Silicone hydrogel lenses with water-rich surfaces

• US 9,244,200 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: Qiu, Yongxing, Pruitt, John Dallas, Thekveli, Sibichen J., Tucker, Robert Carey, Nelson, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): GREECE, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US14/564,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20150092156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.01, 351/159.02, 351/159.33, 351/159.73, 427/2.1, 428/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00048 composed of parts with dissimilar composition B29D11/00057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00067 Hydrating contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00865 Applying coatings; tinting; colouring printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/388 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/08 containing silicon bound to organic groups containing atoms other than carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2433/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2433/26 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2487/00 Characterised by the use of unspecified macromolecular compounds, obtained otherwise than by polymerisation reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/00 Manufacture of articles or shaped materials containing macromolecular substances manufacture of semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00 - B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/042 with two or more layers, where at least one layer of a composition contains a polymer binder
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/14 the macromolecular compounds being water soluble or water swellable, e.g. aqueous gels
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/14 of esters containing halogen, nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen atoms in addition to the carboxy oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/26 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 171/02 Polyalkylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 177/06 Polyamides derived from polyamines and polycarboxylic acids C09D177/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/1637 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/1681 Antifouling coatings characterised by surface structure, e.g. for roughness effect giving superhydrophobic coatings or Lotus effect
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/18 : Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films G02B1/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/06 : Special ophthalmologic or optometric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 : Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 : Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures

Abstract

The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

Claims

1. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens, comprising:

an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface; and

a layered structural configuration from the anterior surface to the posterior surface,

wherein the layered structural configuration includes an anterior outer hydrogel layer, an inner layer of a silicone hydrogel material, and a posterior outer hydrogel layer,

wherein the inner layer is a preformed silicone hydrogel contact lens made from a silicone hydrogel lens formulation comprising a hydrophilic vinylic monomer and a polysiloxane-containing vinylic monomer or macromer,

wherein the inner layer of the silicone hydrogel material has an oxygen permeability of at least about 50 Barrers, a first water content WC_SiHy of from about 10% to about 65% by weight, and an elastic modulus of from about 0.3 MPa to about 1.8 MPa,

wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers are substantially uniform in thickness and merge at the peripheral edge of the contact lens to completely enclose the inner layer of the silicone hydrogel material,

wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a second water content higher than WC_SiHy, as characterized either (a) by having a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 150% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or (b) by having a water-swelling ratio of at least about

2. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each of the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers is from about 0.25 μ

m to about 15 μ

m, as measured with atomic force microscopy across a cross section from the posterior surface to the anterior surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens in fully hydrated state.

3. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each of the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers is from about 0.5 μ

m to about 12.5 μ

m, as measured with atomic force microscopy across a cross section from the posterior surface to the anterior surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens in fully hydrated state.

4. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each of the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers is from about 1 μ

m to about 10 μ

m, as measured with atomic force microscopy across a cross section from the posterior surface to the anterior surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens in fully hydrated state.

5. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 200% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

6. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 2, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 200% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

7. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 3, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 200% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

8. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 4, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 200% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

9. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 250% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

10. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 2, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 250% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

11. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 3, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 250% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

12. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 4, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 250% if WC_SiHy≦

45% or a water-swelling ratio of at least about

13. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 300%.

14. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 2, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 300%.

15. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 3, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 300%.

16. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 4, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers independent of each other have a water-swelling ratio WSR of at least about 300%.

17. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 1, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers are substantially free of silicone.

18. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 2, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers are substantially free of silicone.

19. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 3, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers are substantially free of silicone.

20. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of claim 4, wherein the anterior and posterior outer hydrogel layers are substantially free of silicone.