Modified silicone rubber and its use as a material for optical lenses and optical lenses made from this material

• US 4,853,453 A
• Filed: 12/18/1987
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation (Novartis Ag)
• Original Assignee: Ciba-Geigy Corporation (Novartis Ag)
• Inventors: Schafer, Horst, Kossmehl, Gerhard, Neumann, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bleutge, John C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woodward, David W.
• Application Number:
  US07/135,512
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 528/28, 525/474, 351/160 H, 351/159
• US Class Current: 528/28
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3825 containing amide groups C08G18/3821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3893 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/61 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/8048 with compounds of C08G18/34
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/54 Nitrogen-containing linkages C08G77/485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses

Abstract

A modified silicone rubber with dimethylsiloxane and urethane units in the main chains, which are cross linked through methyl groups. This material is hydrophilic and suitable as a contact lens material.

Claims

1. Silicone rubber having hydrophilic properties and having main chains of the partial formula

View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

2. An optical lens wherein the whole of the lens body comprises a modified silicone rubber according to claim 1.

3. An optical lens according to claim 2 which is a contact lens.

4. An optical lens according to claim 2 which is an intraocular lens.

5. An optical lens wherein the surface of the lens body comprises a modified silicone rubber according to claim 1.

6. An optical lens according to claim 5 which is a contact lens.

7. An optical lens according to claim 5 which is an intraocular lens.

8. A process for the synthesis of a modified silicone rubber with hydrophilic properties which comprises

(a) reacting a diisocyanate with pantothenol in a 2:

1 molar ratio to form an adduct having terminal isocyanate groups,

(b) then reacting the adduct product of step (a) with a dimethylsiloxane having hydroxyalkyl groups to obtain a polymer having dimethylsiloxane and urethane units, and

(c) then causing said polymer to crosslink through said methyl groups.

9. A process according to claim 8 in which the dimethylsiloxane is 1,3-bis(3-hydroxypropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, 1,3-bis(6,7-dihydroxy-4-oxaheptyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, 3,5-bis(3-hydroxypropyl)-1,1,1,3,5,7,7,7-octamethyltetrasiloxane, 1-(6,7-dihydroxy-4-oxaheptyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, 2,4,6,8-tetrakis(3-hydroxypropyl)-2,4,6,8-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, methylene-bis(1,4-cyclohexylene(carbamic acid)-3-[3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxanyl]-propyl ester, or hexamethylene-1,6-bis(carbamic acid)-3-[3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxanyl]-propyl ester.

10. A process according to claim 8 wherein rubber-forming initiators are used as crosslinking agents.

11. A process according to claim 10 in which the crosslinking agent is a peroxide.

12. A process according to claim 8 wherein the molar ratio of dimethylsiloxane to diisocyanate is 1:

2.