Ultrasonic and mechanical agitating devices may be used in place of friction cleaning. These devices reduce patient handling of the lens and are less likely to damage the lens. Soft Lens Disinfecting Agents Soft lenses can be disinfected using either thermal or chemical methods. Both procedures are safe and effective. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to each system that need to be considered.
Thermal disinfection involves heating the soft lens in normal saline.
Many of the currently available heating units are easy to use, reliable and portable. For the patient who is sensitive to the preservatives in chemical disinfecting systems, heat disinfection with non-preserved saline is the system of choice. The system is relatively inexpensive as compared to chemical disinfection systems. Disadvantages of heat disinfection include shorter lens life, more protein deposit and the risk of microbial contamination from the use of unpreserved saline. The use of homemade saline should be discouraged and commercially made aerosol salines should be recommended to patients who are sensitive to preserved salines.