SBIR Phase I: Bio-inspired Multilayer Therapeutic Contact Lens to Treat Dry Eye Disease

这一小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出开发一种用于治疗干眼病的隐形透镜，这种疾病在美国影响着600多万人。隐形透镜设计用于放置在眼表面，以缓解与眼干燥相关的疼痛和刺激症状。目前市场上没有具有这种设计和功能的器械，本研究的目的是改进和表征透镜，并在动物研究中测试器械的安全性和有效性。 最终，这项研究将使人类的疗效研究成为可能。 该拟议项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善干眼病治疗的潜力。 尽管目前的治疗方法相对无效，但在美国治疗干眼病的费用每年为20亿美元。该设备不仅将改善数百万人的生活质量，而且还将验证我们独特的材料/设计在医疗设备中的使用，这可能具有更广泛的应用。该设备代表了干眼病的极少数非药物疗法之一，因此，有可能拓宽科学界对干眼病治疗方法的思考。

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.