Tokyo, Japan, June 24: Toray Industries, Inc. announced today that it has developed an innovative hydrophilic coating that enhances the wettability of silicone materials by more than 20 times. This breakthrough enables silicone to achieve durable hydrophilicity, opening new possibilities for contact lenses and a broad range of medical device applications.
Silicone materials are widely used in medical devices, including contact lenses and catheters, due to their flexibility and excellent biocompatibility. However, silicone’s inherently hydrophobic nature limits its suitability for applications requiring high wettability or lubricity. In contact lenses, poor wettability can lead to dryness and foreign-body sensations, while in catheters it can reduce maneuverability and increase the risk of blockages. Although various approaches, such as surface modification and material redesign, have been explored to improve silicone hydrophilicity, these methods often complicate manufacturing processes and present challenges in achieving adequate hydrophilicity and long-term clinical durability.
To overcome these limitations, Toray leveraged its proprietary polymer molecular design and precision polymerization technologies to develop a novel hydrophilic polymer with a strong affinity for silicone. By utilizing the polymer’s self-assembly properties, the company successfully created a highly durable, nanometer-scale hydrophilic coating on silicone surfaces.
The ultra-thin coating imparts hydrophilicity while preserving the silicone’s intrinsic physical properties. By bringing the hydrophilic polymer into contact with the surface of commercially available silicone hydrogels and applying heat, Toray can form a hydrophilic coating layer approximately 20 nanometers thick. Tests demonstrated that the coated surfaces exhibited more than a 20-fold improvement in wettability compared with uncoated surfaces, while the coefficient of friction decreased by approximately 90%. The coating also maintained high durability even after repeated rubbing.
Applying this hydrophilic coating to contact lenses is expected to significantly enhance wearer comfort during prolonged use. In addition, studies have shown that the coating suppresses the adhesion of biological substances to silicone elastomers, suggesting potential applications in medical devices such as stents and catheters, where improved lubricity and reduced blockage could enhance performance and patient outcomes.
Toray plans to actively promote this coating technology and expand its application across a wide range of medical device materials.
Through continued innovation in advanced materials and healthcare technologies, Toray remains committed to helping create a world in which people can lead healthier, more comfortable, and more independent lives.
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