Contact lens packing solutions
AssigneeBausch & Lomb Incorporated
InventorsAnil Salpekar, Stephen Ronald Tonge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to new and improved solutions for packaging contact lenses and to methods for treating contact lenses with such solutions to improve the comfort of the lenses during wear. In particular, the present invention is directed to packing solutions comprising certain non-ionic surfactants containing a poly(oxyalkylene) copolymer and having a molecular weight of 4000 to 30,000. Such surfactants are retained on the surface of an unused lens for extended periods of time, resulting in surface modification that persists in the eye, thereby providing significant improvement in the wetting properties of fresh contact lenses used for the first time and, moreover, even several hours after lens insertion, preventing dryness and improving lubricity.
Claims23
A method for packaging and storing a Group II or Group IV hydrogel contact lens, with a water content of greater than 50 weight percent, comprising, prior to delivery of the contact lens to the customer-wearer, immersing the contact lens in an aqueous contact lens packing solution inside a package and heat sterilizing the solution, wherein the contact lens packing solution comprises a sterile ophthahnically safe aqueous solution comprising:
- a) from about 0.005 to about 2.0 weight percent of a non-ionic surfactant that is a compound comprising at least 90 weight percent of poly(oxyethylene) and poly(oxypropylene) segments, in one or more block copolymer chains, wherein the weight average molecular weight of said surfactant is from about 4000 to about 30,000 and wherein at least 40 percent of said segments are poly(oxyethylene) segments;
- b) an effective amount of a tonicity adjusting agent such that the solution has an osmolality of 200 to 400 mOsm/kg;
- wherein the solution has a pH of about 6 to 8 and does not contain an effective disinfecting amount of a disinfecting agent.
A method for packaging and storing a daily disposable Group II or Group IV hydrogel contact lens, with a water content greater than 50 weight percent, which method comprises immersing a contact lens in a sterile ophthalmically safe aqueous solution and heat sterilizing the solution, said solution comprising from about 0.005 to about 2.0 weight percent of a non-ionic surfactant that is a compound comprising at least 90 weight percent of poly(oxyethylene) and poly(oxypropylene) segments, in one or more block copolymer chains, wherein the weight average molecular weight of said surfactant is from about 4000 to about 30,000 and wherein at least 40 percent of said segments are poly(oxyethylene) segments;
- wherein the solution has a pH of about 6 to 8 and an osmolality of 200 to 400 mOsm/kg, and contains no germicide compound.
A system for the storage and delivery of a contact lens comprising a sealed container containing one or more unused Group II or Group IV hydrogel contact lens, with a water content greater than 50 weight percent, immersed in an aqueous contact lens packing solution, wherein the packing solution comprises:
- a) from about 0.005 to about 2.0 weight percent of a non-ionic surfactant that is a compound comprising at least 90 weight percent of poly(oxyethylene) and poly(oxypropylene) segments, in one or more block copolymer chains, wherein the weight average molecular weight of said surfactant is from about 4000 to about 30,000 and wherein at least 40 percent of said segments are poly(oxyethylene) segments;
- b) an effective amount of a tonicity adjusting agent such that the solution has an osmolality of 200 to 400 mOsm/kg;
- wherein the solution has a pH of about 6 to 8 and is heat sterilized and lacks an effective disinfecting amount of a disinfecting agent.
A system for the storage and delivery of a contact lens comprising a sealed container containing one or more unused Group II or Group IV hydrogel contact lens, with a water content greater than 50 weight percent, immersed in an aqueous contact lens packing solution, wherein the packing solution comprises from about 0.005 to about 2.0 weight percent of a non-ionic surfactant that is a compound comprising at least 90 weight percent of poly(oxyethylene) and poly(oxypropylene) segments, in one or more block copolymer chains, wherein the weight average molecular weight of said surfactant is from about 4000 to about 30,000 and wherein at least 40 percent of said segments are poly(oxyethylene) segments;
- wherein the solution has a pH of about 6 to 8 and an osmolality of 200 to 400 mOsm/kg, and is heat sterilized and lacks a germicide compound.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.