Low oxygen molding of soft contact lenses
First Claim
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1. A process for molding contact lenses, comprising:
- a. providing lens mold material that has been exposed to atmospheric oxygen;
b. injection molding, at an elevated temperature sufficient to remove substantially all of the oxygen, a lens mold from the lens mold material;
c. transferring the lens molds to an inert gas atmosphere;
d. holding the lens molds in the inert gas atmosphere for a period of time; and
e. filling the lens molds with a polymerizable monomer under the inert gas atmosphere.
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Abstract
A process for providing degassed complementary concave and convex lens molds to filling and mold assembly stations in a continuous or semicontinuous automated soft contact lens manufacturing system. The process includes injection molding the lens molds, immediately transferring the lens molds to an inert gas atmosphere, degassing the lens molds, and filling the lens molds with a polymerizable monomer under the inert gas prior to mold assembly.
110 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A process for molding contact lenses, comprising:
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a. providing lens mold material that has been exposed to atmospheric oxygen; b. injection molding, at an elevated temperature sufficient to remove substantially all of the oxygen, a lens mold from the lens mold material; c. transferring the lens molds to an inert gas atmosphere; d. holding the lens molds in the inert gas atmosphere for a period of time; and e. filling the lens molds with a polymerizable monomer under the inert gas atmosphere. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A process for manufacturing lens molds for immediate use in a contact lens manufacturing system comprising:
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a. providing lens mold material that has been exposed to atmospheric oxygen; b. injection molding the lens molds from the lens mold material in the presence of atmospheric oxygen at a mold temperature such that substantially all of the oxygen is removed said mold temperature applied over a cycle of three to twelve seconds; c. transferring the lens molds to an inert gas atmosphere; d. holding the lens molds in the inert gas atmosphere for a period of time; and e. filling the lens molds with a polymerizable monomer under the inert gas atmosphere prior to mold assembly. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification