MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF AN ACCOMODATING SOFT CONTACT LENS

• US 20150370093A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onefocus Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Onefocus Technology, LLC
• Inventors: GUPTA, Amitava, WAITE, Steven B., SCHNELL, Urban
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00028 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00048 composed of parts with dissimilar composition B29D11/00057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00259 Plants for the production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/041 bifocal; multifocal
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/085 Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses

Abstract

An accommodating contact lens module is provided for use with an accommodating contact lens. Components of the accommodating contact lens module can be manufactured and assembled with low distortion optics to provide improved vision. The module comprises a self-supporting module capable of being grasped by one of the components and placed in a mold without distorting the optical components of the module when placed. The module is compatible with soft contact lens materials, and compatible with soft contact lens manufacturing processes such as molding of hydrogels and silicones. The module may comprise one or more of many components that can be placed in the mold together. These components can be placed in the mold for encapsulation in order to provide accurate optical correction of the eye of the subject, for both far vision and near vision. In many embodiments, the module is inspected prior to placement in the mold.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an accommodating contact lens, the method comprising:

providing an accommodating contact lens module; and

encapsulating the accommodating contact lens module in a soft contact lens material.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the accommodating contact lens module comprises a free standing module placed in a mold.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the mold comprises a shape to form an optical correction zone for a subject on corresponding anterior and posterior surfaces of the accommodating contact lens.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the module comprises an index of refraction similar to an index of refraction of the soft contact lens material in order to transmit light refracted by the anterior and posterior surfaces of the optical correction zone through at least a portion of the module and inhibit optical artifacts.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the module is placed in the mold with a thin layer of precursor material extending between an anterior surface of a membrane of an optical correction chamber of the module and a lower concavely curved surface of the mold.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the accommodating contact lens module comprises a free standing module comprising one or more of an optical chamber, a support structure, one or more eyelid engaging chambers, one or more extensions extending between the optical chamber and the one or more chambers, or an anchor.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the accommodating contact lens module comprises the free standing module comprising the optical chamber, the support structure, the one or more eyelid engaging chambers, the one or more extensions extending between the optical chamber and the one or more chambers and the anchor, and wherein the free standing module is configured such that the optical chamber, the support structure, the one or more eyelid engaging chambers, the one or more extensions extending between the optical chamber and the one or more chambers and the anchor are connected to each other prior to placement in the mold such that the module comprises a self-supporting module capable of being lifted and placed in the mold by grasping the one or more of the optical chamber, the one or more eyelid engaging chambers, the one or more extensions extending between the optical chamber, the one or more chambers, or the anchor.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the module is grasped by an end effector of a robot.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein the module comprises the optical chamber and the one or more eyelid engaging chambers and wherein the optical chamber comprises an anterior membrane having an anterior thickness and a posterior membrane having a posterior thickness, the posterior thickness greater than the anterior thickness, and wherein the one or more eyelid engaging chambers comprises an anterior membrane having an anterior membrane thickness greater than a posterior membrane thickness of the one or more chambers.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein an anterior surface of the anterior membrane of the optical chamber comprises a convex curvature and a posterior surface of the posterior membrane of the one or more chambers comprises a convex surface.

11. A method as in claim 6, wherein module comprises the anchor and the anchor comprises a flange comprising a plurality of openings and wherein the plurality of openings is placed in the mold.

12. A method as in any one of claim 1, 6, or 7, wherein an optically transmissive coupling fluid has been placed in the accommodation module prior to encapsulating the module.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the fluid is pressurized within the module when the module has been placed in the mold.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein an optical chamber of the module comprises an optical power when placed in the mold and wherein the optical power is inhibited by the soft contact lens material with the module encapsulated within the contact lens material.

15. A method as in claim 14, the optical chamber comprises an optically transmissive coupling fluid and the optical chamber comprises a convexly curved anterior surface of an anterior membrane when the module has been placed in the mold.

16. A method as in claim 15, the anterior membrane comprises an elastic deflection and wherein the elastic deflection pressurizes the optically transmissive coupling fluid when the module has been placed in the mold.

22. The process of claim 20 wherein, the edges of the top and bottom faces of the central chamber of claim 1 are laser welded to the top of the edge said chamber.

17. A method of manufacturing an accommodating contact lens module, the method comprising:

connecting an optical chamber to one or more eyelid engaging chambers with one or more extensions extending between the optical chamber and the one or more eyelid engaging chambers.

18. An apparatus to manufacture an accommodating contact lens, the apparatus comprising:

an accommodation module; and

a mold.

19. An accommodating contact lens, comprising:

a module encapsulated in a soft contact lens material.

20. A process of fabrication of a sealed fluidic module that comprises at least one central chamber and at least one peripheral chamber, connected to said central chamber by means of micro-channels, wherein the edges of said central chamber are relatively rigid and the top face of said central chamber is relatively flexible.

21. A process of fabrication of the central chamber of claim 20 wherein said chamber is cylindrical in shape, with circular top face and a circular bottom face.

23. The process of claim 20 wherein the peripheral chamber(s) are thermoformed, or blow molded or compression molded or injection molded.

24. The process of claim 20 wherein a compression molding process is used to shape the membrane used to form said top surface of said central chamber

25. The process of claim 20 wherein the top surface of said central chamber comprises a membrane that is thinner than the membrane comprising the bottom surface.

26. The process of filling the fluidic module of claim 20 with fluid, wherein said module is filled under vacuum with a biocompatible fluid that had been previously degassed.

27. The process of claim 20 wherein said process comprises separate channels followed by an assembly process comprising joining all components and filling said module formed thereby with fluid.

28. A process of embedding the fluidic module of claim 20 inside the body of a soft contact lens.

29. The process of claim 28 wherein said contact lens is formed by polymerizing a monomer formulation by application of energy.

30. The process of claim 29 wherein said energy is delivered in the form of UV radiation.

31. The process of claim 28 wherein polymerization process comprises an automated assembly of a pair of optical molds, a specified volume of monomer and the fluidic module of claim 20, wherein said process comprises the photo-curing step of claim 30.

32. The process of claim 30 wherein said process comprises application of UV radiation in the wavelength range 300-450 nm.

33. The process of claim 31 wherein said monomer comprises hydrophilic components.

34. The molecular structure of hydrophilic components of claim 32 wherein said structures comprise acrylates, methacrylates, vinyl, allyl, or other olefinic groups capable of undergoing addition polymerization.

35. The process of claim 30 wherein said monomer comprises components that absorb ultraviolet radiation in the wavelength range 300-450 nm.

36. The process of claim 23, wherein the material used in formation of said peripheral chambers are surface treated to promote adhesion to the material comprising the contact lens of claim 28.

37. The process of claim 20 wherein the material used in said membranes of claims 24 and 25 are surface treated to promote adhesion to the material comprising the contact lens of claim 28.

38. The process of claim 20 wherein said module comprises a membrane that has a contact angle with said monomer of claim 31 that is no more than 30 degrees.

39. The process of claim 20 wherein said module comprises a membrane that has a contact angle with said monomer of claim 31 that is no more than about 15 degrees.

40. The monomer of claim 31 wherein said monomer is subjected to a pre-cure process

41. The monomer of claim 39 wherein the viscosity of said monomer is increased by no less than 25% and no more than 300% as a result of said pre-cure process.

42. The pre-cure process of claim 39, wherein said pre cure process involves pre-polymerization of said monomer.

43. The pre-cure process of claim 39 wherein said pre-cure process involves polymer chain growth without any gel formation.

44. The module of claim 20, wherein the density of said module is substantially equal to the density of the monomer of claim 31.

45. The module of claim 20 wherein said module has a density that is no less than about 5% and no more than about 10% higher than the density of said monomer.