Reusable lens molds and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016176133-A1
Application number	US-201514970820-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention general related to a reusable mold and a method of using the mold to manufacture contact lenses. The mold comprises a first mold half having a first mold surface in contact with a lens forming composition and a second mold half having a second mold surface in contact with the lens forming composition, wherein the first mold half and the second mold half are configured to receive each other such that a cavity is formed between the first mold surface and the second mold surface, wherein the cavity defines the shape of a contact lens to be molded, wherein the lens forming composition is polymerizable and/or crosslinkable by an actinic radiation, wherein at least one of the mold halves is a precision press molded mold made from an oxide glass selected from a group consisting of borosilicates glass and fluorophosphates glass.

First claim

What we claim is:

1 . A reusable mold for making a contact lens, comprising a first mold half having a first mold surface in contact with a lens forming composition and a second mold half having a second mold surface in contact with the lens forming composition, wherein the first mold half and the second mold half are configured to receive each other such that a cavity is formed between the first mold surface and the second mold surface, wherein the cavity defines the shape of a contact lens to be molded, wherein the lens forming composition is polymerizable and/or crosslinkable by an actinic radiation, wherein at least one of the mold halves is a precision press molded mold made from an oxide glass selected from a group consisting of borosilicates glass and fluorophosphates glass.

2 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 600° C.

3 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 580° C.

4 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 540° C.

5 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 75% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

6 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 80% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

7 . The reusable mold for making a contact lens according to claim 2 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 85% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

8 . A method for producing a contact lens comprising: the steps of:
(1) providing a contact lens mold, wherein the mold comprising a first mold half having a first mold and a second mold half having a second mold surface, wherein the first mold half and the second mold half are configured to receive each other such that a cavity is formed between the first mold surface and the second mold surface, wherein the cavity defines the shape of a contact lens to be molded, wherein at least one of the mold halves is a precision press molded mold made from an oxide glass selected from a group consist of borosilicates glass and fluorophosphates glass, (2) introducing a lens-forming composition into the cavity formed by the first and second molding surfaces, material, wherein the lens-forming material is crosslinkable and/or polymerizable by actinic radiation; (3) crosslinking/polymerizing the lens-forming material in the mold to form a lens having a polymer matrix; (4) opening the mold and removing the formed contact lens from the mold.

9 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 8 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 600° C.

10 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 580° C.

11 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 10 , wherein the oxide glass has a glass transition temperature no higher than 540° C.

12 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 8 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 75% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

13 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 80% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

14 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 10 , wherein the oxide glass has a transmission of at least 85% for a thickness 1 mm and a wavelength of 253.7 2 m.

15 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 8 , wherein the lens-forming composition is silicone-containing hydrogel.

16 . The method for producing a contact lens according to claim 8 , wherein the lens-forming composition comprises at least one components selected from the group consisting of a silicone-containing vinylic monomer, a silicone-containing vinylic macromer, a silicone-containing prepolymer, a hydrophilic vinylic monomer, a hydrophobic vinylic monomer, a crosslinking agent, a free-radical initiator (photoinitiator or thermal initiator), a hydrophilic vinylic macromer/prepolymer, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Liu Alice Weimin
• Dietrich Burkhard

Classifications

• B29K2995/0027

  for light outside the visible spectrum · CPC title

• B29K2909/08

  Glass · CPC title

• B29D11/00038

  Production of contact lenses · CPC title

• B29D11/00519 Primary

  Reusable moulds · CPC title

• B29K2995/005

  Oriented · CPC title