Casting mold for the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016144579-A1
Application number	US-201514946249-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A casting mold ( 1 ) for the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses, in particular hard and soft contact lenses comprises a male mold half ( 2 ) having a generally convexly shaped male mold surface ( 20 ) and a female mold half having a generally concavely shaped female mold surface ( 30 ). Each of the male and female mold surfaces comprises a lens-forming surface ( 21, 31 ) which is encircled by a non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22, 32 ). The lens-forming surface ( 21, 31 ) comprises a central optical zone ( 210, 310 ) and a non-optical peripheral zone ( 211, 311 ) surrounding the central optical zone. At least one of the male and female mold halves ( 2, 3 ) is provided with at least one permanent marking ( 10; 11; 12; 110, 111 ) which is arranged on a surface in the peripheral zone ( 211, 311 ) of the lens-forming surface ( 21, 31 ) and/or on the non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22, 32 ).

First claim

1 . Casting mold ( 1 ) for the manufacture of contact lenses, comprising a male mold half ( 2 ) having a generally convexly shaped male mold surface ( 20 ) and a female mold half ( 3 ) having a generally concavely shaped female mold surface ( 30 ), each of the male and female mold surfaces comprising a lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) which is encircled by a non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22 , 32 ), the lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) comprising a central optical zone ( 210 , 310 ) and a non-optical peripheral zone ( 211 , 311 ) surrounding the central optical zone, at least one of the male and female mold halves being provided with at least one permanent marking ( 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 110 , 111 ) which is arranged on a surface in the peripheral zone ( 210 , 310 ) of the lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) and/or on the non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22 , 32 ).

2 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent marking ( 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 110 , 111 ) comprises information about optical parameters of the ophthalmic lens to be produced.

3 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent marking ( 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 110 , 111 ) at least partially comprises the information in an encoded manner.

4 . Casting mold according to claim 3 , wherein a circumferential position of the permanent marking ( 110 ; 111 ) on the surface in the peripheral zone of the lens-forming surface and/or on the edge surface of the non lens-forming annular edge surface comprises information on specific lens parameters of the ophthalmic lens to be produced.

5 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent marking is arranged at least on the surface in the peripheral zone ( 210 , 310 ) of the lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) and comprises an embossed relief.

6 . Casting mold according to claim 5 , wherein the embossed relief has the shape of a bas-relief, with raised portions of the bas-relief protruding from the surface of the peripheral zone ( 210 , 310 ) of the lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) and having a height (h) which is in a range of 0.002 mm to 0.060 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.010 mm to 0.035 mm.

7 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein at least the lens forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) is shaped by precision molding.

8 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent marking is arranged on the non-optical peripheral zone ( 310 ) of the lens-forming surface ( 31 ) of the female mold half ( 3 ).

9 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein at least the lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) is made from highly finished glass.

10 . Casting mold according to claim 9 , wherein the highly finished glass is quartz glass.

11 . Casting mold according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent marking is arranged at least on the non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22 , 32 ), and wherein the permanent marking in the non lens-forming annular edge surface ( 22 , 32 ) is made by laser engraving.

12 . Casting mold assembly comprising a mold carrier and a plurality of casting molds arranged in the mold carrier in side-by-side configuration, wherein at least one of the casting molds arranged in the mold carrier is a casting mold according to claim 1 .

13 . Method of manufacturing contact lens, the method comprising providing at least one casting mold ( 1 ) comprising a male mold half ( 2 ) and a female mold half ( 3 ), each of the male and female mold halves comprising a lens-forming surface ( 21 , 31 ) defining a cavity there between when the male and female mold halves ( 2 , 3 ) are arranged in a predetermined spatial relationship, introducing a lens forming material into the cavity and curing the lens forming material in the cavity to form an ophthalmic lens, wherein the step of providing at least one casting mold comprises providing at least one casting mold ( 1 ) according to claim 1 .

14 . Method according to claim 13 , wherein a plurality of contact lenses are produced at the same time, and wherein the step of providing at least one casting mold comprises providing a casting mold assembly according to claim 12 .

15 . Contact lens ( 100 ) having a rear surface ( 101 ) adapted for being in contact with the eye of a user and a front surface ( 102 ), at least one of the rear surface ( 101 ) and the front surface ( 102 ) being provided with a permanent marking ( 112 ) on a non-optical peripheral zone ( 103 ) thereof, wherein the contact lens is manufactured using a casting mold ( 1 ) according to claim 1 .

16 . Contact lens according to claim 15 , wherein the permanent marking comprises information about optical parameters of the contact lens.

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Hof Jens
• Dietrich Burkhard
• Biel Roger

Classifications

• B29D11/00336

  by making depressions in the lens surfaces · CPC title

• G02C7/04

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

• B29D11/00038 Primary

  Production of contact lenses · CPC title

• G02C7/021

  with pattern for identification or with cosmetic or therapeutic effects (methods and processes take preference, e.g. printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; surface treatment of glass C03C15/00 - C03C23/00; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055) · CPC title

• B29D11/00182

  using carrier plates · CPC title