SACRIFICIAL MOLDING PROCESS FOR AN ACCOMMODATING CONTACT LENS

• US 20170131571A1
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Onefocus Vision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Onefocus Vision, Inc.
• Inventors: WAITE, Steve, GUPTA, Amitava, PAYOR, Rick, CHRIST, Richard, CHRIST, Marie Dvorak
• Application Number:
  US15/414,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00028 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00048 composed of parts with dissimilar composition B29D11/00057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00134 Curing of the contact lens material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2825/06 PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/048 Means for stabilising the orientation of lenses in the eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/085 Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses

Abstract

A method to manufacture an accommodating contacting lens is provided. A soft contact lens material precursor is placed into a container and cured. The cured contact lens material is machined to form an intermediate surface over which an accommodating lens module is placed. Further precursor is placed onto the intermediate surface and surrounding the lens module. This further precursor is cured. Afterwards, the surface of the cured precursor or soft contact lens material is machined to form a first surface of the accommodating contact lens. Then, the opposite surface is machined to form a second surface of the accommodating contact lens, thereby forming the accommodating contact lens with the module disposed in the interior. The first and second surfaces may be a posterior and anterior surface, respectively, of the accommodating contact lens.

Claims

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

providing an accommodating contact lens module and a contact lens covering material;

encapsulating the accommodating contact lens module in the contact lens covering material; and

machining one or more of an anterior or posterior surface of the soft contact lens covering material having the contact lens module encapsulated therein to form an optical correction zone for a subject.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the accommodating contact lens module comprises a free standing module prior to being covered with the contact lens covering material.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the module comprises an index of refraction similar to an index of refraction of the contact lens covering 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.

4. 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.

5. A method as in claim 4, 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.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the module is grasped by an end effector of a robot.

7. A method as in claim 4, 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 .

8. A method as in claim 7, 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.

9. A method as in claim 4, 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.

10. A method as in any one of claim 1, 4, or 5, wherein an optically transmissive coupling fluid has been placed in the accommodation module prior to encapsulating the module.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the fluid is pressurized within the module when the module has been placed in the mold.

12. 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 contact lens covering material with the module encapsulated within the contact lens covering material.

13. A method as in claim 12, 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.

14. A method as in claim 13, 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.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein the contact lens covering material comprises one or more of a hydrogel, silicone, siloxane, silicone hydrogel, galyfilcon A, senofilcon A, Comfilcon A, Enfilcon A, polyacrylate, or polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (pHEMA).

16. A method as in claim 1, wherein providing the contact lens covering material comprises filling a first casting cup with a precursor of the contact lens covering material.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the first casting cup comprises one or more of a polymer, thermoplastic, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetraflouroethylene, polycarbonate, or bisphenol A.

18. A method as in claim 16, wherein providing the contact lens covering material further comprises curing the precursor of the contact lens covering material to provide a first contact lens covering material portion of the contact lens covering material in the first casting cup.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising machining a surface of the first contact lens covering material portion to form an intermediate surface.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the surface of the first contact lens covering material portion is machined with a diamond turner.

21. A method as in claim 19, wherein the intermediate surface has a concave configuration.

22. A method as in claim 19, wherein machining the surface of the first contact lens covering material portion comprises engaging a rod coupled to the first casting cup.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein machining the surface of the first contact lens covering material portion further comprises actuating the attached rod.

24. A method as in claim 22, wherein encapsulating the accommodating contact lens module in the contact lens covering material comprises placing the accommodating contact lens module and the precursor of the contact lens covering material onto the intermediate surface.

25. A method as in claim 24, further comprising curing the precursor of the contact lens covering material on the intermediate surface to form a second contact lens covering material portion of the contact lens covering material.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein placing the precursor of the contact lens covering material comprises engaging the casting cup with a second casting cup, and wherein machining one or more of the anterior or posterior surface of the contact lens covering material having the accommodating contact lens module encapsulated therein comprises machining a surface of the second contact lens covering material portion to form a first surface of the optical correction zone.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the surface of the second contact lens covering material portion is machined with a diamond turner.

28. A method as in claim 26, further comprising disengaging the rod from the first casting cup and machining the first contact lens covering material portion to form a second surface of the optical correction zone.

29. A method as in claim 28, wherein machining the first contact lens covering material portion comprises engaging one or more of the first or second casting cups.

30. A method as in claim 28, wherein the second surface of the first contact lens covering material portion is machined with a diamond turner.

31. A method as in claim 28, wherein the second surface of the optical correction zone comprises an anterior surface.

32. A method as in claim 26, wherein the first surface of the optical correction zone comprises a posterior surface.

33. A method of manufacturing a hydrogel, the method comprising:

combining a polymeric material precursor with a first diluent and a second diluent;

curing the bathed precursor to form a polymeric material portion such that cure shrinkage of the polymeric material portion is reduced by the first and second diluents; and

providing water to the polymeric material portion such that the first and second diluents in the polymeric material portion are exchanged with the water to form the hydrogel, wherein water expansion of the polymeric material portion is inhibited with the first and second diluents.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein exchanging the first and second diluents with the water softens the polymeric material.

35. A method as in claim 33, wherein combining the precursor of the polymeric material in the first and second diluents comprises mixing the precursor of the polymeric material with a combination of the first and second diluents, the combination comprising a molarity substantially equimolar with a molarity of the water.

36. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first and second diluents in the polymeric material portion are exchanged with the water such that the exchanged first and second diluents and the exchanged water are substantially equimolar.

37. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first diluent comprises a high molecular weight diluent and the second diluent comprises a low molecular weight diluent.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein the high molecular weight diluent comprises a high molecular weight (MW) compound with a MW of at least about 600 Da and the low molecular weight diluent comprises a low MW compound with a MW of less than 100 Da.

39. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first diluent comprises a high density diluent and the second diluent comprises a low density diluent.

40. A method as in claim 39, wherein the high density diluent has a density of greater than 0.8 g/cc and the low density diluent has a density of less than 0.8 g/cc.

41. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first diluent comprises a high viscosity diluent and the second diluent comprises a low viscosity diluent.

42. A method as in claim 41, wherein the high viscosity diluent has a viscosity of greater than 50 centiStokes (cSts) and the low viscosity diluent has a viscosity of less than 50 cSts.

43. A method as in claim 33, wherein the first diluent comprises one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with molecular weights in the range 600-4,500 Da.

44. A method as in claim 33, wherein the second diluent comprises one or more of an alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol, or a glycerol solution.

45. A method as in claim 33, wherein curing the bathed precursor to form the polymeric material portion comprises heating the bathed precursor.

46. A method as in claim 33, wherein curing the bathed precursor comprises exposing the bathed precursor with UV radiation.

47. A method as in claim 33, wherein curing the bathed precursor comprises photocuring the bathed precursor.

48. A method as in claim 33, wherein the precursor comprises a photochemical polymerization initiator.

49. A method as in claim 33, wherein the precursor comprises a monomer.

50. A method as in claim 49, wherein the monomer comprises hydrophilic components.

51. A method as in claim 49, wherein molecular structure of the hydrophilic components comprises one or more of acrylates, methacrylates, vinyl, allyl, or other olefinic groups capable of undergoing addition polymerization.

52. A method as in claim 33, wherein the precursor comprises a cross-linker.

53. A method as in claim 52, wherein the cross-linker comprises one or more of triacrylates or tetraacrylates.

54. An accommodating contact lens, comprising:

an optically transparent body comprising an anterior surface and a posterior surface shaped to correct vision of the patient;

an accommodation module contained within the body;

wherein one or more of the anterior surface or the posterior surface comprises a surface machined to correct vision of the patient.

55. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 54, wherein the one or more surfaces comprises structure of the machining process.

56. A method of manufacturing a contact lens, the method comprising:

Placing a contact lens module in a mold;

Providing a polymeric material comprising a low molecular weight diluent and a high molecular weight diluent;

Curing the polymeric material to form one or more optical surfaces of the contact lens with one or more surfaces of the mold.

57. A method as in claim 56, wherein the one or more surfaces of the mold forms one or more of an anterior optical surface or a posterior optical surface of the contact lens.

58. A method as in claim 57, wherein the mold forms the anterior optical surface and the posterior optical surface of the contact lens.

59. A composition, the composition comprising:

A polymeric material; and

A plurality of diluents contained within the polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a stiff material.