Hydrolens / Hydrofit Sphere Clear STD – Cantor Barnard
Hydrolens and Hydrofit by Cantor Barnard are medical soft contact lenses manufactured using precision Lathe-Cut technology and designed to provide customized optical correction for patients with Myopia or Hyperopia.
The lenses use:
Spherical Blended Bi-Curve Front and Back Surfaces
to provide a smooth transition between the central optical zone and the lens periphery, helping achieve stable and comfortable fitting when the appropriate Base Curve and Diameter are selected.
Delivery Time
The lenses are supplied within a maximum period of:
30 to 60 days
from the date the order is confirmed.
Hydrolens
Hydrolens offers a particularly wide range of fitting parameters and materials.
It can be manufactured with:
- Base Curves from 6.60 to 10.40 mm
- Diameters from 11.00 to 20.00 mm
- Powers up to ±30.00D within the standard published range
Cantor Barnard optimizes each prescription with consideration for:
- Lens thickness
- Ease of handling
- Oxygen permeability
- Material
- Lens dimensions
- Prescription requirements
Hydrofit
Hydrofit is also a precision Lathe-Cut soft lens, but it uses a more defined system of standard fitting parameters.
It is designed for:
Daily Wear
and may last for up to:
6 months
according to the company’s published information and the recommendation of the eye care professional.
Hydrofit is available in three main Diameter groups, each with specified Base Curve options, and supports powers up to:
±30.00D
What Does Sphere / Clear / STD Mean?
In practical product-order terminology:
Sphere
A spherical optical prescription without:
It is designed primarily to correct:
Clear
A transparent lens without a cosmetic color tint.
STD
Cantor Barnard does not appear to publish Sphere / Clear / STD as a formal commercial product name.
In an order specification, STD is most reasonably treated as:
Standard
meaning the standard design without additional options such as:
- EV Aberration Control
- Cosmetic Tint
- Other specialized enhancements
Recommended technical description:
Standard Clear Spherical Soft Lens
If STD appears on a supplier price list or invoice, it is better retained as an:
Order Specification
rather than presented as a medical feature.
Key Features
- Medical soft contact lens
- Precision Lathe-Cut manufacturing
- Spherical design
- Spherical blended bi-curve front surface
- Spherical blended bi-curve back surface
- Clear option without cosmetic tint
- Custom-made to prescription
- Suitable for Myopia
- Suitable for Hyperopia
- Wide power range up to ±30.00D
- Higher powers may be available depending on manufacturing capabilities
- Multiple materials with different water contents and oxygen permeability values
- Daily Wear
- Manufactured in the United Kingdom by Cantor Barnard
- Prescribed and fitted by an eye care professional
Suitable Applications
The spherical version is primarily used to correct:
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Higher spherical prescriptions that may not be readily available in standard stock lenses
- Cases requiring a customized Base Curve
- Cases requiring a customized Diameter
- Cases requiring a specific lens material or water content according to ocular needs
Hydrolens and Hydrofit are not the primary Cantor Barnard designs for:
Astigmatism
For prescriptions requiring Cylinder and Axis correction, Cantor Barnard offers the dedicated:
Hydrocyl Toric
design.
Hydrolens Specifications
Specification | Value |
|---|
Lens Type | Custom Soft Sphere |
Base Curve | 6.60–10.40 mm |
BC Steps | 0.10 mm |
Diameter | 11.00–20.00 mm |
Diameter Steps | 0.50 mm |
SiH Maximum Diameter | 18.00 mm |
Power | -30.00D to +30.00D |
Power Steps | 0.25D |
Higher Powers | May be available |
Water Content | According to material |
Dk | According to material |
Centre Thickness | According to prescription |
Wear | Daily Wear |
Maximum Modality | Up to 12 months according to the current booklet |
Hydrolens Materials
The current Cantor Barnard booklet, Issue 2 – January 2026, lists five material options:
Product | Material | Water Content | Published Dk |
|---|
Hydrolens 38 | Contaflex / Filcon 1 | 38% | 8 |
Hydrolens GMA | GM Advance / Acofilcon A | 58% | 25 |
Hydrolens 67 | Contaflex / Filcon 2 | 67% | 37 |
Hydrolens 77 | Contaflex / Filcon 2 | 77% | 46 |
Hydrolens SiH | Definitive / Safrofilcon 5B | 65% | 62 |
Important Parameter Note
Cantor Barnard states that available combinations of:
Base Curve × Diameter
may vary depending on the selected material.
Therefore, not every material should automatically be displayed with every possible Base Curve and Diameter combination.
Hydrolens SiH
The Silicone Hydrogel version is:
Definitive 65% SiH – Safrofilcon 5B
Published oxygen permeability:
Dk 62
Maximum published Diameter for this material:
18.00 mm
Among the current published Hydrolens materials, this is the option with the highest listed Dk.
Hydrolens Design
Cantor Barnard lists the following design characteristics:
- Spherical Blended Bi-Curve Front Surface
- Spherical Blended Bi-Curve Back Surface
- Lathe-Cut Manufacturing
- Visibility Tints
- Pastel Tints
- Opaque Tints in 67% material only
Graduated Aspheric Lenticular Zone
Hydrolens also uses a:
Graduated Aspheric Lenticular Zone
designed to help reduce lens thickness across different prescription powers while supporting:
- Easier handling
- Improved oxygen transmission
EV Aberration Control
An optional:
Cantor Barnard EV Aberration Control
may be added to Hydrolens.
Cantor Barnard describes EV as a:
Single Vision Enhancement
designed to reduce the effects of optical aberrations and improve visual clarity and stability at near and distance, particularly under less-than-ideal lighting or contrast conditions.
This is an optional enhancement and should not automatically be considered part of:
Sphere / Clear / STD
unless specifically included in the order.
Hydrofit Specifications
Hydrofit has a more specific fitting range:
Diameter | Available Base Curves |
|---|
13.00 mm | 7.50 / 7.80 / 8.10 mm |
13.75 mm | 8.10 / 8.40 / 8.70 mm |
14.50 mm | 8.50 / 8.80 / 9.10 mm |
Power range:
-30.00D to +30.00D
Power steps:
0.25D
Higher powers:
May be available on request
Hydrofit Materials
Material | Scientific / Material Name | Water Content | Published Dk |
|---|
Contaflex 38 | Filcon 1 | 38% | 8 |
GM Advance | Acofilcon A | 58% | 25 |
Contaflex 67 | Filcon 2 | 67% | 37 |
Hydrofit Replacement Schedule
Cantor Barnard describes Hydrofit as a:
Lathe-Cut lens designed to last up to 6 months
with the actual replacement interval determined by the eye care professional.
Recommended product wording:
Replacement: Up to 6 months, according to eye care professional assessment.
Clear Option
The Clear version means that no cosmetic tint is added to alter the appearance of the iris.
Cantor Barnard also offers other tinting options across its ranges, including:
- Handling / Visibility Tint
- Pastel Tint
- Reactive Dye Tints
- Opaque Tint in selected materials
However, for a product specified as:
Clear
it is best presented as a transparent lens without any promise of cosmetic color or tint.
Vision Type
Recommended classification:
Vision Type: Single Vision
The spherical Hydrolens / Hydrofit version is not Multifocal.
Fitting Guidance
Cantor Barnard’s Hydro Range fitting guidance recommends first performing:
- Full Refraction
- Eye Examination
- Keratometry
- HVID measurement
- Diameter selection
- Base Curve selection
- Power adjustment for BVD when required
Diameter Selection
Cantor Barnard recommends an initial starting point of:
Diameter = HVID + 2.00 to 3.00 mm
The final Diameter is then adjusted according to:
- Coverage
- Centration
- Actual lens movement
Settling Time
After lens insertion:
Allow approximately 30 minutes
before the final fitting assessment.
Then evaluate:
- Comfort
- Centration
- Coverage
- Edge behavior
- Movement with blink
- Push-Up Test
- Over-Refraction
Good Fit
A good fit is generally characterized by:
- Good comfort
- Good centration
- Full limbal coverage in all directions of gaze
- Stable edge
- Appropriate movement with blinking
- Easy movement during the Push-Up Test
- Good return to the central position
Steep Fit
A steep fit may show:
- Good initial comfort
- Very little or no movement
- Difficulty moving the lens during the Push-Up Test
- Slow return to the central position
- Conjunctival indentation
- Blanching at the edge
The fitting may require:
- A flatter Base Curve
- Diameter adjustment
according to professional assessment.
Flat Fit
A flat fit may show:
- Discomfort
- Poor centration
- Inadequate coverage
- Excessive movement
- Edge Stand-Off
- Fluting
- Excessively easy movement without appropriate return to the center
The fitting may require:
- A steeper Base Curve
- Diameter adjustment
Wearing Schedule
Hydrolens and Hydrofit are classified as:
Daily Wear
They are not intended for routine overnight wear.
The eye care professional determines:
- Daily wearing hours
- Appropriate replacement interval
Published maximum replacement guidance differs between the two ranges:
- Hydrolens: Up to 12 months maximum
- Hydrofit: Designed to last up to approximately 6 months
Lens Care Instructions
- Wash and dry hands thoroughly before touching the lens
- Check that the lens is clean and undamaged before insertion
- Use a care solution intended for soft contact lenses
- Clean and disinfect lenses according to the solution instructions and professional recommendation
- Use fresh solution every time
- Do not use saliva to clean or wet the lens
- Do not use tap water to clean the lens or lens case
- Keep the lens case clean and replace it regularly
- Do not use a torn, cracked, or damaged lens
- Do not share lenses with another person
- Remove the lens immediately if pain, redness, or blurred vision develops
Cantor Barnard’s current instructions classify its soft lenses as:
Reusable medical devices for a single patient
and emphasize that they should be prescribed and monitored by an eye care professional.
Important Warnings
Hydrolens / Hydrofit Sphere Clear STD is a medical soft contact lens manufactured according to the prescription and measurements of the eye. Its fitting parameters and material should be selected by an eye care professional.
The lens is intended for:
Daily Wear
and should not be worn during sleep unless specifically permitted by the eye care professional and the applicable lens instructions.
Stop using the lens and consult an eye care professional if you experience:
- Eye pain
- Persistent redness
- Discharge
- Light sensitivity
- Reduced or blurred vision
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