Menicon Co., Ltd. announced that Menicon, Tohoku University and The University of Tokyo will commence joint research on the "Establishment of Fundamental Technology for Next-generation Contact Lenses and Contact Lens Manufacturing and Distribution" in April 2024. By bringing together the research expertise of Tohoku University and University of Tokyo and the contact lens technology of Menicon, it will aim to establish a fundamental technology to transform the industry with respect to the design of new contact lens materials and recycling of various plastic materials used for manufacturing and distribution of the contact lens materials. For details, please refer to the followings.

Background of the joint research: Tohoku University established the Research Center for Green X-Tech in January 2023 as part of the Green Goals Initiative, aiming to create an industry­academia co- creation and innovation hub that can solve social issues and business challenges related to the field of green technology through practical research using combinations of advanced technologies, including science, engineering, data science, and IT. Similarly, University of Tokyo established the Institute for Solid State Physics and the Synchrotron Radiation Collaborative Research Organization in NanoTerasu to promote research for the establishment of a recycling-oriented theory that helps academia lead industry­academia collaborative creation and accelerates academic fusion. Menicon has been working on the elucidation of structure­function relationship of contact lens materials by utilizing quantum beam sources at various facilities, including X- ray sources at SPring-8 and the Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Center and neutron sources at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, with the ambition of leveraging the results to achieve new material design.

On April 1, 2024, Menicon and Tohoku University will establish the Menicon × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Miru Mirai on the Aobayama Campus of Tohoku University. Additionally, the Institute for Solid State Physics and the Synchrotron Radiation Collaborative Research Organization of University of Tokyo will commence operations in April 2024. Future approach Bringing together the deep knowledge and research expertise of Tohoku University and University of Tokyo and the contact lens experience and technology of Menicon, it aim to establish in this joint research a fundamental technology that transforms the industry in the design of new contact lens materials and recycling of plastic materials used for manufacturing and distribution of the contact lens materials using NanoTerasu and the Co-creation Research Center as research hubs.

Menicon has recognized the need to pursue truth from scientific viewpoints in manufacturing sites through studies that explore the structure­function relationship of contact lens materials by utilizing sources at quantum beam facilities in collaboration with academia. In addition to the facilities used thus far, with NanoTerasu assuming membership in the Coalition, it expect to the utilize attractive, outstanding beamlines maintained at the facility to establish a system that drives industry­academia collaboration. Moreover, the construction of a digital twin for measurement and computation will be accelerated by not only performing traditional analysis-based research but also by fusing the precise actual measurements via the complementary use of quantum beams with computational science utilizing digital transformation as two wheels to achieve precise material design.

The amount of plastic containers used for the distribution of soft contact lenses is estimated to be approximately 40,000 tons per year. As the plastic materials for contact lenses represented by these containers are primarily used in medical devices, they undergo strict inspection measures to ensure the use of raw materials of high purity. In addition, BRIDGE research conducted under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment has confirmed that the recyclable plastic materials are extremely resistant to quality deterioration by heat, light, and pressure during production.

Therefore, efficient recycling of these materials will help establish a closed recycling system, which is expected to help meet the recent demand for CO2 reduction. In collaboration with the Circular Economy System Construction project team of the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) through BRIDGE, it will make further efforts to establish a closed recycling technology for plastics used in the process of contact lens manufacturing and distribution. At the same time, it will strive to build a society-wide environment-conscious contact lens distribution system by promoting circular economy activities that recycle contact lens containers on the market.

It will make the best use of the Co-creation Research Center and NanoTerasu to promote research on the recycling of the plastics represented by contact lens containers.