CONTACT LENS

• US 20110063568A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Meng, Richard Fanqing, Mao, Shane, Chapoy, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/162
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00317 Production of lenses with markings or patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00903 on the surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/046 Contact lenses having an iris pattern

Abstract

A method of making a contact lens involves depositing on a portion of a molding surface of a contact lens mold a colorant composition comprising a pigment, a copolymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidinone, and a crosslinking monomer.

Claims

1. A contact lens comprising a hydrophilic copolymer substrate and a colorant-containing composition on a surface of the substrate, wherein the colorant-containing composition comprises a pigment, a copolymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidinone, and a crosslinking monomer.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the colorant-containing composition has a concentric ring shape on the surface.

3. The contact lens of claim 2, wherein the concentric ring essentially conforms to a position of a human iris when the contact lens is placed on the eye.

4. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the concentric ring has a larger outer diameter than a human iris.

5. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic copolymer substrate is made of a copolymer that is the polymerization product of a monomer mixture comprising 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, N-vinylpyrrolidinone, and a crosslinking monomer.

6. A method of making a contact lens comprising:

depositing on a portion of a molding surface of a contact lens mold a colorant composition comprising a pigment, a copolymer of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidinone, and a crosslinking monomer;

at least partially curing the colorant composition;

depositing a lens-forming monomer mixture in the mold, and curing the lens-forming monomer mixture,

wherein the colorant composition is on a surface of the cured contact lens.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the contact lens mold is made of polypropylene.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the colorant composition is deposited on the a portion of the molding surface of an anterior contact lens mold.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the lens-forming monomer mixture comprises hydroxyethylmethacrylate, N-vinylpyrrolidinone, and a crosslinking monomer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the colorant composition is deposited to form a concentric ring shape.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the concentric ring essentially conforms to a position of a human iris when the contact lens is placed on the eye.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the concentric ring has a larger outer diameter than a human iris.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising, following curing of the lens-forming monomer mixture, dry releasing the contact lens from the mold.