Colored contact lens and method for producing the same
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsHiroshi Katagiri, Tadao Kojima, Youichi Ushiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A contact lens colored with a poly(meth)acrylate-combined metallophthalocyanine compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein M represents a metal atom to which phthalocyanine can coordinate, R represents a halogen atom, m is an integer of 0 to 4, R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and A represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, a hydroxyC.sub.1-12 alkyl group or a glycerol group. The colored contact lens has sufficiently high fastness, so that the lens undergoes neither color change nor color fading even when it is sterilized by boiling.
Claims18
A colored contact lens comprising a polymer as a main component of the contact lens and a poly(meth) acrylate-combined metallopthalocyanine compound represented by the following formula (I) ##STR6## wherein M represents a metal atom to which phthalocyanine can coordinate,
- R represents a halogen atom or a bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- m is an integer of 0 to 4, provided that one of Rs in the phthalocyanine group represents the bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,
- A represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, a hydroxyC.sub.1-12 alkyl group or a glycerol group,
- and n is an integer sufficient to substantially prevent elution of the compound of formula (I) into the eye of the user.
A process for producing a colored contact lens, comprising the steps of:
- a) dispersing and dissolving a poly(meth) acrylate-combined metallophthalocyanine compound in a polymerizable monomer as a starting material for the contact lens to obtain a mixture, said compound having a formula (I) as follows:
- ##STR7## wherein M represents a metal atom to which phthalocyanine can coordinate,
- R represents a halogen atom or a bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- m is an integer of 0 to 4, provided that one of Rs in the phthalocyanine group represents the bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,
- A represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, a hydroxyC.sub.1-12 alkyl group or a glycerol group,
- and n is an integer sufficient to substantially prevent elution of the compound of formula (I) into the eye of the user,
- b) polymerizing the polymerizable monomer contained in the mixture to obtain a polymer, and
- c) processing the polymer into a contact lens.
In a process for producing a contact lens comprising the steps of a) polymerizing a polymerizable monomer to obtain a polymer;
- b) processing the polymer into a contact lens having a shape and curvature to fit over the cornea of an eye of a user;
- and c) soaking the contact lens in water or saline and allowing it to swell so as to form the contact lens with a water contact of at least 45%, said contact lens having a measurable average breaking strength and average elongation, the improvement comprising dispersing and dissolving with the polymerizable monomer in step (a) a poly(meth) acrylate-combined metallophthalocyanine compound represented by the following formula (I):
- ##STR8## wherein M represents a metal atom to which phthalocyanine can coordinate,
- R represents a halogen atom or a bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- m is an integer of 0 to 4, provided that one of Rs in the phthalocyanine group represents the bond with the poly(meth)acrylate moiety,
- R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group,
- A represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-12 alkyl group, a hydroxyC.sub.1-12 alkyl group or a glycerol group,
- and n is an integer sufficient to substantially prevent elution of the compound of formula (I) into the eye of the user,
- said compound of formula (I) being dispersed and dissolved in the polymerizable monomer in step (a) in an amount sufficient to form the contact lens with an improved average breaking strength and an improved average elongation and to impart color to the contact lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.