What is HydraLuxe™?

HydraLuxe^™ is a proprietary wetting technology that was developed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. A unique tear infused design mimics mucins to help support a stable tear film. An enhanced network of tear-like molecules using Polyvinylpyrrolidone ¹ (PVP) and highly breathable hydrated silicone integrate with the tear film. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (invented in the 1930s by german scientist Walter Reppe at BASF) reduces friction and acts as a hydration agent.

HydraLuxe^™ Technology by Johnson & Johnson Vision

What is HydraLuxe for?

Like other hydration technologies, the main goal of HydraLuxe is to improve and extend the wearing comfort of contact lenses. Contact lens wearers are demanding more than ever from their products as their busy and digital device-focused lifestyles take a toll on their eyes. Looking at our phones or screens for a long time causes lower blink rates. Add exposure to dry indoor air, and you got a perfect recipe for dry, itchy, or red eyes - especially towards the end of a long (office) day. Contact lens manufacturers invest a lot of money in new technologies to mitigate these issues: surface treatment processes, special lens designs (e.g. a lower-angle edge design), and embedding wetting agents into the lens material, are popular focus areas for manufacturers in the design of more comfortable lenses. HydraLuxe is the result of Johnson & Johnson's long history developing comfort-improving technologies: Lacreon, Hydraclear, Hydraclear Plus followed by HydraLuxe, are testimony for their commitment to innovation.

HydraLuxe^™ was introduced in 2016 and has been applied to the following ACUVUE^® lenses:

ACUVUE^® Lenses with HydraLuxe^™

References

¹ Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) – A Versatile Polymer for Biomedical and Beyond Medical Applications
by: Mirela Teodorescu, Maria Bercea
Published: Taylor & Francis: June 2015