Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

Abstract: The invention relates to a soft hydrogel contact lens, especially a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which has a capability of delivering a hydrophobic comfort agent into the eye of a wearer. The hydrophobic comfort agent includes without limitation a monoglyceride, a diglyceride, a triglyceride, a glycolipid, a glyceroglycolipid, a sphingolipid, a sphingo-glycolipid, a phospholipid, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol, a hydrocarbon having a C12-C28 chain in length, a mineral oil, a silicone oil, or a mixture thereof. It can be released from the soft hydrogel contact lens into the eye of a wearer when being worn so as to strengthen and stabilize the tear film lipid layer and alleviate the dryness of the eye.

Abstract: The invention is related to a process for producing contact lenses that not only comprise a water gradient structural configurations, but also have a minimized uptakes of polyquaternium-1 and a long-lasting surface hydrophilicity and wettability even after being undergone a simulated 30-days lens care regime.

Abstract: Described herein are water-soluble UV-absorbing vinylic monomers and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and optionally (but preferably) violet radiation with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV radiation and potentially from violet radiation. This invention also provides a UV-absorbing contact lens.

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.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a method for producing, in a consistent manner, contact lenses each having an intact durable coating thereon, wherein the coating is a hydrogel coating formed by covalently attached a hydrophilic polymeric material having azetidinium groups onto a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a contact lens at a relatively low temperature (e.g., from about 40° C. to about 60° C.). The coating temperature for forming a durable hydrogel coating on top of the base coating of a contact lens can be significantly lowered by raising, in situ, the pH (to about 9.5 or higher) of a reactive coating solution which contains the hydrophilic polymeric material having azetidinium groups.

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.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) phosphorylcholine groups and dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive groups or chains each of which comprises one carboxyl group, one thiol group, or one primary or secondary amino group. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to soft contact lenses which comprise a non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a hydrogel coating thereon. The non-silicone hydrogel lens body is composed of a hydrogel material which is free of silicone and comprises at least 50% by mole of repeating units of at least one hydroxyl-containing vinylic monomer. The hydrogel coating comprises a first polymeric material having first reactive functional groups and a hydrogel layer derived from a second polymeric material having second reactive functional groups, and the hydrogel layer is covalently attached onto the anchor layer through linkages each formed between one first reactive functional group and one second reactive functional group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and has a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing, a water content of from about 10% to about 85% by weight and an elastic modulus of from about 0.

Abstract: The invention is related to azetidinium-containing copolymers and vinylic monomers and their uses in formation of non-silicone hydrogel coatings on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to colored contact lenses which comprise a hydrogel lens body having an opaque color image therein and/or thereon and a durable lubricious coating thereon. The coating comprises an anchoring layer of a polyanionic polymer having carboxyl groups and a hydrogel layer which is derived from a hydrophilic polymeric material having azetidinium groups and is covalently attached onto the anchoring layer of the polyanionic polymer through linkages each formed between one carboxyl group and one azetidinium groups. The colored contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

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.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to soft contact lenses which comprise a non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a hydrogel coating thereon. The non-silicone hydrogel lens body is composed of a hydrogel material which is free of silicone and comprises at least 50% by mole of repeating units of at least one hydroxyl-containing vinylic monomer. The hydrogel coating comprises a first polymeric material having first reactive functional groups and a hydrogel layer derived from a second polymeric material having second reactive functional groups, and the hydrogel layer is covalently attached onto the anchor layer through linkages each formed between one first reactive functional group and one second reactive functional group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and has a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing, a water content of from about 10% to about 85% by weight and an elastic modulus of from about 0.

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.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to soft contact lenses which comprise a non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a hydrogel coating thereon. The non-silicone hydrogel lens body is composed of a hydrogel material which is free of silicone and comprises at least 50% by mole of repeating units of at least one hydroxyl-containing vinylic monomer. The hydrogel coating comprises a first polymeric material having first reactive functional groups and a hydrogel layer derived from a second polymeric material having second reactive functional groups, and the hydrogel layer is covalently attached onto the anchor layer through linkages each formed between one first reactive functional group and one second reactive functional group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and has a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing, a water content of from about 10% to about 85% by weight and an elastic modulus of from about 0.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

Abstract: Described herein are water-soluble UV-absorbing vinylic monomers and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and optionally (but preferably) violet radiation with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV radiation and potentially from violet radiation. This invention also provides a UV-absorbing contact lens.

Abstract: The invention is related to a process for producing contact lenses that not only comprise a water gradient structural configurations, but also have a minimized uptakes of polyquaternium-1 and a long-lasting surface hydrophilicity and wettability even after being undergone a simulated 30-days lens care regime.