Menicon and Tohoku University Complete SilicoSim Digital Simulation Platform for Contact Lens Materials

Menicon Co., Ltd. and Tohoku University announced the completion of SilicoSim, a digital simulation platform for contact lens material design developed through their Co-Creation Laboratory for Miru Mirai. The platform integrates advanced experimental characterization, including transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron science at the NanoTerasu facility, with multiscale computational modeling. This combination allows researchers to digitally reproduce relationships between nanoscale structures and functional properties in silicone hydrogel materials, revealing how phase-separated structures govern oxygen and ion transport. The scientific foundation is detailed in a peer-reviewed publication in Soft Matter (Royal Society of Chemistry) on May 26, 2026, titled "3D Morphology and Phase-Selective Transport in Amphiphilic Silicone Hydrogels." The project aims to accelerate data-driven material design and innovation in vision care.