Method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens

• US 5,409,731 A
• Filed: 10/08/1992
• Issued: 04/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tomei Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Tomei Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Komura, Teruyo, Nakagawa, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): BELL, JANYCE A
• Application Number:
  US07/957,779
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 427/164, 427/2, 427/337, 427/338, 427/340, 427/393.5, 427/2.12, 427/2.24
• US Class Current: 427/2.12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses

Abstract

A method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens, which comprises dipping a contact lens in a solution containing a water-soluble amino group-containing polymer in an amount effective to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens and a crosslinking agent in an amount effective to crosslink the amino group-containing polymer, and forming a hydrophilic layer of the amino group-containing polymer crosslinked on the surface of the contact lens.

Claims

1. A method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens, which comprises dipping a contact lens in an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble amino group-containing polymer in an amount effective to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens and a crosslinking agent in an amount effective to crosslink the amino group-containing polymer, and forming a hydrophilic layer of the amino group-containing polymer crosslinked on the surface of the contact lens.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amino group-containing polymer is water-soluble collagen or its derivative.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amino group-containing polymer is a derivative of polysaccharide.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent is a glutaraldehyde.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent is a polyfunctional compound reactive with at least two amino groups for crosslinking.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amino group-containing polymer has carboxyl groups in addition to the amino groups, and the crosslinking agent is a condensed reagent capable of crosslinking the amino groups to the carboxyl groups.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the crosslinking agent is a carbodiimide.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the contact lens is a hard, hydrophobic contact lens.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the contact lens is a water nonabsorptive soft contact lens.

8. A method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens, which comprises contacting a contact lens to an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble amino group-containing polymer in an amount effective to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens, to have the amino group-containing polymer adsorbed on the surface of the contact lens, and then contacting the contact lens to an aqueous solution containing a crosslinking agent in an amount effective to crosslink such an amino group-containing polymer, to crosslink the amino group-containing polymer on the surface of the contact lens and thereby to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the amino group-containing polymer is water-soluble collagen or its derivative.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the amino group-containing polymer is a derivative of polysaccharide.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the crosslinking agent is a glutaraldehyde.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the crosslinking agent is a polyfunctional compound reactive with at least two amino groups for crosslinking.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the amino group-containing polymer has carboxyl groups in addition to the amino groups, and the crosslinking agent is a condensed reagent capable of crosslinking the amino groups to the carboxyl groups.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the crosslinking agent is a carbodiimide.

17. The method according to claim 8 wherein the contact lens is a hard, hydrophobic contact lens.

18. The method according to claim 8 wherein the contact lens is a water nonabsorptive soft contact lens.

19. A method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens, which consists essentially of dipping a contact lens in an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble amino group-containing polymer in an amount effective to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens and a crosslinking agent in an amount effective to crosslink the amino group-containing polymer, and forming a hydrophilic layer of the amino group-containing polymer crosslinked on the surface of the contact lens.

20. A method for imparting a hydrophilic nature to a contact lens, which consists essentially of contacting a contact lens to an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble amino group-containing polymer in an amount effective to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens, to have the amino group-containing polymer adsorbed on the surface of the contact lens, and then contacting the contact lens to an aqueous solution containing a crosslinking agent in an amount effective to crosslink such an amino group-containing polymer, to crosslink the amino group-containing polymer on the surface of the contact lens and thereby to impart a hydrophilic nature to the contact lens.