average values for the pore distributions simulation program andh the calculated the average values for the pore distributions simulation program and then compared with the porosity determinations performed for a contact lens HYDRON 6.
KEYWORDS: Porosity, hydrophilic materials, contact lens, simulation.