Compositions and methods for enhancing contact lens wearability

• US 5,858,346 A
• Filed: 05/09/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Allergan SPA (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Currie, James P., Vehige, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulkosky, Peter F.
• Application Number:
  US08/854,221
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 424/78.04, 514/840
• US Class Current: 424/78.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 12/08 using chemical substances

Abstract

Compositions and methods for treating a contact lens very effectively and conveniently provide enhanced contact lens wearability by reducing the actual or perceived ocular sensitivity which results from exposing a contact lens to non-oxidative antimicrobial components. The present system takes advantage of inactivating or deactivating a non-oxidative antimicrobial component located on or in a contact lens to reduce the ocular sensitivity caused by placing the lens in the eye.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the wearability of a contact lens which comprises:

contacting a contact lens on or in which is located a non-oxidative antimicrobial component selected from the group consisting of polycationic antimicrobial component and mixtures thereof with a liquid medium containing an amount in the range of about 5% (w/v) or less effective to inactivate substantially all the non-oxidative antimicrobial component located on or in said contact lens of an inactivating component selected from the group consisting of anionic cellulose derivatives, anionic acrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic methacrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic amino acid-containing polymers and mixtures thereof at conditions effective to inactivate said non-oxidative antimicrobial component located on or in said contact lens.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said contacting comprises rubbing said contact lens with said liquid medium or rinsing said contact lens with said liquid medium or soaking said contact lens in said liquid medium.

3. The method of claim 1 which further comprises, prior to said contacting with said inactivating component, contacting said contact lens with a liquid material containing an effective disinfecting amount of said non-oxidative antimicrobial component at conditions effective to disinfect said contact lens.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said inactivating component is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethylcelluloses and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said non-oxidative antimicrobial component is selected from the group consisting of hexamethylene biguanide polymers and mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said non-oxidative antimicrobial component is selected from the group consisting of poly quaternary ammonium salts, hexamethylene biguanide polymers and mixtures thereof.

6. A composition for enhancing the wearability of a contact lens which comprises:

an aqueous liquid medium;

an inactivating component soluble in said aqueous liquid medium, selected from the group consisting of anionic cellulose derivatives, anionic acrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic methacrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic amino acid-containing polymers and mixtures thereof and present in an amount in the range of about 5% (w/v) or less effective to inactivate substantially all of a non-oxidative, polycationic antimicrobial component located on or in a contact lens contacted with said composition; and

a preservative component selected from the group consisting of per-salts, peroxides, alcohols, sorbic acid, chlorine dioxide precursors and mixtures thereof in an amount in a range of about 0.000001% to about 0.05% (w/v) effective to preserve said composition, the preserving activity of said preservative component being effective in the presence of said inactivating component, wherein said preservative component has a reduced propensity to cause discomfort in a human eye relative to the non-oxidative, polycationic antimicrobial component located on or in a contact lens contacted with said composition.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein said inactivating component is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethylcelluloses, anionic acrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic methacrylic acid-containing polymers, anionic amino acid-containing polymers and mixtures thereof.

8. The composition of claim 6 wherein said inactivating component is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethylcelluloses and mixtures thereof.

9. The composition of claim 6 wherein said preservative component is selected from the group consisting of chlorine dioxide precursors and mixtures thereof.

10. The composition of claim 6 which further comprises a scavenger component present in an amount effective to inactivate a chelating component located on or in a contact lens contacted with said composition.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein said scavenger component is ophthalmically acceptable and is selected from the group consisting of calcium salts, magnesium salts and mixtures thereof.