Your company is currently considering acquiring another company, which has as its primary product a new contact lens material. While the product is currently not in commercial development, representatives from the company comment that it is close to being so. Your job is to further explore this option to determine its viability. You have been told that the materials are primarily based on silicone but that there is a novel modification which minimizes protein and lipid fouling. Your role is to both assess the real potential of this product and to provide technical information on its potential for success to the economic people.
A) Describe the major technical areas involved in engineering a new biomaterial such as a contact lens. Are there differences with other biomaterial based products?
B) Give criteria by which you would assess the 'success' of the proposed design specifically related to the materials aspects of the device.