Colored and ring-patterned contact lenses

• US 7,762,662 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert C. Eno
• Original Assignee: Robert C. Eno
• Inventors: Eno, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US11/745,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 351/162
• US Class Current: 351/162
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/046 Contact lenses having an iris pattern

Abstract

Structures of contact lenses, methods and systems for making such contact lenses where the contact lenses have an opaque ring pattern.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a contact lens made of a contact lens material to fit into an eye; and

a colored opaque ring pattern fused into a surface of the contact lens so that the colored opaque ring pattern is embedded in the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens by forming a bond between an ink material of the colored opaque ring pattern and the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens and an area of the surface of the contact lens where the colored opaque ring pattern is located is smooth, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern is positioned in the area of the contact lens surface to expose a central portion of the contact lens and to form a ring around the peripheral portion of the contact lens, the colored opaque ring pattern being smaller in diameter than the contact lens to leave a space on the contact lens between an outer edge of the opaque ring pattern and an outer edge of the contact lens;

wherein the colored opaque ring pattern on a peripheral or limbal portion of the contact lens is bonded into the lens material at the surface to create a flexing zone that drapes to an individual contour of a sclera of the eye;

wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises an inner edge that comprises a pattern of features extending towards the center of the contact lens with each feature decreasing in area as the feature extends towards the center of the contact lens; and

wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises patterns of color that fade out as the patterns of color scatter in from the peripheral or limbal portion of the lens towards the center of the contact lens.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a first silicone material and the contact lens material comprises a second silicone material.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the contact lens is tinted with a translucent color.

4. The device as in claim 3, wherein the translucent color is a blue color and the colored opaque ring pattern is a dark brown color to generate a black color in combination with the blue color tinted in the contact lens, and wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a mixture of colored inks free of a black ink.

5. The device as in claim 3, wherein the translucent color is a blue color and the colored opaque ring pattern is a dark brown color to generate a black color in combination with the blue color tinted in the contact lens, and wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a mixture of colored inks free of a carbon black pigment.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a UV blocking material.

7. The device as in claim 6, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises 2-(4-Benzoyl-3-hydroxy-phenoxy) ethyl acrylate to block UV light.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a white pigment.

9. The device as in claim 8, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern further comprises at least one non-white pigment which mixes with the white pigment to produce a desired opaque color.

10. The device as in claim 8, wherein the white pigment includes TiO₂.

11. The device as in claim 1, wherein only the peripheral or limbal portion of the contact lens is tinted, opaque colored or both tinted and opaque colored.

12. The device as in claim 2, wherein the second silicone material is different from the first silicone material.

13. A method comprising:

applying a colored ink material to a surface of a printing plate having a desired design image of a ring pattern;

transferring the colored ink material in a shape of the ring pattern from printing plate to transfer pad;

transferring the colored ink material in the shape of the ring pattern from the transfer pad to a surface of a contact lens made of a contact lens material to fit into an eye; and

curing the contact lens with the transferred on colored ink material in the shape of the ring pattern to form a colored opaque ring pattern fused into the surface of the contact lens so as to embed the colored opaque ring pattern in the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens by forming a bond between the colored ink material of the colored opaque ring pattern and the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens, and an area of the surface of the contact lens where the colored opaque ring pattern is located is smooth, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern is positioned in the area of the contact lens surface to expose a central portion of the contact lens and to form a ring around the peripheral portion of the contact lens, the colored opaque ring pattern being smaller in diameter than the contact lens to leave a space on the contact lens between an outer edge of the opaque ring pattern and an outer edge of the contact lens, wherein the curing the contact lens comprises;

placing the contact lens with the transferred on colored ink material in a pre-heated vacuum oven,

applying a vacuum pressure to remove bubbles and gases from the colored ink material

heating the contact lens at a first temperature to evaporate unwanted solvents from the colored ink material,

heating the contact lens at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature to polymerize the colored ink material and form a bond between the ink material and the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens,

heating the contact lens at a third temperature that is higher than the second temperature and lower than a melting temperature of the contact lens to melt the colored ink material fused with the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens; and

cooling the contact lens to room temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transferring the colored ink material from the transfer pad to the contact lens comprises:

contacting the contact lens with the transfer pad; and

controlling a pressure of the transfer pad contacting the contact lens.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

bonding the colored opaque ring pattern on a peripheral or limbal portion of the contact lens into the contact lens material at the surface of the contact lens to create a flexing zone that drapes to an individual contour of a sclera of the eye.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises an inner edge that comprises a pattern of features extending towards the center of the contact lens with each feature decreasing in area as the feature extends towards the center of the contact lens.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises patterns of color that fade out as the patterns of color scatter in from the peripheral or limbal portion of the lens towards the center of the contact lens.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein only the peripheral or limbal portion of the contact lens is tinted, opaque colored or both tinted and opaque colored.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a white pigment.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the contact lens is tinted with a translucent color;

and

wherein the translucent color is a blue color and the colored opaque ring pattern is a dark brown color to generate a black color in combination with the blue color tinted in the contact lens, and wherein the colored opaque ring pattern comprises a mixture of colored inks free of a carbon black pigment.