Contact lenses of high gas permeability

An optically clear contact lens having an oxygen gas permeability constant from about 1.5 to 20.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a shaped polymer consisting essentially of homopolymers and interpolymers formed by polymerization of at least one alkyl styrene monomer with 0% to 10% by weight, based on total weight of the polymer, of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer and 0% to 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer, based on the weight of polymer and plasticizer, said alkyl styrene having one or more alkyl substituents on the aromatic ring selected from C.sub.2 or higher alkyl groups which may be the same or different and in any of the ring positions 2 to 6.

An optically clear, non-hydrophilic contact lens having a gas permeability constant of at least about 10.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a polymer consisting essentially of the polymerization reaction product of 70% to 100% by weight tertiary butyl styrene monomer and, correspondingly, 0% to 10% by weight of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer, said percent by weight based on the total weight of the polymer, and 0% to 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer based on the total weight of polymer and plasticizer.

An optically clear, non-hydrophilic contact lens having a gas permeability constant of at least about 5.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a polymer consisting essentially of the polymerization reaction product of 70% to 100% by weight isopropyl styrene monomer and, correspondingly, 0% to 10% by weight of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer, said percent by weight based on the total weight of the polymer, and 0% to 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer based on the total weight of polymer and plasticizer.

A button adapted to be formed into a contact lens comprising a shaped polymer having an oxygen gas permeability of at least 1.5.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising homopolymers and interpolymers formed by the polymerization of monomers comprising at least one styrene monomer having at least one C.sub.2 or higher alkyl substituent on the aromatic ring with from 0% to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer, of at least one compatible monoolefinically unsaturated polymerizable monomer, and from 0% to about 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer, of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer.

An optically clear button adapted to be machined into an optically clear, non-hydrophilic contact lens having a gas permeability constant from about 1.5 to 20.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a polymer consisting essentially of homopolymers and interpolymers formed by polymerization of at least one alkyl styrene monomer with 0% to about 10% by weight, based on total weight of the polymer, of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer and 0% to about 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer, based on the weight of polymer and plasticizer, said alkyl styrene having one or more alkyl substituents on the aromatic ring selected from C.sub.2 or higher alkyl groups which may be the same or different and in any of the ring positions 2 to 6.

An optically clear button adapted to be machined to an optically clear, non-hydrophilic contact lens having a gas permeability of at least about 10.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a polymer consisting essentially of the polymerization reaction product of 70% to 100% by weight tertiary butyl styrene monomer and, correspondingly, about 0% to about 10% by weight of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer, said percent by weight based on the total weight of the polymer, and about 0% to 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer based on the total weight of polymer and plasticizer.

An optically clear button adapted to be machined to an optically clear, non-hydrophilic contact lens having a gas permeability of at least about 5.times.10.sup.-11 (ml (O.sub.2) cm.sup.2 /sec ml mm Hg) comprising a polymer consisting essentially of the polymerization reaction product of 70% to 100% by weight isopropyl styrene monomer and, correspondingly, about 0% to about 10% by weight of at least one compatible cross-linking monomer, said percent by weight based on the total weight of the polymer, and about 0% to about 20% by weight of at least one compatible plasticizer based on the total weight of polymer and plasticizer.