N.F. Burnett Hodd

SoClear Patient Instructions

General information:

SoClears are large diameter gas permeable lenses, which rest on both the cornea and the sclera. The rigidity of the material means that your vision is optimised, and the size and unique shape of the lens mean that they are very comfortable and stable.

SoClears are made from an extremely breathable material, so you can be assured that your eye is getting the oxygen it needs to stay healthy and white.

Because SoClears are so unique, the method for inserting and removing them might be a different from the method you are used to. Please read these instructions carefully, and consult your contact lens practitioner if there are any points you need clarification on.

If you have been fitted with SoClear Multifocals, please be aware that your eyes and brain may need to get used to the sensation of having two focus points at once (distance and near). Some people may experience a sort of ‘3D’ or shadowing effect at first when trying to read. Give yourself a week or two to adapt to this; your vision should improve with time.

Your contact lens practitioner will want to see you quite regularly initially, to ensure you are getting on with the lenses, that they fit well and are the optimal prescription, that you are handling them properly and that they are not adversely doing any harm to your eyes. Sometimes during the first few weeks of fitting, when your prescription is still being finalised, certain parameters of the lenses may need to be changed and new lenses ordered, in order to achieve optimum vision and comfort.

To Insert SoClears:

If you have healthy corneas and your lenses are for vision correction only, your lenses can usually be inserted like a normal soft contact lens- wet the lens and place it directly onto your cornea. Do not slide the lens off your cornea at any point.

If a persistent bubble forms, or you have any corneal irregularity (including keratoconus), use the method described below:


1. Wash and dry your hands.


2. Place a mirror face up on your ‘workstation’, or have it tilted up slightly.


3. Place the lens on your index finger (pointer finger) like a bowl, and fill the lens with saline- to the brim, (if you can balance it), or as full as you can! (Tip: Using re-wetting drops to fill the lens helps as bubbles are less likely to form in a more viscous solution)


4. Hold your eyelids wide apart, being careful not to let the lens tip off your finger. (Tip: use two or ever three fingers, like a tripod, to keep the lens steady)


5. Coming up from underneath, place the lens directly onto your cornea. Make sure the lens is in full contact with your eye before your take your finger away, or it may fall straight out.


6. Blink gently. The excess saline may drip a little so have some tissues handy.

To Remove SoClears:

Method 1: The ‘Finger Touch’ Method

1. Wash and dry your hands.

2. Look straight into the mirror (hung the normal way this time), and hold your eyelids wide open- you need to be able to see your entire iris, or this method wont work.

3. Place a DRY finger onto the centre of the lens, and look quickly to one side (it doesn’t matter which way). The movement must be swift and decided, and be careful not to push the lens with your finger- your finger should stay still, only your eye should move.

4. This action should break the surface tension of the lens, and it should come away easily on your finger. Putting a few drops of saline/solution in to your eye before attempting to remove the lens may help.

If the finger touch method does not work for you for whatever reason, the following method can be used:

Method 2: The ‘Tiddly Wink’ Method

1. Wash and dry your hands

2. Looks straight into the mirror, and hold your eyelids wide open.

3. Use the top lid to stop the lens from slipping under the lid- use your finger to press the edge of the top lid against the top of the lens, pressing it towards your eye (gently). You are aiming for the rim of the top lid to be in alignment with the top of your iris.

4. Use another finger to manoeuvre the bottom rim of the lens away from your eye. Your finger must be right on the rim of the eyelid (too low and your lid will fold out), and the movement of the lid should be DOWN, PUSH IN the UP, nudging the lid margin under the lip of the lens, helping to break the surface tension- the lens should pop out easily.

5. Make sure you have a towel or similar placed in front of you the first few times you do this as the lenses tend to ping out and go flying!

Click here for to go to the SoClear website and click on removal for a video showing this method

If could simply can’t do either of these, the last resort is to use a ‘sucker’ (like a mini plunger for contact lenses). It is best not to have to rely on this method as you cannot guarantee you will have one on you all of the time:

Method 3: The Sucker Method

1. Wash and dry your hands.

2. Looking in the mirror, hold your eyelids wide open. Place the plunger part of the sucker towards the EDGE of the lens, coming in perpendicular to the lens.

3. Apply gentle pressure so the sucker ‘sucks on’, then gently lift the edge of the lens away from the eye. (Tip: give the sucker a gentle ‘wiggle’ first will help loosen the lens).

4. DO NOT place the sucker on the centre of the lens and pull, as this will NOT break the surface tension and may hurt.

Finally, DON’T PANIC if your lens has slipped off your cornea- it is too large to go under your eyelid, and will usually only slip to the left or the right of your cornea. The easiest way to take the lens out if this happens is with a lens sucker.

If you don’t have a sucker, place your finger on your eyelid adjacent to the displaced lens, and look toward the lens- it should pop into place on your cornea.

If for any reason you just cannot get the lens out, again please don’t panic- if this happens at night, put some re-wetting drops in to your eye (or some saline) and simply sleep with the lens in. Go to your Optometrist in the morning for assessment. This should never happen if you have practiced insertion and removal before you leave your Optometrists practice.

SoClear Cleaning Routine:

1. On removal place the lens bowl side up in the palm of your hand with one or two drops of daily contact lens cleaner (e.g. MiraFlow).

2. Give both sides of the lens a few rubs using a finger of the opposite hand. This will remove any surface deposits.

3. Rinse the lens well with your recommended solution, or saline, to remove the daily contact lens cleaner.

4. Whilst not in use store the lens in a closed clean contact lens case submerged in your recommended solution.

5. To insert the lens place a few drops of preservative-free Saline (e.g. Lens Plus) into the lens bowl as described above.

Wearing Times:

Whether you are new to contact lens or an ‘old pro’, it is advisable to take it slowly when you first take home your new SoClear lenses. Over wearing the lenses too early can actually reduce your wearing time over the following few days. Your eyes need time to get used to what is essentially a large piece of plastic in them!

For you first few days, wear your SoClears in the evenings for 4-5 hours max, to get your eyes used to the lenses. Over the following days, you can increase this wearing time gradually by an hour or two each day. If your eyes start to feel like they’ve ‘had enough’ or become a bit red, remove the lenses and try again the following day.

Because SoClears are so breathable, there is no real ‘maximum wearing time’ (although you should never sleep in them!). Some people may be able to wear their SoClears for 18 hours without a hitch; some may need to take them out earlier. Everyone has different tolerance levels- listen to your eyes, if they feel sore or dry, or are beginning to look a little red, they are telling you they have had enough for the day.

Other Important Information:

1) Always follow a sensible routine, ideally at the same workstation. When inserting and removing your lenses, get into the habit of inserting/removing the right eye first, (or the left if you prefer), so you don’t get them mixed up.

2) Never take lenses out in poorly lit conditions.

3) Always put the plug in where sinks are involved!

4) Never take the lenses out in the wind or whilst in a swimming pool.

5) Carry a spare case with you at all times.

What Sort Of Problems Could Arise?

- Misty or Hazy Vision, particularly towards the end of the lens wearing time. If this occurs make a note of when it happens (e.g. indoors, when driving etc) and when/if it clears again. Make an appointment with your practitioner to get advice.

- Red eyes after wearing lenses. This could be a normal reaction but is usually a sign that you are over wearing the lenses or that your eyes are dry. Make an appointment for a check up.

- Red eyes before you put the lenses in. Combined with yellow mucus, this could be an eye infection and should be treated by your doctor. You should consult your Optometrist before resuming lens wear and throw away open solution and case.

- White spot on the cornea and redness. This is likely to be a corneal ulcer and you should see your optometrist on the same day for advice. You may need referral to a doctor for treatment. If you can’t get to your optometrist, go to the nearest eye casualty. Stop lens wear immediately.

- Frequent red eye reactions. This could be caused by an allergy or a toxic reaction to your solution. Consult your Optometrist.

Serious Potential Problems:

Corneal infection
Severe corneal ulcers caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or acanthamoeba. This can result from licking your lenses, storing your lenses in tap water, not washing your hands before touching your lenses, and sleeping in your lenses. The symptoms include extreme sharp pain, redness, watering, sensitivity to light, and blurring of vision. If you experience any of these symptoms you should come in to the practice immediately or preferably go to Eye Casualty.

Serious corneal abrasion
This can result from careless insertion/removal of the lens, from a foreign body caught between your eyes and the lens, or from inserting a lens that has not had a peroxide-based cleaning solution rinsed off/neutralised properly. The eye will feel scratchy and sore, probably quite red and watery too. You should remove the lens and come into the practice as soon as possible. It is important to stress that these problems can occur with any type of lens, but are rare. Figures from eye hospitals suggest that the incidence of serious damage to the eye from contact lenses is about 1 in 100,000. Obviously it pays to be careful and if you are worried about any suspicious symptoms consults your practitioner urgently.

8 Golden Rules:

NEVER sleep in your SoClears

NEVER lick your SoClears! Yuk!

NEVER let your lenses get in contact with tap water!

ALWAYS wash your hands before inserting and removing your SoClears!

NEVER swim in your lenses without a mask or goggles!

ALWAYS keep your lens case pristinely clean and replace it every month!

ALWAYS clean and care for your SoClears as advised by your practioner!

NEVER wear your lenses if your eyes feel sore or are very red!

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