Abstract: A method of removing a lens forming material deposited on a lens forming surface (1) of a reusable glass mold for forming ophthalmic lenses, in particular contact lenses or intraocular lenses, comprises the steps of providing a plasma (2), exposing the lens forming surface (1) of the reusable glass mold to the plasma (2) for removing the lens forming material deposited on the lens forming surface (1). The plasma (2) is generated under atmospheric pressure and potential-free, or is generated under reduced pressure.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a sealing area of a primary packaging container for an ophthalmic lens is unacceptable for properly sealing a foil to the sealing area is disclosed. The method involves comparing the temperature of an infrared image of the sealing area to a reference temperature to determine if the difference in temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A gripper (1) for an ophthalmic lens comprises a gripper head (14) having a bearing surface (140), the bearing surface (140) having at least one through-opening (14), the bearing surface (140) further having a separate detection through-opening (142) other than the at least one through-opening (141); a suction channel (170) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel (170) leading to the at least one through-opening (141) in the bearing surface (140); an overpressure channel (130) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel (130) leading to the at least one through-opening (141); and a detection vacuum tube (16) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube (16) leading to the separate detection through-opening (142) in the bearing surface (140).

Abstract: A method of removing a lens forming material deposited on a lens forming surface (1) of a reusable glass mold for forming ophthalmic lenses, in particular contact lenses or intraocular lenses, comprises the steps of providing a plasma (2), exposing the lens forming surface (1) of the reusable glass mold to the plasma (2) for removing the lens forming material deposited on the lens forming surface (1). The plasma (2) is generated under atmospheric pressure and potential-free, or is generated under reduced pressure.

Abstract: A packaging container (1) for a contact lens comprises a shell (2). The shell (2) comprises a cavity (10) having a drop-shaped perimeter (12), and a flange (20) having a flat upper surface (22) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) in an upper surface plane (24). The cavity (10) comprises a bowl portion (30) including an at least partially spherical section (32) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion (40) surrounding the bowl portion (30). The chamfer portion (40) is arranged between the bowl portion (30) and the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) and includes a tapered outlet section (42) forming a tip towards the flange (20) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity (10).

Abstract: A method for determining whether a sealing area (13) of a primary packaging container (1) for an ophthalmic lens is unacceptable for properly sealing a foil to the sealing area (13) comprises the steps of taking an infrared image (7) of the primary packaging container (1); determining in the infrared image (7) a plurality of individual pixels (700-709) which are arranged along an area (73) corresponding to the sealing area (13) of the primary packaging container (1); determining from the infrared image (7) the temperature (T0, T1, T2) of the individual pixels (700-709), and determining that the sealing area (13) is unacceptable in case the following conditions are fulfilled: a) the temperature (T1) of each individual pixel of a predetermined number of coherently arranged individual pixels (700, 703, 706) is lower than a reference temperature (T0), and b) the difference between the temperature (T1) of each individual pixel (700; 703; 706) of the coherently arranged pixels (700, 703, 706) and the reference

Abstract: A gripper (1) for an ophthalmic lens comprises a gripper head (14) having a bearing surface (140), the bearing surface (140) having at least one through-opening (14), the bearing surface (140) further having a separate detection through-opening (142) other than the at least one through-opening (141); a suction channel (170) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel (170) leading to the at least one through-opening (141) in the bearing surface (140); an overpressure channel (130) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel (130) leading to the at least one through-opening (141); and a detection vacuum tube (16) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube (16) leading to the separate detection through-opening (142) in the bearing surface (140).

Abstract: A method of cleaning deposited material from a molding surface (10) of a mold (1) for forming ophthalmic lenses, including bringing a cleaning head (20) into contact with the molding surface (10), the rotational axis (22) of the cleaning head (20) being arranged normal to the molding surface (10), rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10), moving the cleaning head (20) to perform a precession motion (110) around a central normal (11) on the molding surface (10), while rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) and while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10). During the precession motion (110) the rotational axis (22) includes an inclination angle (?1,?2) with the central normal (11) on the molding surface (10).

Abstract: A packaging container (1) for a contact lens comprises a shell (2).The shell (2) comprises a cavity (10) having a drop-shaped perimeter (12), and a flange (20) having a flat upper surface (22) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) in an upper surface plane (24). The cavity (10) comprises a bowl portion (30) including an at least partially spherical section (32) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion (40) surrounding the bowl portion (30). The chamfer portion (40) is arranged between the bowl portion (30) and the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) and includes a tapered outlet section (42) forming a tip towards the flange (20) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity (10).

Abstract: A method of cleaning deposited material from a molding surface (10) of a mold (1) for forming ophthalmic lenses, including bringing a cleaning head (20) into contact with the molding surface (10), the rotational axis (22) of the cleaning head (20) being arranged normal to the molding surface (10), rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10), moving the cleaning head (20) to perform a precession motion (110) around a central normal (11) on the molding surface (10), while rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) and while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10). During the precession motion (110) the rotational axis (22) includes an inclination angle (?1,?2) with the central normal (11) on the molding surface (10).

Abstract: A method of cleaning deposited material from a molding surface (10) of a mold (1) for forming ophthalmic lenses, including bringing a cleaning head (20) into contact with the molding surface (10), the rotational axis (22) of the cleaning head (20) being arranged normal to the molding surface (10), rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10), moving the cleaning head (20) to perform a precession motion (110) around a central normal (11) on the molding surface (10), while rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) and while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10). During the precession motion (110) the rotational axis (22) includes an inclination angle (?1,?2) with the central normal (11) on the molding surface (10).

Abstract: A method for avoiding the entrapment of air bubbles (5) in a lens forming material, in particular in a low viscosity lens forming material, in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using mold halves (2; 3) each having a lens forming surface (21; 31) comprises electrostatically charging a predetermined portion of the lens forming surface (21; 31) of the mold half (2; 3) prior to the predetermined portion of the lens forming surface (21; 31) coming into contact with the lens forming material (4).

Abstract: There is described a process for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens and an apparatus for forming an ophthalmic lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein in a mold assembly a first and a second mold half (101, 102) are first arranged in an intermediate closed position in which the mold surfaces of the two mold halves are spaced apart from each other at a distance increase (d1) of preferably 1 to 100 ?m relative to a final distance (d0) in a final closed position, and wherein, during curing of the lens forming material (202), the mold surfaces (105, 106) of the mold halves (101, 102) are actively or passively moved or moving from the intermediate closed position to the final closed position, where the distance increase (d1) is 0.

Abstract: A method of cleaning deposited material from a molding surface (10) of a mold (1) for forming ophthalmic lenses, including bringing a cleaning head (20) into contact with the molding surface (10), the rotational axis (22) of the cleaning head (20) being arranged normal to the molding surface (10), rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10), moving the cleaning head (20) to perform a precession motion (110) around a central normal (11) on the molding surface (10), while rotating (220) the cleaning head (20) around the rotational axis (22) and while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head (20) and the molding surface (10). During the precession motion (110) the rotational axis (22) includes an inclination angle (?1,?2) with the central normal (11) on the molding surface (10).

Abstract: A method for avoiding the entrapment of air bubbles (5) in a lens forming material (4), in particular in a low viscosity lens forming material, in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using mold halves (2, 3) each having a lens forming surface (21, 31) comprises electrostatically charging (60) a lens forming surface (21, 31) of the mold half (2, 3) prior to the lens forming surface (21, 31) coming into contact with the lens forming material (4).

Abstract: A method for avoiding the entrapment of air bubbles (5) in a lens forming material, in particular in a low viscosity lens forming material, in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using mold halves (2; 3) each having a lens forming surface (21; 31) comprises electrostatically charging a predetermined portion of the lens forming surface (21; 31) of the mold half (2; 3) prior to the predetermined portion of the lens forming surface (21; 31) coming into contact with the lens forming material (4).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a contact lens with a printed image thereon, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens with a printed image thereon, comprising applying one or more ink drops to at least a portion of at least one molding surface of a lens mold, wherein each ink drop is sufficiently flat, that the forces exerted by the mold surface to the ink drop surface in the area where they make contact, are higher than the forces exerted by the flowing lens forming material to the facing surface of the ink drop, and wherein the ink material and the lens forming material are sufficiently immiscible or not miscible at all.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a printing apparatus including one or more print heads for depositing printing fluid onto a substrate, wherein the apparatus comprises a maintenance unit for the one or more print heads. The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning one or more print heads from adhering printing fluid. The present invention also relates to the use of the apparatus in the automated manufacture of a contact lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens.

Abstract: There is described a process for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens and an apparatus for forming an ophthalmic lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein in a mold assembly a first and a second mold half (101, 102) are first arranged in an intermediate closed position in which the mold surfaces of the two mold halves are spaced apart from each other at a distance increase (d1) of preferably 1 to 100 ?m relative to a final distance (d0) in a final closed position, and wherein, during curing of the lens forming material (202), the mold surfaces (105, 106) of the mold halves (101, 102) are actively or passively moved or moving from the intermediate closed position to the final closed position, where the distance increase (d1) is 0.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a printing apparatus including one or more print heads for depositing printing fluid onto a substrate, wherein the apparatus comprises a maintenance unit for the one or more print heads. The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning one or more print heads from adhering printing fluid. The present invention also relates to the use of said apparatus in the automated manufacture of a contact lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens.