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Fluid Dynamics Seminar
Mon., Oct. 28, 2013,
2:30 PM
Cullimore, Room 611
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Dynamics of Human Tear Films: Wetting, Evaporation and Contact Lenses
Daniel Anderson
Department of Mathematical Sciences, George Mason University
Abstract
The human tear film is a complex, micron-scale thin fluid film that serves a variety of functions for vision and ocular health. For healthy eyes, the tear film is replenished during normal blinking. In unhealthy eyes, the tear film may drain, evaporate or break up too quickly and lead to discomfort and loss of visual function. During contact lens wear, the tear film is separated into two distinct layers - the pre-lens tear film between the contact lens and the outside environment and the post-lens film between the contact lens and the ocular surface. In this talk we explore mathematical models of pre-lens and post-lens tear films of a human eye. The contact lens is permeable and we model it as a porous medium. The thin film geometry allows the application of lubrication theory in order to derive an evolution equation for the tear film thickness. We focus on models that include evaporation and explore tear film break up dynamics on either the cornea or contact lens as well as depletion of the post-lens film from pre-lens tear film evaporation.