Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/28—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in composite wrappers, i.e. wrappers formed by associating or interconnecting two or more sheets or blanks
  • B65D75/30—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding
  • B65D75/32—Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2585/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D2585/54—Containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles of special shape not otherwise provided for
  • B65D2585/545—Contact lenses

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a contact lens storage container, and more particularly relates to a storage container for a soft hydrophiiic contact lens.
• Soft hydrophiiic contact lenses are generally manufactured from hydrophiiic polymer material, such as, for example, copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Depending on the composition of the polymer, the lenses may have a water content of from 20 percent to 90 percent or more. Such contact lenses must be preserved and stored in a liquid such as a sterile aqueous solution, usually an isotonic saline solution, to prevent them from drying out and to maintain them in a state ready for use.
• a liquid such as a sterile aqueous solution, usually an isotonic saline solution
• the base surface cannot usually be defined by a portion of a perfect sphere because the front of the human eyeball to which the base surface conforms is not perfectly spherical. Thus, the base surface cannot be defined by a single radius along its entire surface.
• a base curve equivalent radius is commonly used to approximate the radius of the base surface. The base curve equivalent radius is determined by a curvefitting calculation to derive an effective equivalent radius of the base surface from its complex shape.
• Typical base curve equivalent radius sizes in use today include 8.2, 8.4, 8.6, 8.8, and 9.0 millimeters, with 8.4 and 8.8 millimeters being the most common. These sizes are arbitrarily chosen within the range of sizes that fits most people's eyeballs. Any size within the 8.2 to 9.0 millimeter range, and even smaller or larger sizes, is suitable for at least some people.
• the commonly-used sizes are chosen to reduce the number of different types of lenses that must be manufactured and inventoried to an amount small enough to safely and comfortably fit the vast majority of people that may be contact lens wearers.
• the surface of the contact lens opposite the base surface is the front surface.
• the front surface typically has a more irregular surface than the base surface, as the variation in thickness of a contact lens that causes correction of vision is made relative to the base surface, which is sized to fit the user's eyeball.
• the front surface of a lens has three concentric areas, each having a different radius: a circular central optic zone, an annular outer edge zone, and an annular lenticular zone, and an annular lenticular zone between the optic zone and the edge zone. Due to the high refractivity of the contact lens material, the variation in thickness required to correct vision is slight (on the order of about 80 microns).
• contact lenses are typically identified according to base curve equivalent radius and optical properties, rather than according to their front surface shape.
• Known containers for storing contact lenses are known, such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,392,569; 4,691 ,820; 5,054,610; 5,409,104; 5,467,868; 5,474,169; and 5,609,246.
• Known containers ail include some sort of a chamber for holding the contact lens and storage liquid, and some sort of a cover for keeping the lens and liquid in the chamber.
• U.S. Patent No. 5,609,246 discloses a contact lens storage container having a chamber formed in two portions.
• the main portion of the chamber is dish-shaped or bowl- shaped.
• the main portion is sized so that it can accommodate contact lenses of various sizes, with a diameter of approximately 20 mm at the chamber opening and a depth of approximately 6 mm measured perpendicular to the plane of the opening.
• U. S. Patent No. 5,474,169 discloses a contact lens storage container having a cavity for receiving a lens and liquid, the lens base surface being placed on a post extending upward from a bottom surface of the cavity.
• the cavity is substantially larger than the lens, and is designed so that a thumb and forefinger can be placed into the cavity on opposite sides of the post for removing the lens from the container.
• U. S. Patent 5,467,868 discloses an ophthalmic lens package having a bowl with a radius of curvature greater than that of the front surface of a contact lens such that the lens settles to the bottom center of the bowl when placed in the package.
• lens inspection is often performed by visually detecting and observing each lens after placement in the storage liquid in the container.
• the container is made at least partially translucent so that the lens may be inspected through the chamber wall after the cover is placed over the chamber. Inspecting a contact lens in the chamber, whether one of the hydrogel lenses described above or a conventional lens, may be difficult or impossible if the lens is curled or inverted.
• Typical prior art contact lens containers have chambers substantially larger than the lenses. Thus, locating a clear contact lens in a clear storage solution within the chamber may be difficult during manufacture, inspection, or use by the user, especially if the lens has moved away from the bottom of the chamber. For example, inspection of a contact lens may be impossible if the lens is not at the chamber bottom. Also, a user may have to feel around the chamber with a finger to locate the contact lens, which could possibly lead to inadvertent loss or tearing of the lens in some situations.
• Still another object of the present invention is to provide a contact lens storage container that prevents curling or inversion of contact lenses once placed within the container.
• Still another object of the present invention is to provide a contact lens storage container that holds a contact lens in a specific location within a container for easy location during manufacture or inspection, or during use by a consumer.
• a container for storing a contact lens in a liquid, the contact lens having a base surface defining a base curve equivalent radius and a front surface.
• the container includes a base portion and a bowl portion formed integral with the base portion for containing the liquid and the contact lens.
• the bowl portion includes a lens seating section having an inner surface defined by a radius sized from slightly larger than to equal to the base curve equivalent radius so that the front surface of the contact lens removably adheres to the inner surface.
• Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the contact lens storage container of Fig. 1;
• Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the contact lens storage container of Fig. 1 with a cover attached to the upper surface of the base portion of the container;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view of the contact lens storage container of Fig. 1 taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 1 ;
• a contact lens storage container for storing a contact lens 1 in a liquid.
• the preferred embodiment of container 10 includes a receptacle 12 having a base portion 14 and a bowl portion 16.
• Base portion 14 is substantially planar and may have an irregular edge 18.
• Bowl portion 16 preferably is defined by two radii, as will be described below.
• Wall 20 extends substantially perpendicular to base portion 14.
• Wall 20 includes grip portions 22 formed on inwardly curving portions of edge 18.
• Grip portions 22 may have surface irregularities 24, such as the ridges shown in the Figures, for preventing slippage out of a user's hand while handling receptacle 12.
• Other types of irregularities 24, such as grooves or a surface texture, may also be employed.
• Lens 1 includes a lens front surface 50 and a lens base surface 52. Neither of the two lens surfaces 50 or 52 are necessarily perfectly spherical, for the reasons discussed above. However, lens base surface 52 can be approximated by lens base curve equivalent radius 54.
• lens seating section inner surface radius 42 is sized from slightly larger than to equal to base curve equivalent radius 54.
• base curve equivalent radius 54 is from about ninety percent to about one hundred percent of the lens seating section inner surface radius 42.
• typical base curve equivalent radius sizes are from about 8.2 to 9.0 mm. More typical base curve equivalent radius sizes are from about 8.4 mm to about 8.8 mm, with either 8.4, 8.6, or 8.8 mm being the most commonly used sizes.
• inner surface radius 42 should be about 9.0 mm to accommodate the lenses of the typical sizes manufactured.
• a 9.0 millimeter radius on the lens seating section inner surface 40 ensures that the base curve equivalent radius 54 of lens 1 will be slightly smaller than or about the same size as the lens seating section inner surface radius 42 of 8.4 mm to 8.8 mm lenses.
• Making the lens seating section 38 of bowl portion 16 have dimensions approximating the base curve equivalent radius 54 allows at least a portion of front surface 50 of lens 1 to removably adhere to inner surface 40 of lens seating section 38 as lens 1 sits in liquid 56 in bowl portion 16. Although not wished to be bound by any theory, it is believed that the adhesion is caused by capillary attraction.
• the relative sizing of lens 1 and bowl portion 16 provides the benefits that lens 1 is more likely to be properly located, and is more likely to not be folded or inverted.
• such sizing prevents any rippling of the lens around its edge 78 that would occur if the bowl portion radius 42 were smaller than the lens radius 54. Reducing the possibility of such mislocation, inversion, folding, or rippling substantially reduces the occurrence of lens deformation, loss, or damage.
• optic zone 72 of lens 1 contacts and adheres to lens seating section 38. More preferably, optics is zone 72, lenticular zone 76, and substantially all of edge zone 74 adhere, with only the outer rim 78 and a small portion of edge zone 74 being spaced from lens seating section 38. It is possible that a 9.0 mm radius for surface 40 will be too large for some smaller lenses (e.g., some lenses with 8.4 mm base curve equivalent radii) or lenses with a high Rx value (+6.00 to +10.00).
• the 9.0 mm radius embodiment is merely one commercially preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• lens front surface 50 has a surface area of approximately 205 mm 2 , and the portions of surface 50 including optic zone 72, lenticular zone 76, and edge zone 74 have respective areas of 54 mm 2 , 67 mm 2 , and 84 mm 2 .
• the area of contact and adhesion between lens front surface 50 and lens seating section 38 is preferably at least about 54 mm 2 , and at least about 25 percent of the entire area of the lens front surface 50 contacts and adheres to lens seating section 38. More preferably, the area of contact and adhesion is between about 25 and 100 percent, particularly between about 40 and 100 percent, more particularly between about 50 and 100 percent, of the entire area of the lens front surface 50 contacts and adheres.
• lens seating section 38 In order to allow for efficient commercial production of containers suitable for various lens sizes, it is preferable to size lens seating section 38 so that rim 78 does not contact lens seating section 38.
• individually matched receptacles could be made that were perfectly sized so that edge 78 laid on lens seating section 38 but did not ripple.
• Such a receptacle would only be suitable for lenses of a radius matching that lens seating section 38 or smaller.
• an 8.8 millimeter radius lens seating section 38 should accept and seat all 8.4 and 8.8 millimeter base curve equivalent lenses.
• using a 9.0 millimeter size ensures that, in view of manufacturing tolerances and differences in lens shape, the most commonly used lenses (from 8.4 to 8.8 mm) will adhere by capillary attraction to lens seating section 38 across most of the lens front surface 50.
• Bowl portion outer surface radius 48 is larger than bowl portion lens seating section inner surface radius 42.
• outer surface radius 48 is about 10.0 mm.
• the sizing of outer section 44 of bowl portion 16 allows a user to more readily insert a finger into lens seating section 38 to thereby remove lens 1 from container 10.
• the larger sizing of radius 48 of outer surface 46 of bowl portion outer section 44, as compared to radius 42 of inner surface 40 of lens seating section 38, also beneficially prevents spillage of liquid during the filling process and afterward.
• a cover 58 may be disposed atop upper surface 60 of receptacle 12.
• Upper surface 60 extends along all of base portion 14, and is in contact with cover 58 which is shaped to cover substantially all of upper surface 60.
• Cover 60 seals lens 1 and liquid 56 within bowl portion 16.
• cover 60 is made of a sealing layer 62, an upper layer 64, and a foil layer 66 between the sealing and upper layers.
• Sealing layer 62 is made of , e.g., polyethylene and is heat sealed to a sealing area 68 of upper surface 60 of receptacle 12.
• Foil layer 66 is made of a metal foil and maintains liquid 56 within bowl portion 16.
• Upper layer 64 is made of, e.g., polyester and may include written information identifying the lens, maker, prescription, etc. Other layers may be used, and any combination of the above or other layers may be used within the scope of the present invention.
• Sealing area 68 surrounds outer section 44 of bowl portion 16 and includes a portion of upper surface 60 of receptacle 12.
• receptacle 12 is formed by injection molding.
• discontinuities on upper surface 60 should be eliminated or moved as far as possible from sealing area 58.
• gate 70 which is formed by the injection molding process, is located distant from sealing area 68 to preclude any interference with sealing of cover 58 on receptacle 12.
• bowl portion 16 has a thickness in a direction parallel to a given inner surface radius 42 of approximately 0.9 mm or more.
• the ratio of volume of bowl portion to surface area of the outermost circumference of bowl portion outer section 36 should be preferably 1.21 mm 3 / mm 2 . More preferably, the thickness is at least 1.0 mm and the ratio is 1.35 mm 3 / mm 2
• receptacle 12 is made of a polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and is preferably formed by injection molding.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Composite Materials (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
• Packaging Frangible Articles (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 1998
  • 1998-11-27 WO PCT/EP1998/007675 patent/WO1999027813A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-11-27 AR ARP980106033 patent/AR014045A1/es unknown
  • 1998-11-27 EP EP98962398A patent/EP1035784A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-11-27 AU AU17576/99A patent/AU1757699A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-11-27 JP JP2000522811A patent/JP2001524334A/ja active Pending
  • 1998-11-30 TW TW087119794A patent/TW369406B/zh active
  • 1998-11-30 ZA ZA9810922A patent/ZA9810922B/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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