Methods of forming an extended wear ophthalmic lens having a hydrophilic surface

• US 5,789,461 A
• Filed: 07/18/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Original Assignee: CIBA Vision Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Meijs, Gordon Francis, Vogt, Jurgen, Court, John, Winterton, Lynn Cook, Ho, Arthur, Lohmann, Dieter, Chabrecek, Peter, Liu, Qin, Papaspiliotopoulos, Eric, Schindhelm, Klaus, Laycock, Bronwyn Glenice, Domschke, Angelika, Nicolson, Paul Clement, Baron, Richard Carlton, Sweeney, Deborah, Terry, Wilson Leonard Jr., Hopken, Jens, Griesser, Hans Jorg, Riffle, Judy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MERRIAM, ANDREW EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US08/683,491
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 526/279, 523/106, 523/107, 427/2.24, 264/1.36, 528/32
• US Class Current: 523/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/26 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/34 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/42 Casting under special conditions, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 71/00 After-treatment of articles without altering their shape; Apparatus therefor B29C44/56, B29C73/00 take precedence; surface shaping B29C59/00 ; for joined or sealed parts B29C66/03; after-treatment specially adapted for vulcanising tyres B29D30/0633
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00076 enabling passage of fluids, e.g. oxygen, tears, between the area under the lens and the lens exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0041 Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/48 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4833 Polyethers containing oxyethylene units
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5015 having fluorine atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/61 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/63 Block or graft polymers obtained by polymerising compounds having carbon-to-carbon double bonds on to polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/672 Esters of acrylic or alkyl acrylic acid having only one group containing active hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/8116 esters of acrylic or alkylacrylic acid having only one isocyanate or isothiocyanate group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/8175 with esters of acrylic or alkylacrylic acid having only one group containing active hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and only one being terminated by only one carboxyl radical, or of salts, anhydrides, esters, amides, imides or nitriles thereof; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 39/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of N-vinyl-pyrrolidones
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/08 grafted on to macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/085 on to polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 : Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 : Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 525/903 : Interpenetrating network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 525/936 : Encapsulated chemical agent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 525/937 : Utility as body contact e.g. implant, contact lens or I.U.D.

Abstract

An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear for periods of at least one day on the eye without a clinically significant amount of corneal swelling and without substantial wearer discomfort. The lens has a balance of oxygen permeability and ion or water permeability, with the ion or water permeability being sufficient to provide good on-eye movement, such that a good tear exchange occurs between the lens and the eye. A preferred lens is a copolymerization product of a oxyperm macromer and an ionoperm monomer. The invention encompasses extended wear contact lenses, which include a core having oxygen transmission and ion transmission pathways extending from the inner surface to the outer surface.

Claims

1. A method of forming a biocompatible lens having high oxygen permeability and high water permeability, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a polymeric core material including;

(1) at least one continuous pathway from front curve to base curve surfaces for oxygen transmission therethrough, and

(2) at least one continuous pathway from front curve to base curve surfaces for water transmission therethrough; and

(b) altering the surface of said core material to produce a surface which is more hydrophilic than said core material,

whereby said lens allows oxygen permeation in an amount sufficient to maintain corneal health and wearer comfort during a period of extended, continuous contact with ocular tissue and ocular fluids, and

whereby said lens allows ion permeation in an amount sufficient to enable the lens to move on the eye such that corneal health is not substantially harmed and wearer comfort is acceptable during a period of extended, continuous contact with ocular tissue and ocular fluids,

wherein said ophthalmic lens has an oxygen transmissibility of at least about 70 barrers/mm and an ion permeability characterized either by (1) an Ionoton Ion Permeability Coefficient of greater than about 0.2×

10^-6 cm² /sec or (2) an Ionoflux Diffusion Coefficient of greater than about 1.5×

10^-6 mm² /min, wherein said ion permeability is measured with respect to sodium ions.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein said ophthalmic lens has an oxygen permeability of at least 87 barrers/mm.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein said intimate contact period is at least 24 hours.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein said intimate contact period is at least 7 days.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein said lens has an Ionoton Ion Permeability Coefficient of at least about 0.3×

10^-6 cm² /sec.

6. A method of claim 2, wherein said intimate contact period is at least 7 days.

7. A method of claim 3, wherein said intimate contact period is at least 14 days.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein said surface altering comprises plasma treating said surface to render said surface more hydrophilic than said core.