Our aim was to develop an improved cell transfer system for delivering laboratory-cultured human limbal epithelial cells to the cornea, which would be low risk for the patient and convenient to use for the surgeon. We took a standard contact lens and developed a plasma polymer layer for coating this for attachment of cells to the lens and subsequent transfer of cells to the cornea. A range of plasma polymer surfaces were examined for initial cell attachment using three different combinations of human and rabbit epithelial and stromal cells, initially expanding cells both with and without bovine serum. The most promising surfaces, based on acrylic acid, were then coated onto contact lenses. Cell transfer from the lenses to the denuded surface of a 3D rabbit organ culture model was then used to make a second selection of substrates, which permitted reliable cell transfer. Primary rabbit and human corneal cells attached and proliferated well on acrylic acid-coated surfaces. Reliable transfer of primary epithelial cells from the coated contact lenses to a rabbit cornea was achieved by coating lenses with acrylic acid at 5 W/10 cm(3)/min and using cell densities of 1 x 10(5)/lens and above.