Process and apparatus for the manufacture of a contact lens
First Claim
1. A process for the manufacture of contact lenses, from a polymerizable contact lens material between two mould halves, comprising the steps of:
- a) pre-treating a moulding surface of one of said mould halves, wherein the pre-treating step comprises the steps of;
1) positioning said mould half to be treated between two electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes facing said mould half has an annular face which effectively extends over a region that is to be treated and said region is outside the optical zone of the contact lens to be produced from the pre-treated mould half, and2) applying a corona discharge such that the pre-treating of said mould half occurs in said region to be treated;
b) dispensing said polymerizable material into one of said mould halves;
c) mating the mould half with the other mould half; and
d) polymerizing said polymerizable material located between the mated two mould halves, thereby forming an as yet unhydrated contact lens,wherein the corona discharge pre-treating step is performed in such a manner that, when the mated mould is opened, the contact lens adheres to the pre-treated mould half.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a process for the manufacture of contact lenses, a polymerizable contact lens material is dispensed into a mould half (1) and the mould is subsequently closed by means of the second mould half (2). The material located between the two mould halves in the moulding cavity (12) is then polymerized, thus forming an as yet unhydrated contact lens (CL). The moulding surface of one of the two mould halves (1, 2) is pre-treated, before use, in a region (20) outside the optically active zone of the contact lens (CL) in such a manner that, when the mould is opened, the contact lens (CL) adheres to the pre-treated mould half.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process for the manufacture of contact lenses, from a polymerizable contact lens material between two mould halves, comprising the steps of:
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a) pre-treating a moulding surface of one of said mould halves, wherein the pre-treating step comprises the steps of; 1) positioning said mould half to be treated between two electrodes, wherein one of said electrodes facing said mould half has an annular face which effectively extends over a region that is to be treated and said region is outside the optical zone of the contact lens to be produced from the pre-treated mould half, and 2) applying a corona discharge such that the pre-treating of said mould half occurs in said region to be treated; b) dispensing said polymerizable material into one of said mould halves; c) mating the mould half with the other mould half; and d) polymerizing said polymerizable material located between the mated two mould halves, thereby forming an as yet unhydrated contact lens, wherein the corona discharge pre-treating step is performed in such a manner that, when the mated mould is opened, the contact lens adheres to the pre-treated mould half. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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- 6. An apparatus for the manufacture of contact lenses, having a mould which comprises two mould halves, the mould halves having a moulding surface each and enclosing in the closed state of the mould a moulding cavity which defines the shape of the contact lens, having a dispensing device for feeding a polymerisable contact lens material into the one mould half, having a light source for exposing the contact lens material enclosed in the moulding cavity after closing the mould to light, whereby the material enclosed in the moulding cavity is polymerised and an as yet unhydrated contact lens is produced, wherein a device for corona discharge pre-treatment is provided which has an electrode with an annular facing and pre-treats the moulding surface of the one mould half in an annular region outside the optical zone of the contact lens in such a manner that, when the mould is opened, the contact lens adheres to the pre-treated mould half without causing adverse effect on the optical zone of the contact lens.
Specification