Method of treating a lens forming surface of at least one mold half of a mold for molding ophthalmic lenses
First Claim
1. Method of molding a silicon hydrogel soft contact lens, the method comprising the steps of providing a mold comprising a male mold half and a female mold half, each of the male and female mold halves having a lens forming surface, introducing a silicon hydrogel lens forming material into the male mold half or the female mold half, assembling the male and female mold halves, exposing the lens forming material arranged between the lens forming surfaces of the male and female mold halves to polymerizing and/or crosslinking energy to form the silicon hydrogel soft contact lens, disassembling the male and female mold halves to open the mold, and removing the silicon hydrogel soft contact lens from the male mold half or from the female mold half,wherein the lens forming surface of either both the male and female mold halves or of only one of the male and female mold halves is treated by a plasma treatment prior to introducing the lens forming material into the male mold half or the female mold half,wherein the plasma is generated with the aid of a plasma torch comprising a plasma gun and a tubular plasma concentrator, the plasma concentrator sealingly surrounding the space between the plasma gun and the lens forming surface of the mold or mold half, wherein the plasma treatment is under atmospheric pressure thereby hydrophilizing the lens forming surface without depositing any material on the lens forming surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of treating of a lens forming surface (2) of at least one mold half (1) of a mold for molding an ophthalmic lens, in particular of the lens forming surface of a glass mold half for molding a contact lens, especially a soft contact lens, includes the steps of:
- providing a plasma (10) under atmospheric pressure, and
- exposing the lens forming surface (2) to the plasma (10) under atmospheric pressure thereby hydrophilizing the lens forming surface (2) without depositing any material on the lens forming surface (2).
77 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Method of molding a silicon hydrogel soft contact lens, the method comprising the steps of providing a mold comprising a male mold half and a female mold half, each of the male and female mold halves having a lens forming surface, introducing a silicon hydrogel lens forming material into the male mold half or the female mold half, assembling the male and female mold halves, exposing the lens forming material arranged between the lens forming surfaces of the male and female mold halves to polymerizing and/or crosslinking energy to form the silicon hydrogel soft contact lens, disassembling the male and female mold halves to open the mold, and removing the silicon hydrogel soft contact lens from the male mold half or from the female mold half,
wherein the lens forming surface of either both the male and female mold halves or of only one of the male and female mold halves is treated by a plasma treatment prior to introducing the lens forming material into the male mold half or the female mold half, wherein the plasma is generated with the aid of a plasma torch comprising a plasma gun and a tubular plasma concentrator, the plasma concentrator sealingly surrounding the space between the plasma gun and the lens forming surface of the mold or mold half, wherein the plasma treatment is under atmospheric pressure thereby hydrophilizing the lens forming surface without depositing any material on the lens forming surface.
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13. Method of treating of a lens forming surface of at least one mold half of a mold for molding an ophthalmic lens, the method including the steps of:
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providing a plasma under atmospheric pressure, and exposing the lens forming surface to the plasma under atmospheric pressure thereby hydrophilizing the lens forming surface without depositing any material on the lens forming surface, wherein the plasma is generated with the aid of a plasma torch comprising a plasma gun and a tubular plasma concentrator, the plasma concentrator sealingly surrounding the space between the plasma gun and the lens forming surface of the mold or mold half. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification