Polyvinyl alcohol derivatives containing pendant (meth)acryloylvinylic monomer reaction product units bound through urethane groups and hydrogel contact lenses made therefrom

An organic aprotic solvent insoluble polymer which is a derivative of a polyvinyl alcohol having a weight average molecular weight of at least about 2,000, containing an amount between about 0.5 to 90 percent, based on the number of hydroxyl groups on said polyvinyl alcohol, of an addition polymerization reaction product of (i) units of the formula ##STR9## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently straight or branched chain alkylene of 2 to 8 carbon atoms, arylene of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, a saturated cycloaliphatic divalent group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, aralkylene of 7 to 14 carbon atoms, or aralkarylene of 13 to 16 carbon atoms;

• n is 0 or 1'
• A.sub.1 is ##STR10## where R' is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• A is --O--, --NH-- or ##STR11## where R" is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• R.sub.3 is hydrogen or methyl;
• and
• R.sub.4 is hydrogen, methyl or --COOR.sub.5 where R.sub.5 is hydrogen or lower alkyl with the proviso that if R.sub.3 is methyl, R.sub.4 is hydrogen;
• and (ii) a vinylic monomer selected from
• (a) hydrophilic monomers selected from hydroxy substituted lower alkyl acrylates and methacrylates, acrylamide, methacrylamide, C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 lower alkyl acrylamide and methacrylamide, ethoxylated acrylates and methacrylates, hydroxy substituted lower alkyl acrylamide and methacrylamide, hydroxy substituted lower alkyl vinyl ethers, sodium ethylene sulfonate, sodium styrene sulfonate, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, N-vinylpyrrole, N-vinylsuccinimide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, 2- and 4-vinyl pyridine, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, (amino and quaternary ammonium)-(mono- or di-)lower alkylamino-lower alkyl(acrylates and methacrylates), and allyl alcohol;
• (b) hydrophobic monomers selected from C.sub.1 to C.sub.18 alkyl acrylates and methacrylate, C.sub.3 to C.sub.18 alkyl acrylamides and methacrylamides, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, vinyl C.sub.1 to C.sub.18 alkanoates, C.sub.2 to C.sub.18 alkenes, C.sub.2 to C.sub.18 haloalkenes, styrene, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 alkyl styrenes, vinyl alkyl ethers wherein the alkyl portion has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 perfluoroalkyl ethyl thiocarbonylaminoethyl acrylates and methacrylates, C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 fluoroalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, acryloxy and methacryloxy alkyl siloxanes, N-vinyl carbazole, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl esters of maleic, fumaric, itaconic, and mesaconic acids;
• or
• (c) mixtures of a and b.