Surface treatment of silicone hydrogel contact lenses

• US 6,348,507 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Groemminger, Suzanne F., Heiler, David J., Simpson, Lisa C., Denick, John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fay, Zohreh
• Assistant Examiner(s): KWON, YONG SOK
• Application Number:
  US09/305,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 514/769, 206/5.1, 264/2.6, 422/300, 422/26, 351/160, 427/489, 427/498
• US Class Current: 514/769
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2343/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of monomers containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/123 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation C08J7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses

Abstract

The present invention provides an optically clear, hydrophilic coating upon the surface of a silicone hydrogel lens by plasma treating the lens and subsequently heating the lens in an aqueous solution containing a surface-protective agent.

Claims

1. A sterile ophthalmically safe aqueous composition for packaging contact lenses having a pH of about 5.0 to 8.0 comprising:

(a) from about 0.03 to 3.0 percent by weight of a surface-protective agent selected from the group consisting of a silicate salt, silicic acid, colloidal silica, and combinations thereof,

(b) an effective amount of at least one osmolality adjusting agent such that the composition has substantially the same osmolality as tear fluid such that said composition may be placed directly in the eye without rinsing.

2. The composition of claim 1 further comprising an effective amount of a buffering agent.

3. The composition of claim 1 comprising, 93 to 99% by weight water.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the osmolality adjusting agent comprises an ophthalmologically suitable salt selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal halide salt.