Reusable lens molds and methods of use thereof
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorAlice Weimin Liu
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Abstract
Described herein are devices for producing ophthalmic lenses including at least one mold half defining an optical surface where the mold half is made from a polymer that includes an aromatic polyimide, a polyphenylene, or a combination thereof. The devices exhibit numerous advantages including, but not limited to, good chemical resistance, durability, machineability, and UV absorbing properties. Also described are methods for producing ophthalmic lenses using the devices described herein. The ophthalmic lenses produced with the devices described herein exhibit excellent optical properties when compared to lenses produced from conventions molds.
Claims20
A reusable device for producing an ophthalmic lens comprising a female mold half define an optical surface and a male mold half defining an optical surface, wherein the female mold half is made from a polymer comprising an aromatic polyimide, and wherein the male mold half is made from polyphenylene, quartz, glass, and wherein the aromatic polyimide comprises repeat units comprising the formula I, II, or III:
- wherein R1 is substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring, the four carbonyl groups are attached directly to separate carbon atoms in the aromatic ring, and each pair of carbonyl groups is attached to adiacent carbon atoms in the aromatic ring;
- and R2 comprises a second substituted or unsubsituted aromatic ring.
A method for producing an ophthalmic lens comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a lens forming material into a female mold half defining an optical surface and configured to form a cavity for receiving a lens forming material;
- (b) applying a male mold defining an optical surface to the female mold comprising the lens forming material, wherein the male mold and female mold are configured to receive each other and form a mold cavity, wherein the optical surface of at least one mold half is made from a polymer comprising an aromatic polyimide;
- wherein the aromatic polyimide comprises repeat units comprising the formula I, II or III;
- wherein R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring, the four carbonyl groups are attached directly to separate carbon atoms in the aromatic ring, and each pair of carbonyl groups is attached to adjacent carbon atoms in the aromatic ring;
- and R2 comprises a second substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring;
- and
- (c) exposing the lens forming material to energy in order to crosslink the lens forming material and produce the lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.