Purpose: To compare the lens fitting characteristics and comfort rates between the two base curves of a prototype silicone hydrogel contact lens and between the prototype and a senofilcon A contact lens.
Methods: This study was a prospective, single-center, masked, controlled, randomized, contralateral-eye, short-term comparison clinical trial consisting of two different studies. In the first study, subjects were randomly fitted with the 8.3- and 8.6-mm base curves of a prototype contact lens in each eye. In the second study, subjects were randomly fitted with the more comfortable prototype lens found in the first study in one eye and a senolfilcon A lens in the other eye. In both studies, lens centration and movement, corneal coverage, and comfort were assessed in both eyes 15 minutes after insertion for each lens separately.
Results: The overall fit of the 8.3 base curve (8.08 +/- 1.98) was similar to that of the 8.6 base curve (8.15 +/- 2.09) (P=0.38). The mean comfort scores for the 8.3 and 8.6 base curves were 80.13 +/- 16.08 and 77.33 +/- 18.00, respectively (P=0.47). The overall fit of the prototype lens (8.79 +/- 1.56) was similar to that of the senofilcon A lens (8.63 +/- 1.20 mm) (P=0.29). The mean comfort scores for the prototype and senofilcon A lenses were 84.67 +/- 13.92 and 86.35 +/- 12.20, respectively (P=0.52).
Conclusions: The slightly better lens fitting characteristics and comfort of the lens with the 8.3 base curve versus the 8.6 base curve are attributed to the lower movement of the lens with the 8.3 base curve. That the lens fitting characteristics and comfort rates of the prototype lens and the senofilcon A lens were similar is not surprising, because of their similarities in material and design.