Anti-bacterial, insoluble, metal-chelating polymers

A soft contact lens which comprises a water-swollen gel of a polymer prepared by polymerizing one or more hydrophilic monomers, one or more cross-linking monomers, and a monomer that contains metal-chelating functionality, wherein the monomer that contains metal-chelating functionality is an amide of (a) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, or ethylene glycol bis(a-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and (b) an aminoalkyl acrylamide or methacrylamide.

A soft contact lens which comprises a water-swollen gel of a polymer prepared by polymerizing one or more hydrophilic monomers, one or more cross-linking monomers, and a monomer that contains metal-chelating functionality, wherein the monomer that contains metal chelating functionality is (meth)acrylatohydroxamic acid.

Process which comprises the steps of:

• (a) reacting ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid anhydride or diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid anhydride with an aminoalkyl(meth)acrylamide in a C.sub.1-6 alkanol reaction medium for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to produce an addition product comprising an amide of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid or diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid and said aminoalkyl(meth) acrylamide, and wherein the free carboxyl groups of said addition product are converted to C.sub.1-6 alkyl ester groups;
• and
• (b) recovering said addition product.

A sort contact lens Which comprises a water-swollen gel of a polymer prepared by polymerizing one or more hydrophilic monomers, one or more cross-linking monomers, and a monomer that contains iron-chelating functionality wherein the monomer that contains iron-chelating functionality is an ester of (a) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, or ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and (b) a hydroxyalkyl ester of acrylic or methacrylic acid.

A soft contact lens which comprises a water-swollen gel of a polymer prepared by polymerizing one or more hydrophilic monomers, one or more cross-linking monomers, and a monomer that contains iron-chelating functionality wherein the monomer that contains iron-chelating functionality is an amide of (a) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid, or ethylene glycol his (2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and (b) an aminoalkyl acrylamide or methacrylamide.