Use of surfactants in extraction procedures for silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lenses

• US 7,968,018 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coopervision International Limited (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Coopervision International Holding Company LP (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Charlie, Daulton, Jay Scott, Warren, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole; Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sultana; Nahida
• Application Number:
  US11/737,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 264/260, 264/2.6, 264/1.32, 425/808, 425/403.1, 106/38.2, 106/38.22, 106/38.9
• US Class Current: 264/2.6
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/60 Releasing, lubricating or separating agents in general C10M
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0067 Using separating agents during or after moulding; Applying separating agents on preforms or articles, e.g. to prevent sticking to each other separating agents B29C33/60
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00067 Hydrating contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0025 Removing impurities from contact lenses, e.g. leaching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

Methods of producing silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lenses include contacting one or more delensed silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens with a liquid composition that contains alcohol, water, and a surfactant. The methods can be steps of an extraction/hydration procedure used in the production of silicone hydrogel contact lenses. In some examples, contacting silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products with a liquid composition that contains alcohol, water, and a surfactant can significantly reduce or prevent surface distortion of the ophthalmic lens resulting from the extraction procedure. Some methods include subsequently contacting the silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens with a liquid composition consisting essentially of water and a surfactant.

Claims

1. A method of producing a silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens, comprising:

polymerizing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens forming composition in an ophthalmic lens mold assembly to produce a polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product;

removing the polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product from a concave lens-defining surface and a convex lens-defining surface of the mold assembly to produce a demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product;

prior to contacting the demolded and delensed lens product with any liquid, placing the demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product in a lens carrier that has physical features on its surface which the lens product can contact;

extracting materials from the delensed ophthalmic lens product by contacting the demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product with a liquid composition that comprises alcohol, water, and a surfactant;

subsequently contacting the demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product with water to produce a hydrated silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens;

wherein the physical features comprise openings or holes located within pockets or recesses; and

wherein the resulting ophthalmic lens product has no surface distortion or has less surface distortion as compared to a substantially identical resulting ophthalmic lens product produced from a substantially identical demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product by a substantially identical process but without the surfactant present in the liquid composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrated silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens is produced from contacting the demolded, delensed and extracted ophthalmic lens product with water that comprises a surfactant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrated silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens is produced from contacting the demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product with a first volume of water that comprises a surfactant, and subsequently contacting the delensed ophthalmic lens product with a second volume of water.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second volume of water comprises a surfactant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid composition comprises about 100 ppm of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the surfactant in the water is the same as the surfactant in the liquid composition.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the surfactant in the second volume of water is the same as the surfactant in the liquid composition.

6. A method of preventing surface distortion in a silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens resulting from extraction and hydration procedures during the manufacture of the silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens, comprising:

prior to contacting a demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product with any liquid, placing the demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product in a lens carrier that has physical features on its surface which the lens product can contact;

extracting materials from the demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product by contacting the demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product with a liquid composition comprising alcohol, water, and a surface distortion preventing amount of a surfactant;

wherein the physical features comprise openings or holes located within recesses or pockets; and

wherein the resulting polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product has no distortion or has less distortion as compared to a substantially identical resulting polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product produced from a substantially identical demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product by a substantially identical process but without the surfactant present in the liquid composition.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising contacting the demolded and delensed ophthalmic lens product with another liquid composition comprising water.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the another liquid composition further comprises a surfactant.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid composition comprises about 100 ppm of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein the surfactant in the another liquid composition is the same as the surfactant in the liquid composition.

10. A method of reducing surface distortion in a batch of silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lenses resulting from extraction and hydration procedures during the manufacture of the batch of silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lenses, comprising:

prior to contacting a batch of demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products with any liquid, placing the batch of demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products in a lens carrier that has physical features on its surface which the lens products can contact;

extracting materials from the batch of demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products by contacting the batch of demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products with a liquid composition including alcohol, water, and a surface distortion reducing amount of a surfactant;

wherein the physical features comprise openings or holes located within pockets or recesses; and

wherein the amount of surface distortion present in the resulting batch of lens products is less than the amount of surface distortion present in a resulting batch of substantially identical resulting polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens products produced from a batch of substantially identical demolded and delensed polymerized silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lens product using a substantially identical process except the batch of substantially identical demolded and delensed product is contacted with a liquid composition comprising alcohol, water, and no surfactant.

11. An extraction and hydration method for a silicone hydrogel lens product, the method comprising:

prior to contacting a demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with any liquid, placing the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product in a lens carrier that has physical features on its surface which the lens product can contact;

extracting materials from the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product by contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with at least a first liquid composition comprising alcohol, water, and a surfactant;

contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with at least a second liquid composition comprising water;

wherein physical features comprise openings or holes located within pockets or recesses; and

wherein the amount of surface distortion present in the resulting delensed silicone hydrogel lens product is less than the amount of surface distortion present in a substantially identical resulting silicone hydrogel lens product produced using a substantially identical process except the substantially identical demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product is contacted with a liquid composition comprising alcohol, water, and no surfactant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second liquid composition further comprises a surfactant.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with at least a third liquid composition comprising water.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the third liquid composition further comprises a surfactant.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first liquid composition comprises about 100 ppm of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the surfactant in the second liquid composition is the same as the surfactant in the first liquid composition.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the surfactant in the third liquid composition is the same as the surfactant in the first liquid composition.

16. An extraction and hydration method for a silicone hydrogel lens product, the method comprising:

prior to contacting a demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with any liquid, placing the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product in a lens carrier that has physical features on its surfaces which the lens product can contact;

extracting materials from the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product by contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with a first liquid composition comprising an organic solvent;

contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with a second liquid composition comprising an organic solvent, water and a surfactant;

contacting the demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product with a third liquid composition comprising water;

wherein the physical features comprise holes or openings located within pockets or recesses; and

wherein the resulting silicone hydrogel lens product has no surface distortion or has less surface distortion as compared to a substantially identical resulting silicone hydrogel lens product produced from a substantially identical demolded and delensed silicone hydrogel lens product by a substantially identical process but without the surfactant present in the liquid composition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third liquid composition further comprises a surfactant.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second liquid composition comprises about 100 ppm of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the organic solvent comprises ethanol.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the surfactant in the third liquid composition is the same as the surfactant in the second liquid composition.