Method for making embedded hydrogel contact lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358188-B2
Application number	US-202318306625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2023
Priority date	Apr 26, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses each having an insert that comprises alignment features capable of capable of aligning the insert in depth and radial position in a female mold half during cast molding of an embedded hydrogel contact lens. The alignment features protrude from the front surface, are rotationally symmetric with respect to the central axis of the insert and independently have a shape having a curvature being greater than 2 folds of the curvature of the molding surface so as to minimize contacting area between the alignment features and the molding surface. The use of such an insert can simplify the process for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses and enable the process to be implemented readily in an automatic production.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses, comprising the steps of:
(1) obtaining a lens mold, wherein the lens mold comprises a female lens mold half having a first molding surface and a male lens mold half having a second molding surface, wherein the first molding surface defines the anterior surface of an embedded hydrogel contact lens, wherein the second molding surface defines the posterior surface of the embedded hydrogel contact lens, wherein the female and male lens mold halves are configured to receive each other such that a mold cavity is formed between the first and second molding surfaces when the mold is closed;
(2) obtaining an insert which is made of a polymeric material and comprises a front surface, an opposite back surface, a central axis, and a diameter up to about 13.0 mm, wherein the insert comprises alignment features on the front surface for centrally aligning the insert on the molding surface of the female lens mold half with respect to the central axis of the female lens mold half, wherein the alignment features protrude from the front surface, have an identical maximum height and are rotationally symmetric with respect to the central axis of the insert, wherein the alignment features have identical shapes each having a curvature that is at least 2 folds of the curvature of the molding surface at contacting point of each alignment feature with the first molding surface;
(3) placing the insert in a female lens mold half in a way to ensure the insert be centered in the female lens mold half on the first molding surface;
(4) introducing a lens-forming composition in the female lens mold half in an amount sufficient to immerse the insert in the female lens mold half;
(5) placing the male lens mold half on top of the female lens mold half and closing the male and female lens mold halves to form a molding assembly comprising the lens-forming composition and the insert immersed therein in the molding assembly;
(6) curing the lens-forming composition in the molding assembly to form an embedded hydrogel lens precursor that comprise a bulk hydrogel material formed from the lens-forming composition and the insert embedded in the bulk hydrogel material and centered in the embedded hydrogel lens precursor;
(7) separating the lens mold obtained in step (6) into the male and female lens mold halves, with the embedded hydrogel lens precursor adhered on a lens-adhered lens mold half which is one of the male and female lens mold halves;
(8) removing the embedded hydrogel lens precursor from the lens-adhered lens mold half; and
(9) subjecting the embedded hydrogel lens precursor to post-molding processes including a hydration process and one or more other processes selected from the group consisting of extraction, surface treatment, packaging, sterilization, and combinations thereof to form the embedded hydrogel contact lens.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of (6) curing the lens-forming composition is carried out actinically by using UV and/or visible light.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of (6) curing the lens-forming composition is carried out thermally by heating the first molding assembly in an oven at one or more curing temperatures selected from about 40° C. to about 100° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alignment features are bumps, circle bumps, ridges, ridges in a shape of arc, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the insert comprises 3 alignment features.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the alignment features are located in an annual zone having an inner circular edge, an outer circular edge that is the peripheral edge of the front surface of the insert, and a width of about 3.0 mm or less.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymeric material of the insert is: (i) a crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate; (ii) a crosslinked silicone polymer that has three-dimensional polymer networks, is insoluble in water, and has an equilibrium water content of about 5% or less by weight; (iii) a rigid gas permeable material; or (iv) a hydrophobic crosslinked acrylic material that has an equilibrium water content of less than 5% by weight and comprises at least 55% by mole of repeating units of one or more acrylic monomers and/or one or more acrylic crosslinker and at least about 6% by mole of repeating units of at least one vinylic crosslinking agent, wherein the hydrophobic crosslinked acrylic material comprises: repeating units of at least one silicone-containing acrylic monomer; repeating units of at least one fluorine-containing acrylic monomer; repeating units of at least one polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker; repeating units of at least one aryl acrylic monomer; repeating units of at least one hydrophobic vinylic monomer selected from the group consisting of a vinyl alkanoate, a vinyloxyalkane, styrene, vinyl toluene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, 1-butene, and combinations thereof; or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polymeric material of the insert comprises: (i) repeating units of at least one polymerizable photochromic compound, at least one UV-absorbing vinylic monomer, at least one UV/HEVL-absorbing vinylic monomer, at least one fluorescent vinylic monomer, or combinations thereof, (ii) at least one color-filtering material for correcting color blindness, a diffractive material, a high refractive-index material, or combinations, or (iii) combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bulk hydrogel material is a non-silicone hydrogel material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the non-silicone hydrogel material comprises at least 50% by mole of repeating units of at least one hydroxyl-containing vinylic monomer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylate, glycerol (meth) acrylate, 3-hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylate, 3-amino-2-hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylate, N-2-hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylamide, N-3-hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylamide, N-2-hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylamide, N-2,3-dihydroxypropyl (meth) acrylamide, N-tris (hydroxymethyl) methyl (meth) acrylamide, vinyl alcohol, allyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bulk hydrogel material is a silicone hydrogel material that comprises (a) repeating units of at least one polysiloxane vinylic monomer and/or at least one first polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker and (b) repeating units of at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer.

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Niculas Cornelius Daniel
• Icenogle David Andrew
• Bassampour Zahra
• Kolluru Chandana

Classifications

• G02B1/043

  Contact lenses · CPC title

• B29K2101/10

  Thermosetting resins · CPC title

• B29K2083/005

  LSR, i.e. liquid silicone rubbers, or derivatives thereof · CPC title

• B29K2033/12

  Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate · CPC title

• B29C39/36

  Removing moulded articles · CPC title