Contact lens coating selection and manufacturing process

• US 6,478,423 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Heaton, John C., Jen, James S., Copper, Lenora L., Steffen, Robert B., Turner, David C., Vanderlaan, Douglas G., Wood, Joe M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Application Number:
  US09/663,437
• Time in Patent Office: 787 Days
• Field of Search: 351/160.H, 351/160.R, 351/161, 351/177
• US Class Current: 351/177
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention is a method of making a coated contact lens with desirable physiological performance. Preferably, the lenses are made from hydrophobic contact lens substrate with a hydrophilic coating material. The hydrophobic lens substrate is coated with a hydrophilic material having an expansion factor greater than one. The coated lenses have low physical defect and surface roughness profiles.

Claims

1. A method of coating a contact lens comprising:

a) selecting a lens substrate material,

b) selecting a coating material which will have an expansion factor greater than one relative to the lens substrate material, and

c) coating said lens substrate material with said coating material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated surface has no defects greater than 4.6 μ

m.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the coated surface has no defects greater than 0.5 μ

m.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated surface has a peak to peak roughness less than 475 nm over any 10×

10 μ

m area of the coating.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the lens substrate is a polymer made from a hydrophobic monomer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lens substrate is a silicone-based polymer, oligomer, or macromer hydrogel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a hydrophilic material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising adhering said coating to said substrate with a tielayer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adhering said coating to said substrate with a coupling agent.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(itaconic acid), poly(maleic acid), block or random copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid, acrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid with a reactive vinyl monomer, carboxymethylated polymers, polyacrylamide, polydimethacrylamide, poleyvinylalcohol, cellulose, dextran, polyethylene oxide, polyHEMA, poly sulfonates, polysulfates, polylactate, polyglycolic acid, other polyamines, and mixtures thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a silicon-based polymer, oligomer, or macromer hydrogel, and the coating is a polyacrylic acid, polyacrylate, or mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a silicon-based polymer, oligomer or macromer hydrogel, and the coating is block or random copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid, carboxymethylated polymers, polyacrylamide, polydimethylacrylamide, polyethylene oxide, polyhema poly sulfonates, polysulfates, or mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating step is conducted via aqueous solution.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating step is conducted via organic borne solution.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating step is photoinitiated.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating step is initiated with ionizing radiation.

17. A method of selecting contact lenses wherein the lenses are lens substrates which are surface coated, said method comprising:

a. coating a hydrophobic lens substrate with a hydrophilic material having an expansion factor greater than one;

b. determining the surface roughness profile of said coated lens;

c. determining the physical defect profile of said coated lens; and

d. selecting for use those lenses having a low surface roughness profile and a low physical defect profile.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said selecting step is conducted by statistical sampling.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said selecting step is continuous.

20. A method of manufacturing physiologically compatible contact lenses comprising:

a. forming a lens substrate from a hydrophobic monomer,

b. coating the lens substrate with a hydrophilic material having an expansion factor greater than one, and

c. selecting for use those coated lenses having a low surface roughness profile and a low physical defect profile.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of discarding those contact lenses having greater than a low surface roughness profile and a low physical defect profile.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said selecting step is conducted by statistical sampling.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said selecting and discarding steps are conducted continuously.

24. A method of manufacturing physiologically compatible contact lenses comprising:

a. forming a lens substrate from a silicone based polymer, oligomer, or macromer,

b. coating the lens substrate with an acrylic polymer capable of an expansion factor greater than one, and

c. selecting for use those coated lenses having a low surface roughness profile and a low physical defect profile.

25. A physiologically compatible contact lens that is produced by a method comprising

a. forming a lens substrate from a silicone based polymer, oligomer, or macromer,

b. coating the lens substrate with an acrylic polymer capable of an expansion factor greater than one, and

c. selecting for use those coated lenses having a low surface roughness profile and a low physical defect profile.

26. The contact lens of claim 25 having a surface roughness profile of less than 475 nm over any 10×

10 μ

m area of coating and no physical defects greater than 4.6 μ

m.

27. The contact lens of claim 25 wherein the acrylic polymer is selected from one or more members of the group consisting of poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(itaconic acid), poly(maleic acid), block or random copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid, acrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid with a reactive vinyl monomer, carboxymethylated polymers, polyacrylamide, polydimethacrylamide, polyvinylalcohol, cellulose, dextran, polyethylene oxide, polyhema, poly sulfonates, olysulfates, polylactate, polyglycolic acid, other polyamines, and mixtures thereof.