Hydrophilic monomer and crosslinker effects on optical and chemical properties of hydrophobic intraocular lenses (IOLs)

An experimental study was conducted to reduce glistening and minimize posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in hydrophobic intraocular lenses (IOLs). This approach involved the copolymerization of hydrophilic 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) at various concentrations with hydrophobic monomers, along with incorporating different amounts of ethylene glycol di-methacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinker to optimize the chemical, thermal, and optical properties. Sixteen IOL formulations were synthesized and systematically analyzed using equilibrium water content (EWC) measurements, glass-transition temperature (Tg) measurements, and optical evaluation. Optimizing the balance of hydrophilic monomer and crosslinker effectively eliminates glistening and mitigates PCO while maintaining the essential optical property of hydrophobic IOLs.