Loading patent…
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorsAxel Heinrich, Roger Biel, Günter Lässig, Jan Bernard, Stephan Pirl
Estimating the term…
There is described a method of removing excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens (1), such as the peripheral region of a contact lens. In order to form a lens (1) a lens forming material is polymerized and/or cross-linked within a mold cavity of a mold comprising female and male mold halves. The mold is opened by moving the female and male mold halves apart from each other. The formed lens (1) is supported on a carrier (3) such, that a front surface (2) of the lens (1) is exposed. Residues of non-polymerized and/or non-cross-linked lens forming material are removed mechanically by contacting the exposed surface (2) of the formed lens (1) for a period of time of about 0.5 seconds to about 4 seconds, preferably about 0.8 seconds to about 2 seconds, with a cleaner (7) having a hardness which is smaller than that of the polymerized and/or cross-linked lens forming material. There is also described a device (5) for carrying out the method.
A method of removing excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens, comprising the steps of dosing a lens forming material into a mold cavity of a mold comprising female and male mold halves, applying energy to polymerize and/or crosslink the lens forming material and form the lens, opening the mold by moving said female and male mold halves apart from each other, supporting the formed lens on a carrier such, that a front surface of said lens is exposed, and then mechanically removing excess lens forming material consisting essentially of residues of non-polymerized and/or non-cross-linked lens forming material by contacting said exposed front surface of said formed lens for about 0.5 seconds to about 4 seconds with a cleaner having a hardness which is smaller than that of the polymerized and/or cross-linked lens forming material, and wherein said cleaner is rotated relative to said exposed front surface of the lens, and wherein said formed lens is mechanically cleaned with said formed lens being supported on said male mold half.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.