Abstract: Shaped hydrogel articles such as soft contact lenses are prepared by the steps of:(1) molding or casting a polymerization mixture comprising:(a) a monomer mixture comprising a major proportion of one or more hydrophilic monomers such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and one or more cross-linking monomers; and(b) an inert, displaceable diluent selected from the group consisting of:(i) ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(ii) ethoxylated bisphenol A;(iii) polyethylene glycol;(iv) mixture of propoxylated and ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(v) single phase mixture of ethoxylated or propoxylated alkyl glucoside and C.sub.2-12 dihydric alcohol;(vi) adduct of .epsilon.-caprolactone and C.sub.2-6 alkanediols and triols;(vii) ethoxylated C.sub.3-6 alkanetriol; and(viii) mixtures of one or more of (i) through (vii),under conditions to polymerize said monomer mixture to produce a shaped gel of a copolymer of said monomers and said diluent; and(2) thereafter replacing said diluent with water.

Abstract: Shaped hydrogel articles such as soft contact lenses are prepared by the steps of:(1) molding or casting a polymerization mixture comprising:(a) a monomer mixture comprising a major proportion of one or more hydrophilic monomers such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and one or more cross-linking monomers; and(b) an inert, displaceable diluent selected from the group consisting of:(i) ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(ii) ethoxylated bisphenol A;(iii) polyethylene glycol;(iv) mixture of propoxylated and ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(v) single phase mixture of ethoxylated or propoxylated alkyl glucoside and C.sub.2-12 dihydric alcohol;(vi) adduct of .epsilon.-caprolactone and C.sub.2-6 alkanediols and triols;(vii) ethoxylated C.sub.3-6 alkanetriol; and(viii) mixtures of one or more of (i) through (vii),under conditions to polymerize said monomer mixture to produce a shaped gel of a copolymer of said monomers and said diluent; and(2) thereafter replacing said diluent with water.

Abstract: A soft hydrogel contact lens, is disclosed. The lens is derived from a crosslinked polymer comprising the reaction product of a monomer mixture comprising:(A) a monounsaturated polyoxyethylene monomer;(B) a diunsaturated polyoxyethylene monomer of relatively high molecular weight;(C) a diunsaturated polyoxyethylene monomer of relatively low molecular weight; and(D) a hydrophilic monomer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, N,N-dimethylacryiamide, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, glycerol monomethacrylate, itaconic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Shaped hydrogel articles such as soft contact lenses are prepared by the steps of:(1) molding or casting a polymerization mixture comprising:(a) a monomer mixture comprising a major proportion of one or more hydrophilic monomers such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and one or more cross-linking monomers; and(b) an inert, displaceable diluent selected from the group consisting of:(i) ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(ii) ethoxylated bisphenol A;(iii) polyethylene glycol;(iv) mixture of propoxylated and ethoxylated alkyl glucoside;(v) single phase mixture of ethoxylated or propoxylated alkyl glucoside and C.sub.2-12 dihydric alcohol;(vi) adduct of .epsilon.-caprolactone and C.sub.2-6 alkanediols and triols;(vii) ethoxylated C.sub.3-6 alkanetriol; and(viii) mixtures of one or more of (i) through (vii),under conditions to polymerize said monomer mixture to produce a shaped gel of a copolymer of said monomers and said diluent; and(2) thereafter replacing said diluent with water.

Abstract: A low water contact lens material having high O.sub.2 permeability, a lower water content and reduced polymer matrix size provides adequate O.sub.2 to the cornea, but does not wick water away from the eye nor allow protein or other tear components to penetrate and deposit in the lens. Such a lens is made by polymerizing and crosslinking a prepolymer which contains a cyclic polyol with polyalkylether segments containing curable segments. The cyclic polyols consist of alkoxylated glucose or sucrose which are then reacted with an isocyanate to produce an ultraviolet curable prepolymer. The prepolymer is then placed in a mold and polymerized by exposure to ultraviolet light. The free hydroxyl groups of the material react with a highly hydrophilic reagent to form covalent bonds thus making the surface of the material more wettable.

Abstract: A low water contact lens material having high O.sub.2 permeability, a lower water content and reduced polymer matrix size provides adequate O.sub.2 to the cornea, but does not wick water away from the eye nor allow protein or other tear components to penetrate and deposit in the lens. Such a lens is made by polymerizing and crosslinking a prepolymer which contains a cyclic polyol with polyalkylether segments containing curable segments. The cyclic polyols consist of alkoxylated glucose or sucrose which are then reacted with an isocyanate to produce an ultraviolet curable prepolymer. The prepolymer is then placed in a mold and polymerized by exposure to ultraviolet light. The free hydroxyl groups of the material react with a highly hydrophilic reagent to form covalent bonds thus making the surface of the material more wettable.