Modular production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745452-B2
Application number	US-202117457147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2021
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A production line (PL) for the production of ophthalmic lenses (7) comprisesa manufacturing module (MM),an inspection module (IM), anda packaging module (PP) in which the lenses identified by the inspection module (IM) as being acceptable are packed into primary packages.The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352). At least one of these manufacturing stations (310; 320, 321, 322, 330, 331) is configured to apply a lens identification code (70, 71, 72) to the respective lens. The lens identification code (70, 71, 72) includes information indicative of the type of the respective lens.Either the inspection module (IM) or the packaging module (PP) includes a lens detection station (502, 604) configured to read the lens identification code (70, 71, 72) applied to the respective lens and to detect the type of the lens from the lens identification code (70, 71, 72) read from the respective lens in order to determine whether the type of lens detected actually is the type of lens which is expected to be detected by the lens detection station (502, 604) at that time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Production line (PL) for the production of contact lenses, the production line comprising
a manufacturing module (MM) in which the contact lenses are manufactured,
an inspection module (IM) in which the contact lenses manufactured are inspected, and
a packaging module (PP) in which the ophthalmic lenses which have been identified by the inspection module (IM) as being acceptable are packed into primary packages,
wherein the manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations comprising a dosing station ( 320 ), a closing station ( 321 ), a forming station ( 322 ), a curing station ( 330 ), a mold opening station ( 340 ), a removal station ( 342 ), for manufacturing the contact lenses, with at least one of these manufacturing stations comprising a dosing station ( 320 ), a closing station ( 321 ), a forming station ( 322 ), and a curing station ( 330 ), being configured to apply a lens identification code to the respective contact lens, the lens identification code including information indicative of the type of the respective contact lens manufactured,
wherein the modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the contact lenses from a respective preceding module of the at least three separate modules to a respective subsequent module of the at least three separate modules,
wherein either the inspection module (IM) or the packaging module (PP) includes a lens detection station configured to read the lens identification code applied to the respective contact lens and to detect the type of the contact lens from the lens identification code read from the respective contact lens in order to determine whether the type of contact lens detected actually is the type of contact lens which is expected to be detected by the lens detection station at that time.

2. Production line according to claim 1 , wherein the lens detection station is arranged in the inspection module (IM).

3. Production line according to claim 2 , wherein the inspection module (IM) comprises a cosmetic inspection station for inspecting the contact lens for cosmetic defects, and wherein the cosmetic inspection station is configured to include the lens detection station.

4. Production line according to claim 1 , wherein the lens detection station is arranged in the packaging module (PP).

5. Production line according to claim 4 , wherein the lens detection station ( 604 ) is arranged in the packaging module (PP) at a location downstream of a lens placement station ( 603 ) for placing the contact lens into a primary package and upstream of a liquid dosing station ( 606 ) for dosing a packaging liquid into the primary package, or is arranged downstream of the liquid dosing station ( 606 ).

6. Production line according to claim 5 , wherein the packaging module (PP) comprises a shell providing station ( 602 ) for providing a packaging shell, the lens placement station ( 603 ) for placing the contact lens into the packaging shell, the lens detection station ( 604 ), the liquid dosing station ( 606 ), a foil placement station ( 607 ) for placing a foil onto the packaging shell: a sealing station ( 608 ) for sealing the foil to the packaging shell, and a printing station ( 609 ) for printing on the foil information about the contact lens contained in the sealed packaging shell.

7. Production line according to claim 6 , wherein the packaging module (PP) further comprises a configuration station ( 605 ) for intermediately storing a plurality of contact lenses, and for placing a contact lens intermediately stored in the configuration station ( 605 ) into said packaging shell in case it has been detected in the lens detection station ( 604 ) that no contact lens has been placed into the packaging shell in the lens placement station ( 603 ).

8. Production line according to claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing module (MM) is configured to apply to each contact lens a unique lens identification code which is representative of the type of lens at least for a predetermined period of time.

9. Production line according to claim 8 , wherein the manufacturing module (MM) comprises molds for the manufacture of the contact lenses and a printing station ( 310 ), wherein the printing station ( 310 ) is configured to print the unique lens identification code to at least one of the molds used to manufacture the respective contact lens.

10. Production line according to claim 9 , wherein the printing station ( 310 ) is an inkjet printing station.

11. Production line according to claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing module (MM) comprises molds for the manufacture of the contact lenses, the molds carrying the unique lens identification code as elevations formed on a molding surface of at least one of the molds used to manufacture the respective contact lens.

12. Production line according to claim 1 , further comprising an extraction and treatment module (EM) for the extraction and chemical treatment of the contact lenses manufactured in the manufacturing module (MM).

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Biel Roger
• Stoller Karin
• Kessler Daniel
• Dietrich Burkhard
• Hof Jens

Classifications

• B29D11/00009 Primary

  Production of simple or compound lenses · CPC title

• B29D11/00125 Primary

  Auxiliary operations, e.g. removing oxygen from the mould, conveying moulds from a storage to the production line in an inert atmosphere · CPC title

• B29D11/00259

  Plants for the production of contact lenses · CPC title

• G02C7/024

  Methods of designing ophthalmic lenses · CPC title

• G02C7/04

  Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) · CPC title