Weekly and monthly disposable water gradient contact lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025199204-A1
Application number	US-202519071882-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2025
Priority date	Dec 13, 2017
Publication date	Jun 19, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention is related to contact lenses that not only comprise the much desired water gradient structural configurations, but also have a minimized uptakes of polycationic antimicrobials and a long-lasting surface hydrophilicity and wettability even after going through a 30-days lens care regime. Because of the water gradient structural configuration and a relatively-thick, extremely-soft and water-rich hydrogel surface layer, a contact lens of the invention can provide superior wearing comfort. Further, a contact lens of the invention is compatible with multipurpose lens care solutions present in the market and can endure the harsh lens care handling conditions (e.g., digital rubbings, accidental inversion of contact lenses, etc.) encountered in a daily lens care regime. As such, they are suitable to be used as weekly- or monthly-disposable water gradient contact lenses.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A contact lens, having:
a polyquaternium-1 uptake of about 0.40 micrograms/lens or less; a water-break-up time of at least 10 seconds after 30 cycles of digital rubbing treatment; wherein the contact lens comprises
an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface; and a layered structural configuration which comprises, in a direction from the anterior surface to the posterior surface, an anterior outer hydrogel layer, an inner layer of a silicone hydrogel material having a first equilibrium water content of from about 10% to about 70% by weight and an oxygen permeability of at least 50 barrers, and a posterior outer hydrogel layer,
wherein the silicone hydrogel material comprises repeating units of (a) at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer and/or at least one polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker and (b) at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other are a crosslinked hydrophilic polymeric material which comprises at least 25% by mole of repeating monomeric units of at least one phosphorylcholine-containing vinylic monomer and have a second equilibrium water content that is higher than the first equilibrium water content.

22 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio of at least 140%.

23 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the second equilibrium water content is at least 1.2 folds of the first equilibrium water content and at least 80% by weight.

24 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein each of the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other has a reduced surface modulus of at least 20% relative to the inner layer.

25 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a normalized surface compression force at an indentation depth of 400 nm of 12 μN/MPa or lower as determined in microindentation tests with a 1 mm microindentation probe.

26 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a reduction in indentation force at an indentation depth of 400 nm, Δ(IF) 400 nm , of 50% or larger.

27 . The contact lens of claim 26 , wherein when Δ(IF) 400 nm is determined in nano-indentation tests by using a probe having a tip radius of 9.0±0.9 μm,

Δ
⁢

(
IF
)

400
⁢

nm

=

1
-

(
IF
)

t

2
⁢

.12
·

E
′

-

0
.
3

⁢
8

in which (IF) t is the measured indentation force at an indentation depth of 400 nm of the contact lens and E′ is the bulk elastic modulus (E′) of the contact lens.

28 . The contact lens of claim 26 , wherein when Δ(IF) 400 nm is determined in microindentation tests by using 1 mm hemispherical borosilicate glass probe,

Δ
⁢

(
IF
)

400
⁢

nm

=

1
-

(
IF
)

t

1
⁢
3
⁢

.98
·

E
′

+

0
.
6

⁢
2

in which (IF) t is the measured indentation force at an indentation depth of 400 nm of the contact lens and E′ is the bulk elastic modulus (E′) of the contact lens.

29 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens gas a polyquaternium-1 uptake of 0.30 micrograms/lens or less.

30 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a polyquaternium-1 uptake of 0.20 micrograms/lens or less.

31 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a polyquaternium-1 uptake of 0.15 micrograms/lens or less.

32 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a polyquaternium-1 uptake of 0.10 micrograms/lens or less.

33 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a water-break-up time of at least 15 seconds after 30 cycles of digital rubbing treatment.

34 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein the contact lens has a water-break-up time of at least 20 seconds after 30 cycles of digital rubbing treatment.

35 . The contact lens of claim 21 , wherein said at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer is a vinylic monomer having a bis(trialkylsilyloxy)alkylsilyl group or a tris(trialkylsilyloxy)silyl group, a polysiloxane vinylic monomer, a polycarbosiloxane vinylic monomer, 3-methacryloxy propylpentamethyldisiloxane, t-butyldimethyl-siloxyethyl vinyl carbonate, trimethylsilylethyl vinyl carbonate, and trimethylsilylmethyl vinyl carbonate, or combinations thereof.

36 . The contact lens of claim 35 , wherein said at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer comprises an alkyl (meth)acrylamide, a hydroxyl-containing acrylic monomer, an amino-containing acrylic monomer, a carboxyl-containing acrylic monomer, a N-vinyl amide monomer, a methylene-containing pyrrolidone monomer, an acrylic monomer having a C 1 -C 4 alkoxyethoxy group, a vinyl ether monomer, an allyl ether monomer, a phosphorylcholine-containing vinylic monomer, N-2-hydroxyethyl vinyl carbamate, N-carboxyvinyl-β-alanine (VINAL), N-carboxyvinyl-α-alanine, or combinations thereof.

37 . The contact lens of claim 36 , wherein said at le

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Qiu Yongxing
• Pruitt John Dallas
• Samuel Newton T
• Chiang Chung-Yuan
• Tucker Robert Carey
• Chang Yuan
• Leveillee Ethan

Classifications

• B65B55/22

  Immersing contents in protective liquids · CPC title

• B29D11/00125

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

• G02B1/18

  Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films (G02B1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02C7/049 Primary

  Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures · CPC title

• B29K2105/0061

  Gel or sol · CPC title