Participants: 307
Dates: September 21-26, 2026
Question 1: Idea vial size
Imagine a new preservative-free saline is going to be introduced. Due to the high cost of manufacturing they can only offer one size. If it were entirely up to you, what size would you choose: 5mL, 7mL, 10mL or larger than 10mL?
Question 2: Wish list
Would you like to share more about your "wish list" for a new preservative-free saline product?
Common themes in comments:
- Reducing waste (saline, plastic)
- More buffered saline options
- Standing upright
- Easy to separate vials
- Easy to squeeze
- Recappable
- Smaller sizes suitable for people who use one lens only
All comments (~150)
- Make sure it's buffered!
- Scleralfil in addipak style tubes in 5mL for people with one lens
- I use the Purilens 4 oz bottles now one every 2 weeks. I rinse my lens case with the saline daily and have plenty left over that I dispose of but like the minimal plastic that I have to dispose of.
- Make it with a reclosable cap in a bottle that is self standing
- Would like it if my Dr. would let me use one that did not require a prescription.
- I want individual 3mL or 5mL BUFFERED SALINE vials that can be CAPPED.
- 60mL is good for filling lenses. Not supposed to use it for more than 2 days so larger than that is wasteful. 2nd choice is 10 mL.
- I like the larger bottles over the Scerslfil simply due to the fact that I can get a nice “burst” rinse with increased pressure prior to insertion.
- Buffered saline in vials smaller than 10mL. As someone who only needs a scleral in one eye, the Scleralfil feels wasteful and I try to avoid recloseable bottles of saline for filling my sclerals.
- Ideally, the balance of cost, efficiency of use, and reduction of plastic waste would be perfect. :)
- If it can be used longer than 7 days, the bigger the better. If not, then nothing larger than 20ml
- Would wish for 7 or 8 ml, and definitely buffered. Thanks.
- Too much waste with the 10ml size.
- the 5 and 7 ml "individual use" sizes seem wasteful for packaging. If there is a safety reason that they are so small (2 to 3 uses per package) because of spoilage it would be nice to know that the smaller size is mainly dictated by safety/spoilage concerns.
- Wish it was Nutrifil
- I wish the small bottles had a cap that you could put on them I feel bad throwing them away when there is still solution left in them.
- Strong preference for vials that stand upright (like the sclerafil shape), so much so that I will buy bigger vials than I need just so it’s easier to put the vial down upright and then pick it up again for my second contact.
- It’s nice to have a 5ml to carry in your pocket should you need during the day
- I would use a 3ml, since I only use one scleral lens.
- I would like 5mL but my second choice would be larger than 10mL
- Easy to carry with ney
- Unfortunately something that is TSA approved
- I only have one lens, so smaller is better. But if I had 2 lenses, I might be interested in 7ml
- What if the daily lens filler liquid was also an anti-allergen formula similar to Pataday? I’m surrounded by cash crop fields. Harvest season and spring are miserable.
- I would like a flat bottom like Sceralfil and buffered saline. A reclosable top would also be good.
- A method of closing the scleralfil 10mL or for more larger options such as Purilens in 60mL. It is not sustainable, the cost, to throw out so much liquid. It physically and emotionally bothers me when I have to dump out liquid from scleralfil due to the high cost of all my eye care. As much as sterility is important, I need to be able to have something I can afford to use daily.
- I use Sclerafil and have always felt there was so much waste for the amount i need to fill my lenses. With 5ml I feel there would still be waste, but obviously not as much. 3ml, might be ideal.
- Something with a cap to reuse
- Smaller so it will fit into handbag for use away from home
- "I want something similar to/identical to Nutrifill back on the market that uses a phosphate buffer and has extra electrolytes added. Sometimes when I know I am only going to be wearing my lenses for a maximum of one or two hours I use the B&L Sensitive Eyes saline, which is preserved but phosphate buffered, and my eyes are extremely comfortable. (I know this isn't a good idea, but I do this less than once a month, and I feel bad about opening an entirely new vial just for a couple of hours.)
- If there were a Nutrifill clone on the market, I would feel somewhat less bad about opening a new vial just for a couple of hours because I know my eyes would be comfortable."
- If they are single use, I want a smaller vial.
- Smaller vials, I don't need a full 5ml each day and will leave the vial opened to use again the next morning
- Minimize packaging and ensure recyclability.
- Soothing ingredients... I use Scleralfil but my eyes still feel dry and irritated within a few hours on bad days. When I used my autologous serum as a filling solution, it was magical ...
- I like the 60 ml for travel and the 120ml for home use.
- 10ml is small for rinsing and inserting my eye print sclerals
- I would like it to sit upright like scleralfil but to have a drop size more like lacripure. And to be easy to pull apart and open, unlike inhalation solution. Sell in boxes of 70, or 105, or 35. The point is to sell in a supply designed to have about 5-6 more units per month than are required for strictly once-daily use.
- Some would like pf-saline to use as drops, would love it in a small single use resealable dropper like you have for others pf drops ex. systane or refresh etc
- I like to use my leftover to wet my plunger before I take my lenses out
- resealable and will stand up
- I only wear one lens. I use sclerafil over more than one day. It has worked so far but it doesn't reseal.
- I regularly use the 120 mL PuriLens Plus saline solution
- I like Purilens for filling my lens every day. I only wear one. Purilens works well for me. I don’t have severe issues with my eye. But if there was another alternative and a price competition that could be interesting. I use refresh PF as a lubricant during the day when I need an eyedrop for dry eyes. I like it very much so I don’t see a need for another product that size.
- container must stand up, size depends on whether it's resealable
- I wear scleral lens in only one eye so do not need larger size
- I think either a 7 ml or 10 ml vial would probably work best for me, but I would still try a 5 ml size vial. I am used to using 10 ml vials. With the 10 ml vials there is saline left over after I’ve inserted both lenses. There are times that I need to remove & reinsert a lens and I like that there is enough saline left over in the 10 ml size that I don’t have to open a new vial to reinsert the lens. But that occasional convenience wouldn’t keep me from trying a 7 ml or a 5 ml vial.
- Not to big to put in suitcase for travel but big enough to reuse with a cap. I like both sizes of Purilens for this reason. I use a lot of saline every day for prep or insertion of lens
- 10ml is just right for me most days with SceralFil. When I used to use other salines in 5ml I would always need 2. On a perfect day could I get away with 5ml, yes but I feel I'm not rinsing the overnight cleaner (ClearCare or Multipurpose) when trying to use only 5ml.
- It would be nice for there to 1 vial of NS I can use to either clean or put in my Prose without opening multiple vials
- If it is not reusable after 24 hrs, the smaller size works best. If reusable after 24hrs, I would prefer a larger size
- I currently use the Sclerafil 10 ml "single use" vials. Even though I seldom use more than a quarter of the vial for a single "insert", I often have to renew my lenses 3-4 times a day and therefore end up using the entire vial per day. I can do that because I work at home and am comfortable leaving the open vial in my medicine cabinet for that short period of time. On days when I'm out and about, I carry several of the small pink 3 ml unbuffered PF saline vials because they are in fact for me single use. However, I prefer the Sclerafil buffered PF saline and would really appreciate that or a similar product in a smaller size.
- would prefer a good substitute for Sereine Extra Strength Cleaner
- The small individual vials. They last longer, once you open the others, they are only good for a few days,
- I love how the Scleralfil vials stand up on their own.
- I think 60mL would be best.
- Certainly, in the first 3 or 4 months of scleral lens use I NEEDED larger sizes, but now, I usually waste at least half of a ScleraFill vial. Also, for the emergency kit I carry in my pocket, the smaller vials take less space.
- If they are preservative free, then they can only be used for a few days so a large quantity doesn’t make sense. I would say the size should be enough to rinse/clean rinse and disinfect your lenses twice a day. 120 mL only last about three days so for the sake of not using too much plastic that’s about the right size.
- Increase purilens size. It’s exceedingly expensive!
- Especially when people are first learning to insert and remove sclerals, 5 ml size is not adequate and results in frustration and waste. I wish I knew more about what factors may influence whether buffered or unbuffered pf saline is best for certain eyes. Purilens is definitely the most flexible. No waste if you need only a drop to remove a lens, plenty of solution if you need to rinse well and fill at the same time. Also, its threaded neck bottles may be curbside recyclable many places. In contrast, virtually NO individual vials are recyclable.
- I use the small (60mL) bottle of Purilens for my scleral lenses. I also use a little each night to help remove the lenses from my eyes. I still have some left over after 2 weeks. I think 45-50mL would be perfect
- Travel size. 5ml vials have yet to be called into question but one bottle would be so much easier than all the small ones
- A 10 mL vial of Scleralfil provides enough for me to clean the disinfectant off my contact, fill it for insertion, clean off my insertion tools, and also get it out of my eye in the evening and rinse it off before submerging it in Boston Simplus overnight, so that's a great size for me.
- I use scleralfill currently and it is usually too much liquid.
- I prefer a size which doesn't lead to wasted product. I usually get 2 fills from one Lacripure vial. That works pretty well for me.
- Scleralfil in smaller vials
- Make the vials with a flat bottom so that they stand up.
- Would like it to stand up.
- We need another unbuffered option. Buffering agents make my eyes sting.
- The price has to be reasonable for me to change. I would like the the ampule to fill 2 scleral lenses each time
- It would be nice if the 10 mil. bottle of sclerafil could be closed. Sometimes I use 1/4 the bottle other times I use the entire bottle depending on if mucus get inside my contact in the morning. Some days I use 1 bottle and other days 3 since I also use it to rinse them during the day.
- Ease of opening and using to rinse out eyes
- DEFINITELY BUFFERED AND STAND-UP LIKE SCLERAFIL!
- I use the large bottles of PuriLens at home and the small bottles of PuriLens when I travel. Those sizes are adequate for my use. I have tried SceralFil for rewetting the sclerals, but it seems wastefull to open a vial, use only a small portion, and then discard the rest. So I use Boston Rewetting drops for rewetting my sclerals.
- The cost of single use vials is higher than purilens 4oz bottles. I won't go through the 4oz in the shelf life of an opened bottle and the cost is drastically cheaper than any of the single use vials.
- Contains the same properties as Nutrifill: phosphate-buffered and with electrolytes,
- container/vial that can be recycled. Glass maybe? I know it's tricky but I feel bad attempting to recycle so much plastic and not sure if actually gets recycled.
- Best size depends on if it can be used again later. Put it in a dropper that can maintain sterility and be carried in your pocket, and make it 10ml.
- I would like something I could close up because when I am away from home I have to throw the single use vials away.
- 5mL single use vials - Lacripure, inhalation solutions (unbuffered 0.9% sodium chloride solution)"
- I choose this size because sometimes I have a bad day. Like when I have to reinsert or for what ever reason use more, this works. Do I throw some out every day-most days yes but to me worth it. But have to add that several years ago I did lose an eye so just working with the one now
- It would be amazing if there was a “travel size” multiple use bottle, 40-60ml, with a replaceable top. (Lid.) Also, whatever the chosen size is, the container should STAND UP, not have to lay on its side so it leaks out between insert to both eyes.
- I really like the Sclerafil container as it sits nicely on counter but often half of 10mL is wasted. 7mL is better, allowing for possible need to reapply 1 or 2 times if application fails, yet not wasting so much of it.
- My concern with a larger bottle is that according to messages I’ve received from this website is that the liquid is only good for 14 days, a larger bottle will go much longer than 14 days.
- Larger thank5mL if the saline can be reused (meaning has a reliable cap).
- better cap maybe resealable
- Early on I learned that smaller vials don’t equal cost or plastic savings. The large (Purilens) size bottles would be nice if it weren’t for safety considerations. I’m using Scleralfil currently and it works. However I really miss Nutrifill.
- Squeezable container, for those of us with weak hands
- When I am at home (not traveling) the large size is preferred. I use the small 5 ml or less when traveling.
- There is a desperate need for more Buffered saline options The 10ml Scleralfil is too large for daily use and leads to excess being thrown away. Purilens allows for rinsing and satisfies a larger quantity along with a small travel size. Making a 5ml saline would fill a nicht which is missing for Buffered salines. Additional wish is for manufacturer of said product to ensure safety and sterile procedures are followed consistently so they can stay in business and not have recalls or eliminate the product completely.
- The wish list size is travel-size (the extreme limit to go into carry-on), resealable, and comes in a 30+ day supply.
- Because I usually use saline for rinsing, I would prefer the larger bottle, however, travel sizes are always appreciated!
- The smaller sizes are ok and I understand the need for them to be kept sterile. But there is so much waste to throw away. Frankly, I don't throw the remaining away. I won't always use it to fill the lenses, but I do use the remainder either for rinsing or just basic eye drops. Surely in this age of technology and design, larger sizes could be kept sterile somehow.
- having a large bottle would help since I use PF saline every day to clean my hard contacts
- I think design is really important to me. The scleralfil bottle can be knocked over and still hold its contents decently well. Further advancements in this area would be welcome although I don’t have a specific idea.
- I just hate the plastic waste, but don't really see a way around that with being sanitary
- It would be nice to have a larger recloseable bottle for everyday (if it doesn't expire to quickly after opening, and the single use ones to take with you when traveling etc.
- I wish there was a source where the plastic vials could be sent to be recycled.
- I have a prescription with Amazon Pharmacy. I get my saline, 3 boxes, 5 ml, 100, for $27.50. That's the cheapest I've been able to find it. Amazon Pharmacy has been apain to work with. For some reason they were convinced the order was for 3 m vials. They did refund that payment and now agree the order is for 5 ml. I haven't refilled yet, finishing up the 3 ml boxes.
- I find 5 ml a convenient size, I got through about 3 inserting my lenses. I think 7 ml would also be convenient."
- Larger size with better pricing. All Scleral products are expensive.
- A cap that can be reattached if there is some left to use later that day.
- I only use half of the 10 that I get for a scleral And then have to throw Out the rest.
- I like the larger bottles (Purilens) because they are easier to use with thumb arthritis.
- 2.5 ml
- I’m a heavy rinser so the bigger the better. You can’t over rinse your lenses when trying to remove a MPS.
- I wish Purilens would come in a 3.4 oz size to be able to carry on. 2 oz is small! Also wish Clear Care would make travel size again. I do not use the PF vials but wish they were larger and closeable.
- Make sure it is made of recyclable material. Given the daily usage, that is very important to me.
- I used to use Nutrifill and now use Sclerafil and think that 10mL is an ideal size. It allows for rinsing lenses before insertion, refilling if there is an air bubble, and rinsing before disinfecting before bedtime.
- Able to stand up and also resealable
- I'd love a PF saline buffered with something other than borates or boric acid.
- As long as the saline does not have to be discarded in 24 hours.
- I prefer a bottle vs single use. The plastic vials are a waste of plastic and cost more than the bottle.
- Prefer 10ml less plastic waste. But I'll take 5 ml mil as long as I have enough for 30 days
- I like a vial that stands on its own independently
- I keep for 24 hrs. Discarding remainder.
- Would be nice to be able to put twist off top back on (like Refresh Celluvisc)
- 100ml - the max size for a carry-on bag on an airplane
- I wish Scleralfil was available in a 5ml size.
- Both a travel size and a large reclosable bottle is what i use and would like in the future.
- Easy to use dispenser/orface. Both 60 and 120 ml sizes. I use to keep my eyes hydrated and to flush gunk out of them.
- I only have one scleral, so a reclosable container is great for everyday use. However, when I fly, I like the smaller, 5-10ml sizes bc they are easier and they fly without any issues. (I don’t check a bag if possible.
- It has to sit by itself on the sink ledge and not fall over or need to be propped up somehow!!
- Currently, I use Sclerafil, and I squeeze it into a disposable, re-closable bottle so i can use it multiple times. It would be preferable to buy it in re-closable bottles
- Less plastic waste would be preferable. I like the 120 ml bottles for regular use and for travel. Thank you!
- a replacement for nurtifill
- "Most times I only need enough saline for the initial fill.
- It would be nice to be able to cap the bottle in case I need to refill my lenses, ie air bubble, something on the lenses, etc. Say to be used within 12-24 hours after opening."
- I would love to have something in a more biodegradable container - ?
- screw-on top so that is can be closed till needed again
- Square container with a pointed tip
- There are some contact lens cleaning machines that use pure saline. One is from a brand 3n REO2 --they might be based in Asia. I was wondering if the Dry Eye Shop will ever carry any similar products and if they will be reviewed by your staff. Thanks!
- 10 ML size is large enough to handle reinserting a lens because of bubbles. Ideally, I would like a vial have two characteristics. First, the vial should be flat on the bottom so it can stand up. Second, the vial's opening and design should enable a stream strong enough to rinse. Currently, I use ScleralFil but the vial exerts zero pressure on the saline to help rinse the lenses.
- Current one is often too small for what I need.
- Packaged in a way that it makes efficient use of space for example in the 1 quart liquids bag for travelling
- Have it widely available at retail stores
- I'd like scleralfil available in a smaller size so I don't waste so much of it.
- Another option for PF and buffered saline would be amazeballs! Provided they have two size options: 10mL, same ease of use as Purilens & another for “travel size” for my outer, suitcase, etc that comes in 5-7 mL
- I wish that PF saline products like Scleralfil or even Refresh PF Artificial Tears/Celluvisc were re-sealable. I realize, however, that the reason they aren't has to do with their intended single use nature. But I keep little 10 mL Scleralfil vials open on surfaces all around my apartment all day (table, desk, kitchen counter, etc). And they sit there open and exposed. It would be nice if I could re-cap them.
- Practically, for easier rinsing of lens. Like 10ml for filling
- Larger than 10ml so i can use it to rinse lens and not waste smaller sizes.I’d like a comparable replacement to Nutrifill
- I'm lucky to be able to leave my contacts in all day with no need for cleaning or refreshing, so I waste a lot of fill solution. I use only enough to fill my lenses, and a single drop in each eye before inserting & removal. So smaller is better for me.
- It pains me creating so much plastic waste.
- I assume these sizes are supposed to be in ounces? these sizes are teeny! I use PuriLens and would love to see it come in 3.4 ounces (100ml) - the max allowed for carry on air travel.
- I'd be concerned about contamination with a bottle larger than 10 ml.
- I would like a large reusable bottle of preservative free sailing solution. that would last at least four weeks.
- It needs to stand up, have an easy twist-off top or better yet, a resealable top (cost permitting).
- I miss NutriFill. The buffers in it seemed to work well for me. I use Simplus, so having enough solution to power wash the inside surface of the sclerals in addition to filling them is important.
- Less wasted product but enough for a do over if you get an air bubble on one side
- If the tube is larger, then make it possible for the tube to stand upright!!! I liked Nutaifil the best I use a small vial to stand up my tangible fill. I really want Nutrafil to come back online.
- They must be easy to pull apart.
- Wishing 5 and 7 mL bottles (esp of Scleralfil) had caps similar to Systane vial eye drops.
- I estimate I'm spending $6 to $8/day for just solutions, dry eye gels, etc. Cost reduction is the biggest issue. I've found I need buffered solutions.