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: 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: A wettable silicone hydrogel contact lens having a low ionoflux and low evaporation is manufactured by curing a silicone hydrogel polymerizable composition in a contact lens mold comprising front and back lens-forming surfaces, where one of the lens-forming surfaces has a higher polarity than the other lens-forming surface.

Abstract: Technology to determine the angle of repose of a lens, such as the angle of repose of a contact lens on an eye, includes storing an image including the lens captured using a camera and executing graphical user interface logic. The graphical user interface logic includes a frame or frames including the captured image, and graphical constructs prompting input identifying a set of locations on the captured image that are usable to define a location of the lens in the image, and a location usable to define an angle of repose of the lens in the image. The input data accepted via the graphical user interface is processed to determine angle of repose of the lens. The angle of repose of the lens is used to produce a specification for a lens.

Abstract: Hydrogel contact lenses that are derived from a polymerizable composition including at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one phosphine-containing component are described. The hydrogel of the contact lenses can be a silicone hydrogel or a non-silicone hydrogel. Use of polymerizable compositions comprising a phosphine-containing component can be cured under both inert and air atmospheres, and can be used to form hydrogel contact lenses having improved shape retention properties, having improved resistance to discoloration. Batches of hydrogel contact lenses and methods of making hydrogel contact lenses are also described.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of manufacturing a toric contact lens comprising providing a toric insert (12) without an orientation mark to be used in forming a toric contact lens mold section; placing the toric insert without an orientation mark in an orientation mark fixture (10) comprising a single piece fixture housing (20) structured to hold a toric insert at an angle specified for an orientation mark, the fixture housing having intersecting surfaces (36, 40) which form a generally V-shaped region on which the toric insert is located, the generally V-shaped region contacting the toric insert at two different contact points, lines or areas; fixing the toric insert without an orientation mark to the orientation mark fixture; forming an orientation mark on the toric insert fixed to the orientation mark fixture; using the toric insert with the orientation mark to form a toric contact lens mold section; and using the toric contact lens mold section to form a toric contact lens.

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: 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: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses having ophthalmically acceptable surface wettabilities are obtained from pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens products having relatively large amounts of removable or extractable materials. The silicone hydrogel contact lenses can be obtained from non-polar resin based contact lens molds and without surface treatments or an interpenetrating polymeric network of a polymeric wetting agent. Related lens products, polymerizable compositions, and methods are also described.

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: 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 method for manufacturing a silicone hydrogel contact lens is described that comprises curing a polymerizable composition comprising at least one siloxane monomer and at least one hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomer in a contact lens mold comprising a molding surface having a coating comprising a hydrophilic polymer. The hydrophilic coating is not solubilized by the polymerizable composition during the curing step. The resulting polymeric lens body is removed from the mold, washed to remove any of the hydrophilic polymer that may have transferred from the mold surface to the lens during the curing or lens removal process, and packaged to provide a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a contact angle that is lower than what it would otherwise be had the lens been cured in the same contact lens mold lacking the hydrophilic coating.

Abstract: An ophthalmic composition for administration to an eye of a patient for the treatment of an ocular infection. The ophthalmic composition contains an ?-polylysine (?PL) in an amount effective to treat or control or prevent the ocular infection.

Abstract: A contact lens mold part and a contact lens mold assembly (1) are provided. The contact lens mold assembly includes a first mold part (2) and a second mold part (3) assembled together. Each mold part has a lens-forming surface with a circumferential edge, a stop surface extending from the circumferential edge, an intermediate region extending from the stop surface, and an alignment surface extending from the intermediate region. The mold parts can be made to fit together with an interference fit. A method of making a contact lens using the contact lens mold assembly is also provided.