This study investigated the use of functional additives to improve the surface wettability and mechanical strength of silicone hydrogel lenses. To confirm the functionality of the hydrogel lenses, a mixture of S4 formula with excellent oxygen permeability and wettability was selected as a standard, and it was found that the addition of ethoxylated perfluoropolyether improved wettability while maintaining the other physical properties of the lens material stably. Furthermore, it was determined that exceeding an additive amount of 0.5% led to a decrease in visible light transmittance, making 0.5% the optimal concentration. To enhance the mechanical properties, TESPI was added based on the SE_5 formulation, and it was confirmed that the tensile strength of the manufactured lenses increased by up to 96%. These results demonstrate that by using E10H and TESPI as additives simultaneously for the manufacturing of functional lenses, it is possible to improve various performances while maintaining the fundamental physical properties of the lenses, indicating the potential for application in the design of high-functionality silicone hydrogel lenses.

Keywords: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses, Oxygen permeability, Siloxane monomer, Copolymer composition, Functional monomer