Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm R. Scott Meece
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Patent number: 6835410Abstract: The invention relates to a process for coating a material surface comprising the steps of: (a) providing an inorganic or organic bulk material having covalently bound to its surface initiator moieties for radical polymerization; (b) graft polymerizing a hydrophilic ethylenically unsaturated macromonomer from the bulk material surface in the presence of a biocompatible hydrophilic polymer being devoid of polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated groups and thereby entrapping said hydrophilic polymer within the polymer matrix formed by the polymerization of the macromonomer. Composite materials obtainable according to the process of the invention have desirable characteristics regarding adherence to the substrate, durability, hydrophilicity, wettability, biocompatibility and permeability and are thus useful for the manufacture of biomedical articles such as ophthalmic devices.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2002Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Peter Chabrecek, Jörg Leukel, Dieter Lohmann
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Patent number: 6827966Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming on a medical device, preferably an ophthalmic lens, more preferably a contact lens, a diffusion-controllable coating capable of controlling the out-diffusion or release of guest materials from the medical device. The method of the invention comprises: (1) applying one layer of clay and optionally one or more layers of polyionic materials onto the medical device; or (2) applying alternatively a layer of a first polyionic material and a layer of a second polyionic material having charges opposite of the charges of the first polyionic material onto the medical device and releasing the coated medical device into a releasing medium having a composition capable of imparting a desired permeability to the diffusion-controllable coating on the medical device.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2002Date of Patent: December 7, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Yongxing Qiu, Fiona Patricia Carney, Nichola Kotov, John Martin Lally, Carol Ann Morris, Lynn Cook Winterton
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Patent number: 6821108Abstract: The invention is concerned with the problem that with known plastic casting moulds, especially those of polypropylene, the lenses produced with these moulds have a slippery surface. The invention solves this problem through the use of polymers which are notable for their very low oxygen permeability.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2003Date of Patent: November 23, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Peter Hagmann, Axel Heinrich, Willi Hoerner, Robert Allen Janssen, John Martin Lally, Robert Earl Szokolay, Bernhard Seiferling
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Patent number: 6815074Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2002Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Celeste Aguado, Paul Clement Nicolson, Lynn Cook Winterton, Yongxing Qiu, John Martin Lally, Jacalyn Mary Schremmer
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Patent number: 6811805Abstract: The invention provide a method for applying a coating to an ophthalmic lens or a mold for making the ophthalmic lens or a medical device other than ophthalmic lens. The method comprises spraying at least one layer of a coating liquid onto an ophthalmic lens using a spraying process selected from the group consisting of an air-assisted atomization and dispensing process, an ultrasonic-assisted atomization and dispensing process, a piezoelectric assisted atomization and dispensing process, an electro-mechanical jet printing process, a piezo-electric jet printing process, a piezo-electric with hydrostatic pressure jet printing process, and a thermal jet printing process. The coating can comprise a property/functionality pattern or a color image or combination of both.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2002Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Novatis AGInventors: Allen Gilliard, Lynn Cook Winterton, Rafael Victor Andino, John Lally
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Patent number: 6811259Abstract: A method of making a colored contact lens comprises printing at least one layer of a colorant onto a contact lens using a printing process selected from the group consisting of ink jet printing, electrophotographic printing, thermal transfer printing, and photographic development printing. Printing can be done directly on the contact lens, on a film in a mold where the contact lens is formed, or on a cliché pad. Multiple layers of colorants can be printed onto a contact lens.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2001Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Robert Carey Tucker
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Patent number: 6808262Abstract: A contact lens is disclosed having a front surface and a back surface. The lens contains a continuously varying aspheric surface on one or more of these surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2001Date of Patent: October 26, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: L. Lawrence Chapoy, William Rovani, John B. W. Lett
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Patent number: 6800225Abstract: A measured amount of a material that is crosslinkable by impingement of a suitable form of energy, especially UV light, is introduced into a two-part mould of which cavity determines the shape of a moulding to be produced. The two mould halves are held a small distance from one another so that a thin annular gap is formed between them, which gap is in communication with the mould cavity and through which gap excess material can escape. The crosslinking is triggered by impingement of the selected form of energy, the impingement being spatially restricted to the cavity by suitable masking so that material disposed outside the mould cavity is not crosslinked. In that manner mouldings are obtained that do not require subsequent mechanical processing, and the mould is reusable. The process is especially, but not, however, exclusively, suitable for the manufacture of contact lenses.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1994Date of Patent: October 5, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Peter Hagmann, Sharla Borghorst, John Golby, Peter Herbrechtsmeier, Otto Kretzschmar, Bernhard Seiferling, Norbert Söllner, Beat Müller
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Patent number: 6793973Abstract: A method of forming a coating of polyionic materials in a layer-by-layer-like manner onto a polymeric material is provided. A polymeric material, such as a contact lens, can be dipped once into a solution of polyionic materials such that layers of polyionic material can be formed thereon. A single dip solution of the present invention typically contains a polyanionic material and a polycationic material in a non-stoichiometric amount and maintained within a certain pH range.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2001Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Lynn Cook Winterton, John Martin Lally, Michael Rubner, Yongxing Qiu
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Patent number: 6783603Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for cleaning contact lens molds. The method comprises the steps of placing a contact lens mold within an enclosed or substantially enclosed area, directing an inflow of gas under pressure into the enclosed area against the contact lens mold, and providing an outflow of gas from the enclosed area, thereby dislodging and removing debris.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Todd Aldridge Russell
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Patent number: 6776044Abstract: The invention is based on the problem of providing an inspection device and an inspection method, which recognise the defective lenses, which are difficult to detect with conventional optical methods, with a high degree of reliability. According to the invention, the contact lenses are exposed to an ultrasonic field, which leads to destruction of defective lenses, while perfect lenses are as a rule not destroyed. In particular, the method is capable of detecting cracks which are often overlooked by optical methods, since this type of defect reacts especially sensitively to the soundwaves being received.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2001Date of Patent: August 17, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Roger Biel, Martin Schubert, Wolfgang Grill
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Patent number: 6773107Abstract: A contact lens has top, a bottom, a rotational axis, an inner surface and an opposite outer surface having a plurality of zones. The plurality of zones include an optical zone, a ridge zone and a transition zone. The optical zone has a lower edge and includes a distance vision zone and a near vision zone. The distance vision zone has a first radius of curvature that provides distance vision correction. The distance vision zone also has a first area that is sufficient to overlay a substantial portion of a pupil of a user and is disposed in a first position within the optical zone so that the user's pupil is substantially subtended by the distance vision zone when the user is gazing at a substantially horizontal point. The near vision zone is substantially concentric with the rotational axis and extends radially outward from the distance vision zone.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2001Date of Patent: August 10, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Ming Ye, Xiaoxiao Zhang
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Patent number: 6774178Abstract: The invention relates to ophthalmic molding formulations and to tinted, high Dk ophthalmic moldings. This invention also relates to a method for making a tinted ophthalmic molding. The method comprises: (a) providing a polymer precursor having cross-linkable or polymerizable groups; (b) providing a pigment dispersion comprising an inorganic or organic pigment and a dispersing agent; (c) mixing the pigment dispersion with the polymer precursor to form a tinted prepolymer mixture; (d) dispensing the tinted prepolymer mixture into a mold; and (e) forming a tinted ophthalmic molding from the tinted prepolymer mixture, the molding comprising a polymer matrix having the pigment entrapped therein. With this method, tinted ophthalmic moldings, particularly edge-to-edge soft, tinted contact lenses having improved properties, are prepared with an improved efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2001Date of Patent: August 10, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Richard Charles Turek, Jacalyn Mary Schremmer
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Patent number: 6765661Abstract: The invention enables more objective defect evaluation of ophthalmic lenses, especially contact lenses, to take place through the combination of the schlieren method with the transmitted light method, with the result that the advantages of these two different systems are combined. The schlieren method is in a position to illustrate the edge of a contact lens and its ruptures, in high contrast, for the CCD camera. Likewise, tears and surface defects can be made visible. Using the transmitted light method, the bubbles may be suitably prepared for the camera.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Roger Biel, Joachim Linkemann, Livio Fornasiero, Ingolf Braune
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Patent number: 6757420Abstract: The invention is concerned with the problem of providing an automatic inspection device, with which it is possible to determine, with little effort and without contact, whether packages, particularly sealed blister packages consisting of a blister container and a cover film, are free of defects. This problem is solved by the use of at least two light sources, which are arranged at a certain distance from one another and each emit a light bundle at a predetermined wavelength range, whereby the emission maxima of the two light sources are offset in relation to one another. The light sources are arranged such that the packages are vertically illuminated. The light reflected by the packages is recorded by a CCD camera and the digital images are stored in a computer, so that they are available in a computer-supported image-processing and documentation system.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: June 29, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Andreas Krahn, Jürgen Saedler, Jan Schlegel, Anette Therese Lang-Schöll, Egbert Jux
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Patent number: 6746120Abstract: A method of configuring and ordering a customized contact lens for a user. The method includes the steps of displaying a template eye image to assist the user in visualizing selected options for a customized contact lens, and displaying a plurality of contact lens selection options to the user. The information includes a plurality of selectable lens colors and lens design patterns. The method also includes the steps of sending an ordering request to order a contact lens incorporating lens colors and lens design patterns selected by the user, receiving the ordering request, and manufacturing a contact lens incorporating the lens colors and lens design patterns selected by the user.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2001Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Daniel F. Broderick, Ann T. Foppe, James Santilli, Robert Carey Tucker
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Patent number: 6739569Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a clamping means for clamping a component (20) in a holder (16), especially for the production of moulding tools for the manufacture of precision articles. Spring-action clamping elements (72), for example tightening discs or clamping sleeves (72), are inserted into a recess of the holder (16) and final working thereof takes place in a position that corresponds to the subsequent position when the component (20) to be clamped is clamped. With this process, very good centricity and coaxiality of the clamped components (20) is achieved, whereby the manufacturing tolerances to be maintained for the individual components are not critical.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2001Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventor: Stefan Bickert
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Patent number: 6740139Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is an automated system for transporting and deoxygenating a solution. The system is designed to: 1) transport a solution through a deoxygenating device 2) continuously monitor the oxygen content of the deoxygenated solution 3) collect the solution in a reservoir and automatically maintain solution level 4) automatically dispense the solution as requested and 5) perform automated solution prepare, startup, and shutdown operations.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Todd Aldridge Russell, Milos Sidlo, Robert Donlon
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Patent number: 6737661Abstract: An irradiation device for treating molds comprising a UV irradiation source, and a means for holding the molds. The invention is also a method of treating molds, comprising the steps of exposing a mold to a high intensity UV radiation for a predetermined time.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2001Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: William Michael Kelly, Rudiger Reinhard Penno, Michael Jean Dormeyer
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Patent number: 6734281Abstract: The invention relates to novel oligomers of formula wherein the variables are as defined in the claims. The oligomers of the invention are especially useful for the manufacture of biomedical moldings, for example ophthalmic moldings such as in particular contact lenses.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2002Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Jens Höpken, Dieter Lohmann