Colored contact lenses and method of making same
AssigneePBH, Inc.
InventorsAshok R. Thakrar, Bradley K. Overmyer, William E. Meyers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical lenses and methods of preparing the same, in which an active material encapsulated in resin capsules is impregnated in said lens, adjacent an optical surface thereof. The active material may be a coloring material for producing a printed color pattern in the iris or other areas of the lens, or it may be a therapeutic agent.
Claims29
An optical hydrogel lens having an active material encapsulated in resin capsules impregnated in said lens, adjacent an optical surface thereof.
A hydrogel optical lens having imbedded therein resin capsules containing an active material, said lens having substantially intact films of hydrogel material on the optical surfaces thereof, and with the said resin capsules concentrated closely adjacent at least on of said surfaces.
A soft hydrogel colored contact lens that is fabricated by a process that comprises:
- selecting a coloring material which is insoluble in the monomer material to be used in the lens;
- dispersing said coloring material in a carrier system which is compatible with said monomer material to form a dispersion wherein said carrier system comprises a carrier system resin dissolved in an organic solvent;
- using the resulting dispersion to imprint an iris simulating pattern on a surface of a casting mold;
- evaporating the organic solvent from the carrier system;
- introducing a monomeric lens forming liquid in said mold in contact with said imprinted surface wherein said monomer lens forming liquid comprises a hydrophilic monomer capable of forming a soft hydrogel lens;
- polymerizing said liquid to produce a lens blank having a colored iris simulating pattern impregnated in said blank, adjacent an optical surface thereof;
- and
- hydrating the resulting lens.
A soft hydrogel colored contact lens that is fabricated by a process that comprises:
- (a) providing a resin system by:
- (i) dissolving from about 10 to 30% by weight of a polyvinyl alcohol in about 90 to 70% by weight of butanol to form a solution of said polyvinyl alcohol in said butanol;
- and
- (ii) dispersing in said solution a mixture of about 1 to 20% by weight of a titanium oxide, about 0.01 to 1% by weight phthalocyanine blue, 0.01 to 0.1% by weight phthalocyanine green, and about 0.01 to 1.0% by weight iron oxide yellow pigments, each by weight of the solution, so as to form a resin system;
- (b) applying said resin system to imprint an iris simulating pattern on a surface of a casting mold;
- (c) introducing a 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer in said mold in contact with said imprinted surface;
- (d) polymerizing said monomer to produce a lens blank having a colored iris simulating pattern impregnated in said blank, adjacent an optical surface thereof;
- and
- (e) hydrating the resulting lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.