Cleaning, conditioning, storing and wetting system and method for rigid gas permeable contact lenses and other contact lenses

A sterile aqueous contact lens wetting solution comprising:

• (i) water and at least one wetting agent for contact lenses, present in an effective amount for wetting and including from about 0.5% to about 2.5% polyvinyl alcohol and from about 0.5% to about 2.0% polyvinylpyrrolidone;
• (ii) a preservative consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than about 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol, the benzyl alcohol being present in an amount of from about 0.005% to about 1.0% benzyl alcohol by weight of the total wetting solution and a water soluble salt of EDTA present in an amount of from about 0.025% to about 0.5% by weight of the total wetting solution and from about 0.001% to about 0.20% sorbic acid by weight of the total wetting solution, for maintaining the sterility of the wetting solution;
• and
• (iii) less than about one ppm by weight benzaldehyde by total weight of said wetting solution.

A sterile aqueous contact lens wetting solution comprising:

• (i) water and at least one wetting agent for contact lenses, present in an effective amount for wetting and including from about 0.5% to about 2.5% polyvinyl alcohol and from about 0.5% to about 2.0% polyvinylpyrrolidone, by weight of the total wetting solution;
• (ii) a preservative consisting of from about 0.05% to about 1.0% high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol and from about 0.025% to about 0.5% trisodium edetate and from about 0.001% to about 0.20% sorbic acid, for maintaining the sterility of the wetting solution;
• and
• (iii) less than about one ppm by weight benzaldehyde by total wight of the wetting solution.

A sterile aqueous cleaning and storing solution for rigid gas permeable lenses comprising:

• water;
• a preservative component consisting of effective amounts of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of EDTA, for maintaining the sterility of the cleaning and storing solution;
• an alkylarylpolyether alcohol non-ionic detergent and an amphoteric surface active agent, present in effective amounts for cleaning the rigid gas permeable contact lens to allow wetting by a wetting solution;
• and less than about one ppm of benzaldehyde by total weight of the solution.

A sterile aqueous wetting solution for rigid gas permeable contact lenses comprising:

• (a) at least one wetting agent for rigid gas permeable lenses, present in an effective amount for wetting a rigid gas permeable contact lens;
• and
• (b) a preservative system consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, present together in effective amounts in said wetting solution for maintaining the sterility of said wetting solution;
• and
• (c) less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution.

An aqueous sterile contact lens solution comprising:

• water;
• optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of wetting agents, cleaning agents, salts;
• a preservative system consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol in an amount sufficient to preserve the sterility of the solution;
• and
• less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution.

An aqueous sterile contact lens solution comprising:

• water;
• optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of wetting agents, cleaning agents, salts;
• a preservative system consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in an amount sufficient to preserve the sterility of the solution;
• and
• less than about 1 ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution.

An aqueous sterile contact lens cleaning and storage solution comprising:

• water;
• an amphoteric surface active agent present in an amount of about 8%, an alkylarylpolyether alcohol present in an amount of about 2.33%, all by weight of the total aqueous composition;
• a preservative system consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol present in an amount of about 0.1%, trisodium edetate present in an amount of about 0.5%, all by weight of the total aqueous composition;
• propylene glycol present in an amount of about 2.0% by weight of the total aqueous composition;
• and
• less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total aqueous composition.

An aqueous sterile contact lens solution comprising:

• water;
• optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of wetting agents, cleaning agents, salts;
• a preservative comprising high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol in an amount sufficient to preserve the sterility of the solution;
• less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution;
• and
• wherein said solution is a wetting and in-eye comfort drop comprising about 0.1% benzyl alcohol, about 0.1% of a Vitamin A emulsifier, about 0.0196% Vitamin A Palmitate, about 0.5% polyvinylpyrrolidone, about 1.0% polyvinyl alcohol, about 0.27% hydroxyethylcellulose and about 0.1% trisodium edentate, all be weight of the total aqueous composition.

An aqueous sterile contact lens solution comprising:

• water;
• optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of wetting agents, cleaning agents, salts;
• a preservative comprising high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than a 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol in an amount sufficient to preserve the sterility of the solution;
• less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution;
• and
• an antioxidant for said benzyl alcohol wherein said antioxidant is a Vitamin A compound.

An aqueous sterile contact lens solution comprising:

• water;
• optionally at least one component selected from the group consisting of wetting agents, cleaning agents, salts;
• a preservative comprising high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol in an amount sufficient to preserve the sterility of the solution;
• less than about one ppm benzaldehyde by weight of the total solution;
• and
• an antioxidant for said benzyl alcohol wherein said antioxidant is a Vitamin A Palmitate.

A cleaning, storing and wetting solution system for rigid, gas permeable lenses comprising a nonabrasive sterile aqueous cleaning and storing solution and a separate sterile aqueous wetting solution,

• (a) said sterile aqueous cleaning and storing solution for rigid gas permeable lenses comprising:
• (i) a preservative system consisting of effective amounts of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for maintaining the sterility of the cleaning and storing solution;
• (ii) an alkylarylpolyether alcohol non-ionic detergent and an amphoteric surface active agent, present in effective amounts for cleaning the rigid gas permeable contact lens;
• and
• (b) said sterile aqueous wetting solution comprising:
• (i) at least one wetting agent for rigid gas permeable lenses, present in an effective amount for wetting;
• and
• (ii) a preservative system consisting of effective amounts of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for maintaining the sterility of said wetting solution.

A method of treating and caring for a rigid gas permeable contact lens with first and second nonabrasive aqueous solutions, comprising:

• (a) cleaning the rigid gas permeable lens with said first aqueous solution, which solution comprises:
• a preservative consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol and a water soluble salt of EDTA, present in an effective amount for maintaining the sterility of said first solution, an alkylarylpolyether alcohol nonionic detergent and an amphoteric surface active agent, present in an effective amount for cleaning the rigid gas permeable contact lens;
• and thereafter
• (b) wetting the rigid gas permeable contact lens with said second aqueous solution that comprises a preservative system present in an effective amount for maintaining the sterility of said second solution and at least one wetting agent, present in an effective amount for wetting the lens, said preservative system consisting of high purity benzyl alcohol having a benzaldehyde concentration of less than 100 ppm by weight of benzyl alcohol.