Abstract: Biomedical devices, such as ophthalmic lenses, and methods of making such devices having a surface coating including at least one polyionic layer. A preferred method involves spray coating a polycationic material onto a core lens, rinsing and drying the lens, followed by spray coating a polyanionic material, rinsing and drying. The coating process may be applied a plurality of times to achieve a multi-layer coating on the lens surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is a contact lens comprising a highly oxygen permeable hydrophobic core coated with a 5 to 20 bilayers of hydrophilic polyionic materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device, preferably an ophthalmic device, more preferably a contact lens, which comprises a core material and a biocompatible LbL coating non-covalently attached to said core material. The biocompatible LbL coating comprises at least one charge/non-charge bilayer, wherein said charge/non-charge bilayer is composed of, in no particular order, one layer of a charged polymeric material and one layer of a non-charged polymeric material which is capable of being non-covalently bond to the charged polymeric material.

Abstract: Biomedical devices, such as ophthalmic lenses, and methods of making such devices having a surface coating including at least one polyionic layer. A preferred method involves spray coating a polycationic material onto a core lens, rinsing and drying the lens, followed by spray coating a polyanionic material, rinsing and drying. The coating process may be applied a plurality of times to achieve a multi-layer coating on the lens surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is a contact lens comprising a highly oxygen permeable hydrophobic core coated with a 5 to 20 bilayers of hydrophilic polyionic materials.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear 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.

Abstract: The instant invention pertains to a method and a fluid composition for producing contact lenses with improved lens quality and with increased product yield. The method of the invention involves adding a phospholipid into a fluid composition including a lens-forming material in an amount sufficient to reduce an averaged mold separation force by at least about 40% in comparison with that without the phospholipids.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear 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.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved contact lens products which not only have initial insertion comfort but also are comfortable to wear for more than about 6 hours. The invention is achieved by packaging and storing a hydrogel lens with two or more leachable polymeric lubricants incorporated therein in a relatively viscous packaging solution including a relatively low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a viscosity-enhancing hydrophilic polymer. The present invention also provides methods for making contact lens products of the invention.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear periods of at least one day on the eye without a clinically significant amount of corneal swelling and without substantial wearer discomfort. In one embodiment, an opthalmic lens is a copolymerization product of at least one oxyperm, at least one ionoperm, and a crosslinker. In one embodiment, a lens has a tensile modulus of less than about 3.0 MPa, yet in another embodiment, the tensile modulus is between about 0.5 to about 1.5 MPa.

Abstract: A method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens is provided. In one embodiment, a prepolymer mixture is polymerized in a lens mold in an atmosphere having less than about ppm oxygen to form a silicone hydrogel contact lens suitable for extended wear as characterized by producing less than 10% corneal swelling after a period of continuous wear of 7 days including normal sleep periods. In one embodiment, the prepolymer mixture comprises at least one oxyperm material containing hydrophilic groups, wherein the at least one oxyperm material is a siloxane-containing macromer or monomer, at least one ionperm material, and a cross-linking agent. In certain embodiments, the polymerization of the prepolymer mixture may be carried out in an atmosphere having less than about 1000 ppm oxygen.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear 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.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device, preferably a contact lens, which comprises an antimicrobial coating including at least one layer of polyquat of formula (I) or (II). The antimicrobial coating on the medical device of the invention has a high antimicrobial efficacy against microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial, a low toxicity, low coefficient of friction, and increased hydrophilicity while maintaining the desired bulk properties such as oxygen permeability and ion permeability of lens material. Such lenses are useful as extended-wear contact lenses. In addition, the invention provides a method for making a medical device, preferably a contact lens, having an antimicrobial coating thereon.

Abstract: The invention provides a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens which has a good wettable coating with a good durability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device, preferably a contact lens, which comprises an antimicrobial coating including at least one layer of polyquat of formula (I) or (II). The antimicrobial coating on the medical device of the invention has a high antimicrobial efficacy against microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial, a low toxicity, low coefficient of friction, and increased hydrophilicity while maintaining the desired bulk properties such as oxygen permeability and ion permeability of lens material. Such lenses are useful as extended-wear contact lenses. In addition, the invention provides a method for making a medical device, preferably a contact lens, having an antimicrobial coating thereon.

Abstract: Biomedical devices, such as ophthalmic lenses, and methods of making such devices having a surface coating including at least one polyionic layer. A preferred method involves spray coating a polycationic material onto a core lens, rinsing and drying the lens, followed by spray coating a polyanionic material, rinsing and drying. The coating process may be applied a plurality of times to achieve a multi-layer coating on the lens surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is a contact lens comprising a highly oxygen permeable hydrophobic core coated with a 5 to 20 bilayers of hydrophilic polyionic materials.

Abstract: Described herein are stable ocular devices that immobilize and deliver bioactive agents to the eye over sustained periods of time. Also described herein are methods of making and using the ocular devices.

Abstract: Biomedical devices, such as ophthalmic lenses, and methods of making such devices having a surface coating including at least one polyionic layer. A preferred method involves spray coating a polycationic material onto a core lens, rinsing and drying the lens, followed by spray coating a polyanionic material, rinsing and drying. The coating process may be applied a plurality of times to achieve a multi-layer coating on the lens surface. A particularly preferred embodiment is a contact lens comprising a highly oxygen permeable hydrophobic core coated with a 5 to 20 bilayers of hydrophilic polyionic materials.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for efficiently applying a coating to each of a plurality of objects selected from the group consisting of ophthalmic lenses, molds for making ophthalmic lenses, and other medical devices, the method comprising dipping the plurality of objects into a coating bath containing a coating solution having a coating material; and creating with a means a convective current flow and thereby forcing a coating solution flowing over and under each of the plurality of ophthalmic lenses. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of objects are held in baskets which are pre-conditioned to have a first layer of polyelectrolytes and a second layer of aqueous solution or have a mixed layer of polyelectrolytes and aqueous solution on the surfaces of the baskets.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing a full-body tinted contact lens. The method of the invention comprises the steps of: preconditioning particles of a pigments; dispersing the preconditioned pigment particles in a polymerizable fluid composition to obtain a pigment-containing polymerizable dispersion; introducing an amount of the pigment-containing polymerizable dispersion in a mold for making a contact lens; polymerizing the polymerizable dispersion in the mold to form a full-body tinted contact lens with the particles of the pigment entrapped and distributed therein. In addition, the invention provides a method for preparing preconditioned pigment particles and full-body tinted contact lenses produced according the method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for plasma coating of optical lenses, particularly lenses made of silicone-containing polymer. The method of the invention comprising selectively depressurizing and pressurizing an entry hold chamber and an exit hold chamber while constantly maintaining a plasma gas in a coating chamber at a process pressure without depressurizing and pressurizing repeatedly the coating chamber, wherein the coating chamber is located between the entry hold chamber and the exit hold chamber.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method of modifying the surface of substrates such as contact lenses and other biomedical articles by at least partially coating the surfaces of such substrates with a polymeric tie layer having reactive sites. Various other moieties may then be chemically attached to the article surface by reaction of the other moieties with the reactive sites through classical chemical attachment mechanisms.