Surface-treatment of silicone medical devices comprising an intermediate carbon coating and graft polymerization
AssigneeBausch & Lomb Incorporated
InventorsGeorge L. Grobe, III, Paul L. Valint, Jr., Daniel M. Ammon, Jr., Joseph A. McGee
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Abstract
The present invention provides an optically clear, hydrophilic coating upon the surface of a silicone medical device by sequentially subjecting the surface of the lens to plasma polymerization reaction in a hydrocarbon atmosphere to form a carbon layer, and then graft polymerizinga mixture of monomers comprising hydrophilic monomers onto the carbon layer. The invention is especially useful for forming a biocompatible coating on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
Claims21
A method for treating the surface of a silicone medical device comprising the steps of:
- (a) subjecting the surface of said silicone medical device to an oxidative plasma treatment;
- (b) subjecting the oxidatively plasma treated surface of the silicone medical device to a plasma polymerization reaction in a hydrocarbon atmosphere to foin a carbonaceous polymeric surface on the lens having a thickness of 50 to 500 Angstroms;
- and
- (c) grafting a mixture of polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising hydrophilic monomers onto the carbonaceous polymeric surface by means of a free-radical reaction, thus foiming a biocompatible surface on the medical device.
A device including a hydrophilic surface, wherein said surface comprises:
- (a) a first oxidized layer created by plasma treatment of the surface of the silicone medical device;
- (b) a second carbonaceous layer attached to the first oxidized layer (a);
- and
- (c) polymers grafted to the second carbonaceous layer (b) by means of free-radical graft polymerization, wherein said polymers arc derived from a mixture of monomers comprising hydrophilic monomers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.