Abstract: The invention provide a new class of silicone-containing prepolymers containing dangling polysiloxane-containing polymer chains. This class of silicone-containing prepolymer is capable of being actinically crosslinked to form a silicone hydrogel material with a relatively high oxygen permeability, a reduced elastic modulus, and a relatively high ion permeability. The present invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lenses made from this class of silicone-containing prepolymers and to methods for making the silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention provides a cost-effective and in-situ method for applying an LbL coating onto a silicone hydrogel contact lens directly in a lens package. The resultant silicone hydrogel contact lens has a coating with good hydrophilicity, intactness and durability and also can be used directly from the lens package by a patient without washing and/or rising. In addition, the invention provides a packaging solution for in-situ coating of a silicone hydrogel contact lens in a lens package and an ophthalmic lens product.

Abstract: A freeze indicator employs, as active indicator element, dispersion of solid particles in a liquid medium which can be water or aqueous and which coagulates to provide an irreversible appearance change when subject to freezing. The liquid dispersion can be contained in an indicator volume around which extends a vapor block layer. The vapor block layer can prevent loss of liquid vapor from the dispersion and consequent drying out and dysfunctionality of the freeze indicator. For containing an aqueous medium, bilayer and trilayer laminate materials can be used which have a low water vapor transmission rate. The active indicator element can be a dilute colloidal dispersion of a metal such as gold or silver or other inorganic pigment material in water or an aqueous medium. Some embodiments avoid use of dispersants and the like and employ an active indicator element consisting of inorganic pigment particles, water and optionally an ice nucleating agent.

Abstract: Indicator inks, indicators formed by printing or otherwise utilizing the inks and host products utilizing the indicators are disclosed. Reactivity-enhancing adjuvants stimulate enhanced thermal reactivity of diacetylenic or other indicator agents capable of responding to ambient thermal conditions with a visual change signaling an end point. The diacetylenic or other agents may be sensitive or relatively insensitive to ambient temperatures. Use of a reactivity-enhancing adjuvant provides a useful means for adapting the reactivities of indicator agents to the response characteristics of prospective host products, for example perishables such as vaccines or fresh fish and maturables such as fruit, cheese and wine. Some exemplary adjuvants include low-temperature polymerization initiators, for example methyl ethyl ketone peroxide and polymerization accelerators, for example cobalt compounds. Such initiators and accelerators can also be used in combination.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aqueous solution for sterilizing and storing ophthalmic devices, preferably a contact lens, made of a hydrogel material, preferably a poly(oxyalkylene)-containing hydrogel material. The solution comprises one or more organic buffer agents, such as a Good buffer or a bis-aminopolyols; an organic tonicity-adjusting agent with multiple hydroxyl groups in an amount sufficient to provide an osmolarity of from about 200 to about 450 mosm/l, wherein the aqueous solution has a pH of from about 5.5 to about 8.5, provided that the aqueous solution include phosphate buffer at a concentration of about 15 mM or less and about 5000 ppm sodium chloride. The present invention also provides a method for sterilizing and storing an ophthalmic device using an aqueous solution of the invention.

Abstract: A combination temperature exposure indicator suitable for attachment to, or association with, a host product has a substrate, a freeze indicator supported by the substrate and a cumulative ambient time-temperature indicator also supported by the substrate. The freeze indicator can provide a visual indication of exposure of the freeze indicator to a freezing or near-freezing temperature and the cumulative time-temperature indicator can provide a visual indication of exposure of the cumulative time-temperature indicator to a predetermined cumulative time-temperature value. Also disclosed are: a combination freeze indicator and threshold temperature indicator; a combination threshold indicator and cumulative temperature indicator; and three-way combination indicators that can provide indications of cumulative past temperature exposure, exposure to freezing temperatures and exposure to a temperature above a threshold.

Abstract: A freeze indicator employs, as active indicator element, dispersion of solid particles in a liquid medium which can be water or aqueous and which coagulates to provide an irreversible appearance change when subject to freezing. The liquid dispersion can be contained in an indicator volume around which extends a vapor block layer. The vapor block layer can prevent loss of liquid vapor from the dispersion and consequent drying out and dysfunctionality of the freeze indicator. For containing an aqueous medium, bilayer and trilayer laminate materials can be used which have a low water vapor transmission rate. The active indicator element can be a dilute colloidal dispersion of a metal such as gold or silver or other inorganic pigment material in water or an aqueous medium. Some embodiments avoid use of dispersants and the like and employ an active indicator element consisting of inorganic pigment particles, water and optionally an ice nucleating agent.

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 non-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymer 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 non-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymer and to provide a disparity of about 10 N or less in mold separation force. The non-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymer has a limited miscibility with the lens-forming material low enough to successfully and timely form an intact interfacial film with a sufficient thickness at an interface between the mold and the fluid composition therein, and has a structure that minimizes entanglement of the non-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymer in the interfacial film with the polymer matrix of the formed lens.

Abstract: This invention is generally related to a biocompatible sensor for detecting/measuring sugar, especially glucose, in an ocular fluid in a non-invasive or minimally invasive manner and a method for using the biocompatible sensor. A biocompatible sensor of the invention comprises, consists essentially, or consists of an ophthalmic device comprising a molecular sensing moiety which interacts or, reacts with sugar to provide an optical signal which is indicative of sugar level in an ocular fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous-flow process for producing a polymeric material. The process of the invention comprises the steps of: introducing at least two solutions, each comprising one or more reactants, into a microreactor to mix the two solutions to form a reacting solution, wherein the one or more reactants are selected from the group consisting of a monomer, an initiator, a coupling agent, a prepolymer, a macromer, and mixtures thereof; feeding continuously the reacting solution into a flow-through polymerization reactor in a coil form, wherein the flow-through polymerization reactor is capable of providing a residence time sufficient for (co)polymerizing the reactants to form a polymer with a desired polydispersity, wherein the flow-through polymerization reactor is immersed in an ultrasonic bath to minimize or substantially eliminate unwanted high-molecular-weight fractions of the polymer.

Abstract: Precipitation of polyacetylenic agents can be effected with control of a particle size parameter such as mean size or spread, by mixing a warm solution of the acetylenic agent with a cold precipitation fluid and appropriate selection of a constituent of the cold precipitation fluid and/or of the temperature conditions and collecting the precipitated acetylenic agent. Precipitation additives such as nitrocellulose or gelatin can usefully be employed. Solvents such as aqueous methanol and ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate can be useful. Polyacetylenic agents, e.g. substituted diacetylenics are useful to provide visual changes in condition-monitoring indicators such as time-temperature indicators, “TTIs”, useful as freshness indicators for radiation exposure monitoring and for other purposes. Controlled, small and/or consistent particle sizes of such polyacetylenic agents are helpful in providing consistent commercial properties, especially in inks in which they may be formulated.

Abstract: A system for recovering a diacetylenic monomer shelf life monitoring compound of reduced particle size and narrow size distribution range which comprises quenching a solution of the monomer by mixing the solution in a lower temperature quenching fluid having a base temperature which is at least about 30° C. below the nominal temperature at which the monomer compound recrystallizes from solution, the mixing being effected in such a manner as to limit the resulting quenching mixture temperature to one which is not higher than a maximum of about 15° C. above the quenching fluid base temperature.

Abstract: A group emergency call system for use in a central office exchange or other communication system for alerting a group of people in the event of an emergency. Data in the form of a hunt group assignment table is stored within the communication system, containing a predetermined pilot number for defining a particular emergency hunt group within the communication system, and a plurality of directory numbers corresponding to respective ones of the subscriber sets assigned to the emergency hunt group. Circuitry is provided for receiving dialed digit signals designating an incoming emergency call from a predetermined one of the subscriber sets and comparing the dialed digits with the pilot number, and in the event the dialed digit signals correspond to the predetermined pilot number generating a request device message signal.