Acuvue Oasys contact lenses

As many as 45 million people in the U.S. wear contact lenses to help correct vision problems. That means you have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting contact lenses. 

The ACUVUE brand, owned by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., launched its first daily disposable hydrophilic (soft) contact lenses in 1993, and the ACUVUE OASYS line of products followed in 2005. ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses help correct the most common optical issue in non-diseased eyes — refractive errors.

According to the National Eye Institute, 150 million people in the U.S. have refractive errors. They cause objects to be viewed out of focus, in addition to eye fatigue and eye strain that lead to discomfort. Refractive errors include astigmatism (distorted vision), myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). 

ACUVUE OASYS for Astigmatism

With astigmatism, vision is distorted or blurred when you look at an object, whether it’s nearby or far away. The eye’s cornea or lens is shaped in a way that when light enters, it can't focus correctly on the retina. Lenses for astigmatism are toric, meaning they are designed with different prescription strengths in different sections of the contact.

ACUVUE OASYS for Astigmatism contact lenses include a daily version (disposed of at the end of the day) and a bi-weekly version (reused after a daily cleaning).

• ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day for Astigmatism integrates a technology called HydraLuxe. It combines a wetting agent (polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP) with a silicone hydrogel base to ensure that the tear film of the eye retains moisture and breathability throughout the day.

• ACUVUE OASYS for Astigmatism is a 2-week lens that uses HydraClear Plus technology to help reduce eye dryness by embedding PVP with a silicone hydrogel base, supporting the tear film with moisture, day after day.

Both products have a BLINK STABILIZED design (for proper alignment when the head or eyes move), ultra-thin edges (for a near-invisible feel) and UV blocking properties (for reducing exposure to harmful UVB and UVA rays).

A 1-month version, called ACUVUE VITA for Astigmatism with HydraMax technology is also available.

ACUVUE OASYS for myopia or hyperopia

Myopia (nearsightedness or shortsightedness) makes objects in the distance look blurry while objects up close are in focus. Normally, light that enters the eye would focus onto the retina, but with myopia the shape of the eye makes light focus in front of the retina. 

Conversely, hyperopia (farsightedness or longsightedness) makes objects you view up close look blurry and objects that are far away look sharp. In this case, the eye is shaped in a way that makes light focus behind the retina.

Lenses to correct these optical problems are spherical (or rounded). Depending on the disorder, they’ll be concave (for myopia) or convex (for hyperopia).

Contact lenses available from ACUVUE OASYS for myopia or hyperopia include daily and bi-weekly options.

• ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day integrates HydraLuxe technology, ultra-thin edges and UV blocking properties.

• ACUVUE OASYS is a 2-week lens that uses HydraClear Plus technology, ultra-thin edges and UV blocking properties.

• ACUVUE OASYS with Transitions, a 2-week version, contains light-adaptive technology that helps eyes adjust to different levels of light. It also has ultra-thin edges and UV blocking properties.

Several other products from ACUVUE address myopia or hyperopia, such as 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST and 1-Day ACUVUE TruEye.

ACUVUE OASYS for Presbyopia 

Typically, presbyopia happens to people over the age of 40, the time when eyes start to lose their flexibility. You'll gradually notice that it’s difficult to focus up close, due to the aging of the eyes. You’ll probably have trouble reading small print in a book or on your phone.

A popular choice for people with presbyopia, and especially when accompanied by another refractive error, is multifocal contacts. This style comprises multiple powers in one lens, allowing you to see objects up close, in the distance and everything in between.

Contact lenses available from ACUVUE OASYS for presbyopia include two bi-weekly options.

• ACUVUE OASYS for Presbyopia, a 2-week multifocal type, offers HydraClear Plus technology, ultra-thin edges and UV blocking properties.

• ACUVUE OASYS MULTIFOCAL with PUPIL OPTIMIZED DESIGN is 2-week verson with an ability to optimize for pupil size, a hybrid back curve to keep the contact in place and HydraClear Plus in addition to ultra-thin edges and UV blocking properties.

Another offering from ACUVUE is available for presbyopia, 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST MULTIFOCAL with Lacreon technology. 

More about ACUVUE OASYS contacts

Since the time when they were approved by the FDA in 1971, soft contact lenses have undergone scientific advances by leaps and bounds. Over the years, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care developed several proprietary technologies for its line of ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses that address not only refractive errors but comfort — the major requirement of contact wearers. 

What makes ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses stand out in terms of comfort is their enhanced breathability, thanks to a type of silicone hydrogel called senofilcon A. This material is highly permeable, allowing lots of oxygen to pass through the contact to the cornea. Without this much-needed oxygen, the eye can develop a serious condition called hypoxia. 

Contacts sit on the tear film layer of the eye's highly sensitive cornea, helping redirect light rays onto the retina. They need to stay moist to avoid drying out, especially in challenging environments. Also, they must fit correctly by moving as the eye moves to avoid irritation. 

ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses deal with this very important comfort factor by integrating the following features into its line of products: HydraLuxe, HydraClear Plus, Transitions Light Intelligent Technology, BLINK STABILIZED Design, PUPIL OPTIMIZED DESIGN and Hybrid Back Curve.

Your eye doctor can fit you for ACUVUE OASYS contact lenses

Just like fingerprints, eyes are unique in shape and size, and they can change over time. So it's important that you get a correct fit when it comes to contact lenses. A proper fit, especially for toric or multifocal lenses, is a priority. One size does not fit all, and ill-fitting contacts can lead to eye infections or corneal ulcers.

You may have refractive errors and not know it, and only an eye doctor can diagnose them using devices in the office, such as a Snellen chart (to test visual acuity), a keratometer (to measure the curvature of the cornea) and a phoropter (to measure refractive errors).

All contact lenses — including the ones by ACUVUE OASYS — are considered medical devices, regulated by the FDA and attained only via a prescription from an eye doctor.

SEE RELATED: Acuvue Debuts Medicine-releasing Contact Lenses

Page published on Tuesday, March 30, 2021