Packaging for disposable soft contact lenses
AssigneeMenicon Singapore Pte Ltd.
InventorStephen D. Newman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a contact lens package containing a contact lens in a compressed state. In one exemplary embodiment, the overall internal depth of the package is less than the natural sagittal depth of the contact lens. Different single-use contact lens package shapes and configurations may be used. In some embodiments, a spring disc is included in the packages to help present the contact lens to the user when the package is opened. The contact lens packages may be adhered or clipped to a card or other carrier sheet, and may be housed in a number of different secondary packages.
Claims27
A contact lens package comprising:
- a first flexible substrate;
- a soft unused contact lens having a first and a second side, wherein said first side of said unused contact lens is placed on said first flexible substrate;
- a second flexible substrate coupled to said first substrate such that said second flexible substrate faces said second side of said unused contact lens;
- said unused contact lens hermetically sealed via a peelable seal on at least three sides between said first substrate and said second substrate, said hermetic seal being configured to withstand a pressure associated with autoclaving said package to terminal sterility;
- a buffer fluid sealed between said first flexible substrate and said second flexible substrate, wherein said buffer fluid is free flowing within said package and contacts said unused contact lens;
- wherein said first flexible substrate and said second flexible substrate are each less than 0.5 mm thick and neither said first flexible substrate nor said second flexible substrate is preformed;
- and
- wherein said package containing said unused contact lens is a retort package;
- wherein the substrate are sealed in an area surrounding said contacts lens, said seal being formed in a point on a first side of the package to facilitate a predictable initial opening force used to separate said substrates;
- and
- wherein said package is free of additional internal structural objects.
A pliable retort package for a soft unused contact lens including an internal space formed between a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate, said first flexible substrate and said second flexible substrate being peelably sealed together on at least three sides, wherein the substrate are sealed in an area surrounding said contact lens, said seal being formed in a point on a first side of the package to facilitate a predictable initial opening force used to separate said substrates, said internal space holding a soft unused contact lens and a free flowing hydration medium for maintaining the hydration of said soft unused lens, wherein said entire package when sealed is pliable without damage to said package or said soft unused contact lens and is configured to maintain said seal on at least three sides when said pliable retort package is autoclaved to terminal sterility;
- wherein said pliable retort package is free of additional internal structural .
A method of packaging a contact lens comprising:
- providing a first flexible substrate;
- disposing a soft unused contact lens having a first side and a second side on said first flexible substrate;
- disposing a hydration medium onto said soft unused contact lens on said first flexible substrate;
- heat sealing said first flexible substrate to a second flexible substrate to hermetically seal said soft unused contact lens between said flexible substrates, wherein said seal between said first flexible substrate and said second flexible substrate is a peelable seal on at least three sides that defines a retort-type single use pack configured to withstand being autoclaved to terminal sterility wherein the substrate are sealed in an area surrounding said contact lens, said seal being formed in a point on a first side of the package to facilitate a predictable initial opening force used to separate said substrates;
- and
- wherein said retort type single use pack is free of additional internal structural objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.