WO2001046746A1 - Contact lenses incorporating auxiliary structures - Google Patents

Contact lenses incorporating auxiliary structures Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001046746A1
WO2001046746A1 PCT/US2000/032636 US0032636W WO0146746A1 WO 2001046746 A1 WO2001046746 A1 WO 2001046746A1 US 0032636 W US0032636 W US 0032636W WO 0146746 A1 WO0146746 A1 WO 0146746A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
lens
carrier
embedded
tint
contact lenses
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/032636
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2001046746A9 (en
Inventor
Jeffrey H. Roffman
David C. Byram
W. Anthony. Martin
Original Assignee
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. filed Critical Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
Priority to AU19368/01A priority Critical patent/AU1936801A/en
Publication of WO2001046746A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001046746A1/en
Publication of WO2001046746A9 publication Critical patent/WO2001046746A9/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
    • G02C7/00—Optical parts
    • G02C7/02—Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses
    • G02C7/04—Contact lenses for the eyes
    • G02C7/046—Contact lenses having an iris pattern
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B1/00—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
    • G02B1/04—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements made of organic materials, e.g. plastics
    • G02B1/041—Lenses
    • G02B1/043—Contact lenses
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
    • G02C7/00—Optical parts
    • G02C7/02—Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses
    • G02C7/021—Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses with pattern for identification or with cosmetic or therapeutic effects

Definitions

  • the invention relates to contact lenses.
  • the invention provides contact lenses that incorporate at least one auxiliary structure.
  • marks on a lens is desirable for any number of purposes, for example such as orienting the lens.
  • marks sufficiently large to be easily seen by the lens wearer may produce discomfort when the lens is worn.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, magnified view of one embodiment of the lens of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, magnified view of one embodiment of the lens of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, magnified view of one embodiment of the lens of the invention.
  • Detailed Description of the Invention and Preferred Embodiments It is a discovery of the invention that it is possible to provide soft contact lenses that are more easily handled, along with soft and hard lenses that are marked or tinted, by use of one or more structures embedded in the lenses.
  • Use of an embedded structure in a soft lens can stiffen portions or all of the lens to make it more easily handled than conventional soft lenses without adding discomfort for the lens wearer.
  • the embedded structures may also be used to incorporate one or more of tints or marks into a lens.
  • the invention provides a contact lens comprising, consisting essentially of, and consisting of a lens materials and a structure embedded within the lens material, the embedded structure selected from the group consisting of at least one beam-like structure, a tint carrier, a lens mark carrier, and combinations thereof.
  • embedded structure is meant a structure that is substantially encased within the lens material.
  • the embedded structure may be a beam-like structure that acts to stiffen at least a portion of the lens to facilitate lens handling.
  • beamlike structure is meant a structure that runs substantially from the periphery of one side of the lens to that of the other lens side.
  • Fig. 1 is an exploded view of lens 10 and exemplary beam-like structure 11 for use in the invention.
  • the lens of this embodiment is preferably a soft contact lens and the beamlike structure is made of any optically transparent material that is both compatible with the lens material and is of a sufficiently higher modulus than the lens material to impart the desired stiffness to the lens.
  • Suitable materials for use in forming the beam-like structure include rigid, or hard, lens polymers used in manufacturing contact lenses including, without limitation, siloxane polymers, acrylates such as polymethylmethacrylate, cellulosic polymers, carbonates, silicone acrylates, fluoroacrylates, perfluorinated polyethers, alkyl substituted acetylenes, and the like, and copolymers thereof.
  • the beam-like structure may be made from a soft contact lens material having a modulus higher than that of the material used to form the lens in which the beam-like structure is embedded.
  • the embedded structure may be a tint carrier.
  • tint carrier is meant a structure that is either itself tinted or upon which a tint is printed.
  • the tint carrier may be of any size or shape.
  • the tint carrier is located in the portion of the lens that will overlay the lens wearer's iris when the lens is on the eye.
  • the tint carrier may be made of any optically transparent material that is capable of being tinted and is compatible with the lens material used. Methods of tinting the tint carrier include, without limitation, reacting the carrier material with a tint to chemically bond the tint to the carrier. Alternatively, a tint may be printed onto the carrier. Suitable tints and inks for bonding and printing and methods for their use are well known in the art.
  • the embedded structure may be a lens mark carrier.
  • the lens mark carrier may be an optically transparent material compatible with the lens material upon which a lens mark is formed. Formation of the lens mark may be by any known method such as by laser or molding. Alternatively, the mark carrier may itself be in the shape of the mark desired to be imparted to the lens. In this embodiment, the mark carrier may be formed by any convenient method including, without limitation, molding the carrier into shape of the lens mark.
  • the mark may be any mark typically useful in contact lenses such as marks for indicating whether the lens is for the right or left eye, marks for indicating serial numbers, lot and batch numbers, and optical powers, marks for orienting the lens for inspection by quality control personnel, and the like and combinations thereof.
  • the embedded structure may provide more than one function.
  • the beam-like structure may impart additional strength to the lens, but also have a mark, a tint, or both incorporated thereon so as to function as a mark carrier, tint carrier, or both as well as a support structure.
  • a mark carrier also may be tinted.
  • the invention is meant to encompass any of the wide number of such variations that are possible.
  • Lenses containing the embedded structures may be made from hard or soft lens material.
  • the lenses are soft contact lenses made of any material suitable for producing soft contact lenses.
  • Suitable preferred materials for forming soft contact lenses using the method of the invention include, without limitation, silicone elastomers, silicone-containing macromers including, without limitation, those disclosed in United States Patent Nos. 5,371,147, 5,314,960, and 5,057,578 incorporated in their entireties herein by reference, hydrogels, silicone-containing hydrogels, and the like and combinations thereof.
  • the surface is a siloxane, or contains a siloxane functionality, including, without limitation, polydimethyl siloxane macromers, methacryloxypropyl polyalkyl siloxanes, and mixtures thereof, silicone hydrogel or a hydrogeL such as etafilcon A.
  • the embedded structures must be embedded within the bulk of the lens material to ensure wearer comfort. Therefore, use of embedded structures at the outermost periphery of a lens preferably is avoided.
  • the embedded structures may be introduced into the lens material by any convenient method.
  • the structure to be embedded may be first formed and then surrounded by lens material by inserting the structure into a contact lens mold half into which lens material is then dispensed, introducing the other mold half, and curing the mold assembly.
  • lens material may be dispensed into a mold half and partially cured followed by inserting the embedded structure onto the partially cured lens material, dispensing additional lens material, introducing the second mold half, and curing the mold assembly.

Abstract

The invention provides contact lenses that incorporate at least one auxiliary structure. The auxiliary structures of the invention may provide one or more of support, tinting, and marking to the lens.

Description

CONTACT LENSES INCORPORATING AUXILIARY STRUCTURES
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to contact lenses. In particular, the invention provides contact lenses that incorporate at least one auxiliary structure.
Background of the Invention The use of soft contact lenses for correction of visual acuity defects is widely accepted. However, soft contact lenses may be difficult for the wearer to handle. Attempts have been made to make soft lenses more rigid by use of internal disks made of a rigid material or use of a hard central area and soft, periphery. However, these lenses proved to be uncomfortable to wearers.
Additionally, attempts have been made to provide tinted soft and hard contact lenses that impart a color to the wearer's iris. These lenses are problematic in that tinting requires the addition to the manufacturing process of either a printing step or a step in which the tint is chemically reacted to the lens polymer and, thus, is inefficient.
Finally, the use of marks on a lens is desirable for any number of purposes, for example such as orienting the lens. However, marks sufficiently large to be easily seen by the lens wearer may produce discomfort when the lens is worn. Thus, a need exists for a lens that overcomes some or all of these disadvantages.
Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded, magnified view of one embodiment of the lens of the invention. Detailed Description of the Invention and Preferred Embodiments It is a discovery of the invention that it is possible to provide soft contact lenses that are more easily handled, along with soft and hard lenses that are marked or tinted, by use of one or more structures embedded in the lenses. Use of an embedded structure in a soft lens can stiffen portions or all of the lens to make it more easily handled than conventional soft lenses without adding discomfort for the lens wearer. The embedded structures may also be used to incorporate one or more of tints or marks into a lens.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a contact lens comprising, consisting essentially of, and consisting of a lens materials and a structure embedded within the lens material, the embedded structure selected from the group consisting of at least one beam-like structure, a tint carrier, a lens mark carrier, and combinations thereof. By "embedded structure" is meant a structure that is substantially encased within the lens material.
In one embodiment, the embedded structure may be a beam-like structure that acts to stiffen at least a portion of the lens to facilitate lens handling. By "beamlike structure" is meant a structure that runs substantially from the periphery of one side of the lens to that of the other lens side. Fig. 1 is an exploded view of lens 10 and exemplary beam-like structure 11 for use in the invention.
The lens of this embodiment is preferably a soft contact lens and the beamlike structure is made of any optically transparent material that is both compatible with the lens material and is of a sufficiently higher modulus than the lens material to impart the desired stiffness to the lens. Suitable materials for use in forming the beam-like structure include rigid, or hard, lens polymers used in manufacturing contact lenses including, without limitation, siloxane polymers, acrylates such as polymethylmethacrylate, cellulosic polymers, carbonates, silicone acrylates, fluoroacrylates, perfluorinated polyethers, alkyl substituted acetylenes, and the like, and copolymers thereof. Alternatively, the beam-like structure may be made from a soft contact lens material having a modulus higher than that of the material used to form the lens in which the beam-like structure is embedded.
In another embodiment, the embedded structure may be a tint carrier. By "tint carrier" is meant a structure that is either itself tinted or upon which a tint is printed. The tint carrier may be of any size or shape. Preferably, the tint carrier is located in the portion of the lens that will overlay the lens wearer's iris when the lens is on the eye.
The tint carrier may be made of any optically transparent material that is capable of being tinted and is compatible with the lens material used. Methods of tinting the tint carrier include, without limitation, reacting the carrier material with a tint to chemically bond the tint to the carrier. Alternatively, a tint may be printed onto the carrier. Suitable tints and inks for bonding and printing and methods for their use are well known in the art.
In yet another embodiment, the embedded structure may be a lens mark carrier. The lens mark carrier may be an optically transparent material compatible with the lens material upon which a lens mark is formed. Formation of the lens mark may be by any known method such as by laser or molding. Alternatively, the mark carrier may itself be in the shape of the mark desired to be imparted to the lens. In this embodiment, the mark carrier may be formed by any convenient method including, without limitation, molding the carrier into shape of the lens mark.
The mark may be any mark typically useful in contact lenses such as marks for indicating whether the lens is for the right or left eye, marks for indicating serial numbers, lot and batch numbers, and optical powers, marks for orienting the lens for inspection by quality control personnel, and the like and combinations thereof. One ordinarily skilled in the art will recognize that the embedded structure may provide more than one function. For example, the beam-like structure may impart additional strength to the lens, but also have a mark, a tint, or both incorporated thereon so as to function as a mark carrier, tint carrier, or both as well as a support structure. Similarly, a mark carrier also may be tinted. The invention is meant to encompass any of the wide number of such variations that are possible.
Lenses containing the embedded structures may be made from hard or soft lens material. Preferably the lenses are soft contact lenses made of any material suitable for producing soft contact lenses. Suitable preferred materials for forming soft contact lenses using the method of the invention include, without limitation, silicone elastomers, silicone-containing macromers including, without limitation, those disclosed in United States Patent Nos. 5,371,147, 5,314,960, and 5,057,578 incorporated in their entireties herein by reference, hydrogels, silicone-containing hydrogels, and the like and combinations thereof. More preferably, the surface is a siloxane, or contains a siloxane functionality, including, without limitation, polydimethyl siloxane macromers, methacryloxypropyl polyalkyl siloxanes, and mixtures thereof, silicone hydrogel or a hydrogeL such as etafilcon A.
In the lenses of the invention, the embedded structures must be embedded within the bulk of the lens material to ensure wearer comfort. Therefore, use of embedded structures at the outermost periphery of a lens preferably is avoided. The embedded structures may be introduced into the lens material by any convenient method. For example, the structure to be embedded may be first formed and then surrounded by lens material by inserting the structure into a contact lens mold half into which lens material is then dispensed, introducing the other mold half, and curing the mold assembly. As another example, lens material may be dispensed into a mold half and partially cured followed by inserting the embedded structure onto the partially cured lens material, dispensing additional lens material, introducing the second mold half, and curing the mold assembly.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A contact lens comprising a lens materials and at least one structure embedded within the lens material, the embedded structure selected from the group consisting of a beam-like structure, a tint carrier, a lens mark carrier, and combinations thereof.
2. The lens of claim 1, wherein at least one embedded structure is a beam-like structure and a tint carrier.
3. The lens of claim 1, wherein at least one embedded structure is a beam-like structure and a mark carrier.
4. The lens of claim 1, wherein at least one embedded structure is a tint carrier and a mark carrier.
5. The lens of claim 1, wherein the lens material is a first soft contact lens material and the embedded structure is a beam-like structure.
6. The lens of claim 5, wherein the beam-like structure is comprised of a optically transparent, gas-permeable polymer.
7. The lens of claim 5, wherein the beam-like structure is comprised of a second soft contact lens material having a modulus higher than that of the first soft contact lens material.
8. The lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one embedded structure is a tint carrier.
9. The lens of claim 8, wherein the tint carrier is located in the portion of the lens material that overlays the lens wearer's iris.
10. The lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one embedded structure is a mark carrier.
PCT/US2000/032636 1999-12-20 2000-12-01 Contact lenses incorporating auxiliary structures WO2001046746A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU19368/01A AU1936801A (en) 1999-12-20 2000-12-01 Contact lenses incorporating auxiliary structures

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US46716299A 1999-12-20 1999-12-20
US09/467,162 1999-12-20

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WO2001046746A1 true WO2001046746A1 (en) 2001-06-28
WO2001046746A9 WO2001046746A9 (en) 2002-07-04

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AU (1) AU1936801A (en)
WO (1) WO2001046746A1 (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2014006432A (en) * 2012-06-26 2014-01-16 Hikoyuki Konno Manufacturing method for correction contact lens and presbyopia correction contact lens
CN103969848A (en) * 2013-01-31 2014-08-06 庄臣及庄臣视力保护公司 Contact lens having peripheral high modulus zones
US9748604B2 (en) 2012-10-19 2017-08-29 The University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill Ion conducting polymers and polymer blends for alkali metal ion batteries
US9755273B2 (en) 2013-04-01 2017-09-05 The University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill Ion conducting fluoropolymer carbonates for alkali metal ion batteries
US10077231B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2018-09-18 Blue Current, Inc. Functionalized fluoropolymers and electrolyte compositions

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4071293A (en) * 1974-10-18 1978-01-31 Avery Theodore P Contact lens and method of making same
US4472327A (en) * 1983-01-31 1984-09-18 Neefe Charles W Method of making hydrogel cosmetic contact lenses
JPS6361225A (en) * 1986-09-02 1988-03-17 Toyo Contact Lens Co Ltd Production of lens for eyes
EP0265399A2 (en) * 1986-10-23 1988-04-27 Francesco Del Re A process for the production of ocular prostheses, scleral lenses and contact-lenses, and the products thereof
GB2217869A (en) * 1988-04-22 1989-11-01 Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved Contact lenses
DE4227514A1 (en) * 1992-08-20 1994-02-24 Van Dawen Dieter Lesko Visual aid for detached retina with macula oculi - uses raster of intersecting lines of specified length
DE4233383A1 (en) * 1992-08-20 1994-05-05 Van Dawen Dieter Lesko Sight aid for detached retina patients - uses division of sight field by spaced concentric rings of glass or laser engraving or embedding metal rings in lenses
WO1997010527A1 (en) * 1995-09-14 1997-03-20 The Regents Of The University Of California Structured index optics and ophthalmic lenses for vision correction
DE19850807A1 (en) * 1998-10-29 2000-05-04 Potsdamer Augenklinik Im Albre Artificial iris to simulate the human eye behavior as an implant or contact lens includes number of colored layers of biocompatible film incorporating elements for iris functions

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4071293A (en) * 1974-10-18 1978-01-31 Avery Theodore P Contact lens and method of making same
US4472327A (en) * 1983-01-31 1984-09-18 Neefe Charles W Method of making hydrogel cosmetic contact lenses
JPS6361225A (en) * 1986-09-02 1988-03-17 Toyo Contact Lens Co Ltd Production of lens for eyes
EP0265399A2 (en) * 1986-10-23 1988-04-27 Francesco Del Re A process for the production of ocular prostheses, scleral lenses and contact-lenses, and the products thereof
GB2217869A (en) * 1988-04-22 1989-11-01 Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved Contact lenses
DE4227514A1 (en) * 1992-08-20 1994-02-24 Van Dawen Dieter Lesko Visual aid for detached retina with macula oculi - uses raster of intersecting lines of specified length
DE4233383A1 (en) * 1992-08-20 1994-05-05 Van Dawen Dieter Lesko Sight aid for detached retina patients - uses division of sight field by spaced concentric rings of glass or laser engraving or embedding metal rings in lenses
WO1997010527A1 (en) * 1995-09-14 1997-03-20 The Regents Of The University Of California Structured index optics and ophthalmic lenses for vision correction
DE19850807A1 (en) * 1998-10-29 2000-05-04 Potsdamer Augenklinik Im Albre Artificial iris to simulate the human eye behavior as an implant or contact lens includes number of colored layers of biocompatible film incorporating elements for iris functions

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 012, no. 280 (P - 739) 2 August 1988 (1988-08-02) *

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2014006432A (en) * 2012-06-26 2014-01-16 Hikoyuki Konno Manufacturing method for correction contact lens and presbyopia correction contact lens
US9748604B2 (en) 2012-10-19 2017-08-29 The University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill Ion conducting polymers and polymer blends for alkali metal ion batteries
CN103969848A (en) * 2013-01-31 2014-08-06 庄臣及庄臣视力保护公司 Contact lens having peripheral high modulus zones
CN103969848B (en) * 2013-01-31 2019-05-28 庄臣及庄臣视力保护公司 Haptic lens with periphery high-modulus area
US9755273B2 (en) 2013-04-01 2017-09-05 The University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill Ion conducting fluoropolymer carbonates for alkali metal ion batteries
US10077231B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2018-09-18 Blue Current, Inc. Functionalized fluoropolymers and electrolyte compositions
US10227288B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2019-03-12 Blue Current, Inc. Functionalized fluoropolymers and electrolyte compositions
US10308587B2 (en) 2015-02-03 2019-06-04 Blue Current, Inc. Functionalized fluoropolymers and electrolyte compositions

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2001046746A9 (en) 2002-07-04
AU1936801A (en) 2001-07-03
AR031543A1 (en) 2003-09-24

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