The scleral lens market size was valued at US$ 257.96 million in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 373.94 million by 2030; it is estimated to record a CAGR of 4.8% during 2022-2030.

The report highlights prevailing trends and factors driving the market growth. The market growth is attributed to the expanding applications in ocular disorders and increasing technological advancements in lens design, which drive the Scleral Lens market size and growth. Additionally, customization and personalization of scleral lens is likely to emerge as a significant trend in the market during the forecast period. However, the high cost of scleral lenses hinders market growth during the forecast period 2022-2030.

Rising Incidence of Dry Eye drives the market in the forecast period.

The incidence of dry eye is rising among the population, especially in developed nations. Dry eye is caused by multiple factors that result in discomfort, irritation, and visual disturbance. For instance, in April 2020, according to a study "National Health and Wellness Survey" conducted in the US, ~16.4 million people were diagnosed with dry eye. The data also stated that the prevalence has increased by 2.7% among people aged 18?34 years. Additionally, the prevalence was 18.6% among older people. Based on sex, the prevalence percentage was higher in women (8.8%) than in men (4.5%).

The incidence of dry eye is the highest among the European and Asia Pacific populations. The Middle East & Africa also has an increasing prevalence of dry eye due to chronic health conditions and environmental conditions. According to an article published in 2019 by the Department of Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the incidence of dry eye is high among women. The primary cause of dry eye is the medication for glaucoma.

Scleral lenses are designed to vault over the cornea and gently rest on the sclera. Scleral lenses create a dome-shaped reservoir of fluid between the lens and cornea. This tear-filled chamber can provide a barrier that functions as a protective layer for the eye to help keep the eyes hydrated and prevent dryness-related damage.

Scleral lenses are manufactured from a gas-permeable material that enables oxygen to flow freely to the eye, which is important for keeping eyes healthy and comfortable. Scleral lenses can also be part of dry eye treatment. Patients can use them with artificial tears or optometrist-recommended solutions such as intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment to unblock meibomian glands. Thus, the increasing prevalence of dry eye is expected to drive the scleral lens market.

Eye care practitioners are prescribing scleral lens (SL) with advanced LZ designs to be the global scleral lens market trend.

The increasing prescription of scleral lenses (SLs) with advanced LZ designs is anticipated to be a trend in the global scleral lens market. Eye care practitioners increasingly prescribe scleral lenses (SLs) with advanced landing zone (LZ) designs. The Scleral Lenses in Current Ophthalmic Practice Evaluation study team designed an online survey for eye specialists attending a specialty contact lens meeting. The survey was conducted from November 8, 2019, to March 31, 2020. Demographic data and information on lens diameters, LZ designs, components of routine SL evaluation, and recommended care products were collected. According to the survey results, 715 participants responded to at least one survey component of interest. Most lenses prescribed (63%) were 16 mm or more in diameter. Lenses with toric LZs were the most repeatedly prescribed (48%), followed by spherical (40%), quadrant-specific (8%), and image-based or impression-based designs (3%). Most participants (61%) recommended hydrogen peroxide products for lens care. Nonpreserved saline in a single-use vial was frequently recommended to fill the lens bowl before application. Intraocular pressure was measured during SL evaluation by 45% of participants; 38% of participants routinely measured corneal thickness.

Most eye specialists recommend single-use vials of nonpreserved saline and hydrogen peroxide-based disinfection systems for application and lens care. As per the report, with differences in components of routine SL evaluations, clinicians may benefit from reaching a consensus on crucial components of SL evaluation.

Report Segmentation and Scope -

The "global scleral lens market" is segmented based on type, application, and end user. Based on product, the market is segmented into corneo-scleral and semi-scleral, mini-scleral, and large scleral lenses. The market is segmented by application into ocular surface disease, irregular cornea, refractive error, and others. By end user, the market is segmented into hospitals, eye clinics, and others.

By type, the scleral lens market is segmented into corneo-scleral and semi-scleral, mini-scleral, and large scleral lenses. The mini-scleral lenses segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is projected to register the highest CAGR during 2022-2030. Mini-scleral lenses are highly customized for comfort, optimum vision, and ocular health. Mini-scleral lenses are inserted with particular nonpreserved fluid beneath them, which stays trapped beneath the lens all day. These lenses are even of great advantage to those with dry eyes, as this trapped reservoir of tears beneath a mini-scleral lens can alleviate dry eye symptoms and help treat this often debilitating eye condition.

In terms of application, the scleral lens market is segmented into ocular surface disease, irregular cornea, refractive error, and others. The irregular cornea segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is expected to record the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Mini-scleral lenses are highly customized for comfort, optimum vision, and ocular health. Mini-scleral lenses are inserted with particular nonpreserved fluid beneath them, which stays trapped beneath the lens all day. These lenses are even of great advantage to those with dry eyes, as this trapped reservoir of tears beneath a mini-scleral lens can alleviate dry eye symptoms and help treat this often debilitating eye condition.

Based on the end user, the scleral lens market is segmented into hospitals, eye clinics, and others. The hospital segment held the largest share of the scleral lens market in 2022 and is expected to register the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2030. Hospitals encompass various medical facilities, ranging from community hospitals to large academic medical centers. They serve as major end users of scleral lenses. Multi-specialty hospitals offer treatments for various eye conditions; ophthalmologists treat thousands of patients with various eye conditions. Treatments are easily done in hospitals due to the availability of the best doctors and assisting staff; other hospital services have also been provided. The other services, such as reimbursement, cost of hospital stay, and others, are taken care of with less struggle for the patients. Also, the hospitals create awareness about all the diseases and their related symptoms. Thus, owing to these factors, the hospital segment market is likely to grow during the forecast period.

Additionally, developments by market leaders in this segment are likely to improve the market growth. For instance, in July 2020, Cerner launched CommunityWorks Foundations, a cloud-based Scleral Lens platform, to reduce the cost of traditional Scleral Lens systems in rural and critical access hospitals. Similarly, in December 2020, Amazon's cloud division introduced a new tool, Amazon HealthLake, for healthcare organizations to search and analyze data.

Art Optical Contact Lens Inc., Euclid Systems, Bausch & Lomb, Cooper Vision, Acculens, Solotica, ABB Optical Group, EssilorLuxottica, Optact International Ltd., and Valley Contax Inc. are among the leading companies operating in the scleral lens market.