Abstract: A contact lens blister package 1 includes (i) a cavity 4 for storing a contact lens 20 and (ii) charging circuitry 3 configured to charge an electronic device 22 forming part of a contact lens 20 stored in said cavity 4. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for manufacturing contact lenses employing dissolvable mold structure. The apparatus and methods involve approaches to dissolve at least portions of a mold and to separate a lens from the mold to present the lens for collection.

Abstract: A flexible optical element adopting liquid crystals (LCs) as the materials for realizing electrically tunable optics is foldable. A method for manufacturing the flexible element includes patterned photo-polymerization. The LC optics can include a pair of LC layers with orthogonally aligned LC directors for polarizer-free properties, flexible polymeric alignment layers, flexible substrates, and a module for controlling the electric field. The lens power of the LC optics can be changed by controlling the distribution of electric field across the optical zone.

Abstract: Contact lens packaging (2) includes two or more individual, sealed blister packs (1) coupled together by a connecting label (5), which includes a uni-axial shear polymer film (6). The connecting label (5) is arranged and oriented such that the tear direction of the polymer film (6) is parallel to a line (A) bisecting adjacent blister packs (1). Methods of binding together two or more blister packs (1) are also described.

Abstract: Contact lenses having even surface coatings are manufactured by coating a polyvinyl alcohol polymer on a lens-forming surface of a contact lens mold, applying a contact lens coating composition onto the polyvinyl alcohol polymer, and curing a contact lens formulation in the coated contact lens mold. During curing, the coating composition transfers from the mold to the contact lens surface. The polyvinyl alcohol helps prevent the contact lens coating composition from being solubilized by the contact lens composition during the curing step.

Abstract: A method of removing an ophthalmic lens from a lens mold portion is provided and includes reciprocally displacing a region of the mold portion and thereby causing an edge portion of the ophthalmic lenses to become detached from the mold portion. Related apparatus, methods of manufacturing ophthalmic lenses, delensing stations, and manufacturing times are provided.

Abstract: A silicone elastomer-hydrogel hybrid contact lens includes a silicone elastomer layer and a hydrogel layer adhered to the silicone elastomer layer by a delamination-resistant bond that is formed by an elastomer-swellable monomer that is included in the polymerizable composition used to form the hydrogel layer.

Abstract: A silicone elastomer-silicone hydrogel hybrid contact lens comprises a silicone elastomer layer adhered to silicone hydrogel layer by a delamination-resistant bond. The silicone hydrogel layer has a percent swell of about ?5% up to about 20%. The silicone elastomer layer may have one or more objects embedded within it or adhered to its surface. Such objects may include variable-focus lenses and/or electronic components.

Abstract: Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, packaged ophthalmic devices present in a solution comprising the at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use wet demolding processes, or wet delensing processes or both wet demolding and wet delensing processes involving dissolving the molds in water or an aqueous solution.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for manufacturing contact lenses by forming a contact lens mold half, and removing the mold half. The mold half can then be combined with a complementary mold half and used to cast-mold a contact lens. The apparatus includes first and second plates each carrying tool halves. The plates reciprocate between an open, spaced apart configuration, and a closed configuration in which they hold complementary tool halves in contact with one another. When the plates are opened after forming a mold half, a gripper plate removes the mold half from the first plate or the second plate.

Abstract: Methods for making ophthalmic lenses are generally discussed herein with particular discussions extended to plastic injection molded ophthalmic lens molds that are machined or lens buttons located on the injection molds that are machined. The machine process can include setting a lens axis of the ophthalmic lens and machining a ballast that is aligned to a major axis of a toric zone.

Abstract: A tray (20) for holding contact lens mold assemblies (70) during thermal curing of a contact lens precursor material in an oven (210) to form contact lenses. The tray (20) comprises a plurality of plates (60) and a frame (25) supporting the plates (60). The frame (25) is configured to be stacked vertically with a plurality of identical frames to form a tray stack (10). Each plate (60) is a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer plate and comprises a plurality of support structures (110) each arranged to support one contact lens mold assembly (70) during curing and a plurality of channels (90, 100) connecting the support structures (110), to allow gases to flow between them in the tray stack (10) during curing.

Abstract: A collet (230) for holding a contact lens mold half (240) during machining of a surface of the mold half (240) comprises a disc (235) having a face and defining: a central structure (250a), at the centre of the face, for receiving a head portion (240a) of the mold half (240), and an elongate recess (250b), in the face, for receiving a tail portion (240b) of the mold half (240), the elongate recess (250b) extending from the central structure (250a) along a radius of the disc (235).

Abstract: A contact lens comprises a hydrogel lens body and a non-expandable object embedded within the hydrogel lens body. The surface energy of the non-expandable object and the modulus of the hydrogel lens body are selected so as to reduce distortion during hydration of the hydrogel.

Abstract: A case is provided for holding one or more contact lenses. The case is configured to receive an inner pod, and the case includes an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is structured to move relative to the lower part from an open configuration wherein the upper and lower parts are at least partially separated to a closed configuration wherein the upper and lower parts are together. The upper part is also structured to move relative to the lower part from a disengaged position to an engaged position wherein, in the disengaged position, the case is movable between the open and closed configurations and in the engaged position, the case is locked in the closed configuration.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for exchanging tools and/or tool assemblies used to form different types of molds for in injection-molding machines, are described. The exchange of tools and/or tool assemblies is made using a robot. Contact lens mold halves and assemblies for molding contact lenses of different powers or types can be made with a single injection-molding apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses by bringing together a pair of mold halves to form a closed mold assembly, are described. The method includes measuring a force applied to bring the mold halves together. The apparatus includes at least one force sensor in operative communication with a single pair of mold halves, and a controller for controlling a velocity of movement of a mold half and for determining when a measured force or average measured force is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold force.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a contact lens 110 is disclosed. The method comprises manufacturing a rod of lens material 101, the rod 101 containing a plurality of electronic components 102 spaced apart along its length, separating the rod 101 into a plurality of lens blanks 106, each lens blank 106 containing at least one of said electronic components 102, and machining the front and/or back surface of a lens blank 106 to produce a contact lens 110 containing the at least one electronic component 102.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens using a first mold portion and a puck assembly. The puck assembly comprises a carrier puck. The puck assembly supports at least one of the first mold portion and the lens during at least two of the following ophthalmic lens manufacturing steps: assembling the first mold portion and a second mold portion into a mold assembly including a lens-defining cavity containing a lens precursor material; curing the lens precursor material in the mold assembly to form a lens; separating the mold assembly such that the lens remains attached to the first mold portion; detaching the lens from the first mold portion; extracting unwanted material from the lens; hydrating the lens; inspecting the lens, and packaging the lens.