Printing colored contact lenses

• US 6,811,259 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: Tucker, Robert Carey
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US09/879,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20010050753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 351/162, 351/160.R, 351/160.H, 351/161, 351/177
• US Class Current: 351/177
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00903 on the surface
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/021 with pattern for identification or with cosmetic or therapeutic effects methods and processes take preference, e.g. printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; surface treatment of glass C03C15/00 - C03C23/00; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/046 Contact lenses having an iris pattern

Abstract

A method of making a colored contact lens comprises printing at least one layer of a colorant onto a contact lens using a printing process selected from the group consisting of ink jet printing, electrophotographic printing, thermal transfer printing, and photographic development printing. Printing can be done directly on the contact lens, on a film in a mold where the contact lens is formed, or on a cliché pad. Multiple layers of colorants can be printed onto a contact lens.

Claims

1. A method of making a colored contact lens, the method comprising the steps of:

transporting a contact lens into an ink jet printer having a plurality of nozzels, wherein each nozzel is sized to form drops having a volume of less than 100 picoliters of colorant; and

printing pixels of less than 150 microns in diameter on a surface of the contact lens by, under control of a computer, dispensing droplets of a first colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens to form a first pattern, wherein the ink jet printer spaces the pixels less than 80 microns from each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nozzles face perpendicular to the surface of the contact lens to be printed and form a hemisphere around the contact lens.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing step is performed, under control of the computer, by dispensing droplets of the first colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens while rotating the contact lens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first colorant is an ink comprising at least one pigment, and wherein the ink is characterized by being capable of drying in less than 5 seconds, by having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 50 centipoise, and by being capable of adhering to the contact lens and retaining the shape of the contact lens after being treated in an autoclave.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a second pattern by, under control of the computer, dispensing droplets of a second colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens, wherein the second pattern is comprised of pixels which are less than 150 microns in diameter and spaced less than 80 microns.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second colorants independent of each other are inks comprising at least one pigment, and wherein the ink is characterized by being capable of drying in less than 5 seconds, by having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 50 centipoise, and by being capable of adhering to the contact lens and retaining the shape of the contact lens after being treated in an autoclave.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the nozzles face perpendicular to the surface of the contact lens to be printed and form a hemisphere around the contact lens.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the printing step is performed, under control of the computer, dispensing droplets of the first or second colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens while rotating the contact lens.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising coating the lens with a binding solution.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the coating is done during printing.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the coating is done after printing.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the binding solution comprises at least one monomer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the binding solution further comprises an adhesion promoter.

14. A colored contact lens produced by the process of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the second pattern overlaps the first pattern, at least in part.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second pattern overlaps the first pattern such that at least 50% of the first pattern is covered.

17. The colored contact lens of claim 14, comprising an image thereon, wherein the image is selected from the group consisting of a cosmetic pattern, an inversion mark, a SKU code, an identity code, and combinations thereof.

18. The colored contact lens of claim 17, wherein the image is a cosmetic pattern.

19. The colored contact lens of claim 18, wherein said cosmetic pattern is an iris pattern.

20. The colored contact lens of claim 17, wherein the image is an inversion mark.

21. The colored contact lens of claim 17, wherein the image is an SKU code.

22. The colored contact lens of claim 21, wherein the contact lens further comprises an iris pattern and wherein the SKU code is blended with the iris pattern.

23. The colored contact lens of claim 17, wherein the image is an identity code.

24. A method of making a colored contact lens, the method comprising the steps of:

transporting a contact lens into an ink jet printer having a plurality of nozzels, wherein each nozzel is sized to form drops having a volume of less than 100 picoliters of colorant, and wherein the ink jet printer is capable of printing, on the surface of the contact lens, pixels which are less than 150 microns in diameter;

printing a first pattern on a surface of the contact lens by, under control of a computer, dispensing droplets of a first colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens; and

coating the lens with a binding solution, wherein the binding solution comprises at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one hydrophobic monomer.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the binding solution comprises 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the nozzles face perpendicular to the surface of the contact lens to be printed and form a hemisphere around the contact lens.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the printing step is performed, under control of the computer, by dispensing droplets of the first colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens while rotating the contact lens.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the first colorant is an ink comprising at least one pigment, and wherein the ink is characterized by being capable of drying in less than 5 seconds, by having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 50 centipoise, and by being capable of adhering to the contact lens and retaining the shape of the contact lens after being treated in an autoclave.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising printing a second pattern by, under control of the computer, dispensing droplets of a second colorant from one or more nozzles, onto the surface of the contact lens.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first and second colorants independent of each other are inks comprising at least one pigment, and wherein the ink is characterized by being capable of drying in less than 5 seconds, by having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 50 centipoise, and by being capable of adhering to the contact lens and retaining the shape of the contact lens after being treated in an autoclave.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the binding solution further comprises an adhesion promoter.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the second pattern overlaps the first pattern, at least in part.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second pattern overlaps the first pattern such that at least 50% of the first pattern is covered.

34. A colored contact lens produced by the process of claim 24.

35. The colored contact lens of claim 34, comprising an image thereon, wherein the image is selected from the group consisting of a cosmetic pattern, an inversion mark, a SKU code, an identity code, and combinations thereof.

36. The colored contact lens of claim 35, wherein the image is a cosmetic pattern.

37. The colored contact lens of claim 36, wherein said cosmetic pattern is an iris pattern.

38. The colored contact lens of claim 35, wherein the image is an inversion mark.

39. The colored contact lens of claim 35, wherein the image is an SKU code.

40. The colored contact lens of claim 35, wherein the contact lens further comprises an iris pattern and wherein the SKU code is blended with the iris pattern.

41. The colored contact lens of claim 35, wherein the image is an identity code.