Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses, such as corneal contact lenses, include a lens body made of a composition including a lens body made of a composition including a first crosslinked polymer material which is water swellable, and a second polymeric material, other than the first material, selected from water soluble polymeric materials, water swellable polymeric materials and mixtures thereof. The second material is physically immobilized by the first material. Such lenses provide increased water retention and/or increased water content and/or increased modulus and/or reduced friction which increases lens wearer comfort. Compositions and methods for providing such lenses and compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Composite pressure sensitive hydrophilic adhesive, permeable for water vapor and losing its adhesivness in contact with liquid water, is particularly suitable for temporary glueing to the body surface for medical purposes. The composite is a gelled mixture of: (a) a water swellable, water insoluble polymer, soluble in polar water-miscible solvents boiling at atmospheric pressure at temperatures higher than 100.degree. C. as well as in their mixtures with minor amounts of water, (b) a hydrophilic water swellable polymer, insoluble in water as well as in polar water-miscible solvents boiling at atmospheric pressure at temperatures higher than 100.degree. C., and (c) a polar water-miscible innocuous solvent boiling at atmospheric pressure at temperatures higher than 100.degree. C., if desired mixed with a minor amount of water.

Abstract: A composite pressure-sensitive hydrophilic adhesive such as for holding a medical or cosmetic treatment against the skin of a person is composed of a crosslinked polymer and a non-crosslinked polymer and a polar water-miscible solvent having a boiling point above 100.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure. The adhesive has little or no cold flow and can be applied in sheets. An alternate combination of polymers and a method of making both compositions is also disclosed.

Abstract: A water swellable crosslinked polymer of essentially balanced charge is obtained by polymerizing a polymer-forming composition comprising a cationic-anionic pair of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and a non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic monomer. Contact lenses formed from the polymer exhibit little if any tendency to attract soils, e.g., proteinaceous debris, to their surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention concerns rubber-based composite materials swellable with water and associated methods of production. A swellable rubber material according to the present invention comprises a vulcanized non-silicone rubber selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, butadiene-styrene rubber, bromobutyl rubber, and ethylene-propylene rubber; and a hydrogel filler cross-linked by a crosslinking agent, wherein the composite material is vulcanizable at a temperature up to 150.degree. C., is thermoformable, possesses shape memory after thermoforming, and is swellable with water or aqueous solutions.

Abstract: A water swellable crosslinked polymer of essentially balanced charge is obtained by polymerizing a polymer-forming composition comprising a cationic-anionic pair of ethylenically unsaturated monomers and a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic monomer. Contact lenses formed from the polymer exhibit little if any tendency to attract soils, e.g., proteinaceous debris, to their surfaces.

Abstract: A lens made from a non-hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer or copolymer for application in an aqueous medium inside a human eye or on its surface, i.e., an intraocular or contact lens, is provided wherein the originally non-hydrophilic surface layer has been hydrophilized by a partial hydrolysis or sulfonation in such a way that a gradient of swelling results such that the swelling decreases from a maximum on the very surface to a minimum in the non-swelling core, which is unaffected by hydrophilization. Accordingly, light reflexes are eliminated or at least substantially reduced as well as the tendency of the surface to grow cells, the irritation of neighboring living tissues, and the formation of pressure necroses.

Abstract: A method for the formation of hydrophilic layers on the surface of objects comprised of polymeric esters, nitriles, or combinations thereof, derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or both, by means of hydrolysis caused by strong acid at elevated temperatures, wherein the solubility of the polymer in warm acid is reduced by the addition of a salt which does not react with said polymer. Preferably, the salt is a salt of the strong acid employed to hydrolyze the polymer. The thickness of the hydrophilic layer may be controlled through control of the concentration of the salt. Optionally, the surface layer containing hydroxyl groups may be thickened by treatment with multifunctional primary or secondary alcohol which may, prior to treatment, have been esterified with a weaker acid than the acid employed for purposes of performing the hydrolysis.

Abstract: An intraocular hydrogel lens with shape memory swelling in water or in isotonic solution, as is physiologic saline, which is deformed before implantation into a shape suitable for operative insertion, for example, into the shape of a rod, is made, at least in part, from a crosslinked synthetic hydrogel containing acid and/or basic groups.

Abstract: Contact lens or intraocular lens from lightly crosslinked polymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or from such its copolymer, where the 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate component prevails over the second nonhydrophilic component, which contains a hydrophilic swellable transparent surface layer and an inner part of lower swellability than the surface layer, whereby the swellability of the surface layer decreases continuously from the surface towards the inner part to the swellability level of the inner part. The swellability of the surface layer is at the surface of up to 98% and the thickness of the surface layer is at utmost 100 .mu.m. The finally shaped lens is treated with an alkaline reacting solution of a salt, in which the lens does not swell and the lens is then freed of all soluble substances by washing.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a soft intracameral lens determined for the location in the posterior chamber of eye.The soft intracameral hydrogel lens has its front supporting and centering convex part determined for leaning against iris having in front a rotation symmetrical shape of a sphere, paraboloid or hyperboloid and passing into the broadest circumference by a surface which shape is equal to or approaches a shape of lateral area of cone, while the hinder supporting part of the lens with a spherical, planar, or moderately convex or concave-curved shape for leaning against a hinder capsula or a membrane from vitreous body in a large surface area. The hinder supporting part is broadened and forms on the edge a retaining ring reaching over the front part as much as by 1.5 mm, whereas the central thickness of the lens ranges between 1 to 3.5 mm. The surface of the soft intracameral lens may be formed, at least in part, from a soft hydrogel containing at least 70% of water at 20.degree. C.

Abstract: The solution pertains to an intraocular optical system consisting of a hollow elastically deformable insert (7), following the shape of capsula lentis (6) at least in main lines, leaning against the inner wall of capsula lentis and keeping it moderately tensioned, which insert (7) consists of a front element (1) and rear element (2) and an elastic element (3) placed between them, may be provided with openings (9) allowing the flow of liquid, and contains one to four lenses (4,5) placed in the main axis of eye, whereas at least one of these lenses is connected with the insert (7) in such a way, that it moves axially at the contraction and release of accommodation muscles and thus changes its position between the retina and cornea.The insert (7) is made from biocompatible materials as are silicone elastomers, hydrogels, advantageously elastic and with the shape memory, for example, from partially dried hydrogels with the hydrophilized surface, or from material with the glass-transition temperature T.sub.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a soft intracameral lens intended for location in the posterior chamber of the eye.The soft intracameral hydrogel lens has a front supporting and centering convex part intended for leaning against the iris having a rotational symmetrical shape of a sphere, paraboloid, or hyperboloid and passing into the broadest circumference by a surface, the shape of this surface being equal to or approaching the shape of the lateral area of a cone, while the hinder, or rear, supporting part of the lens has a spherical, planar, or moderately convex or concave-curved shape and a large surface area for leaning against a hinder capsula or a membrane of the vitreous body. The hinder supporting part is broadened and forms on its edge a retaining ring which reaches over the front part by as much as 1.5 mm, whereas the central thickness of the lens ranges between 1 to 3.5 mm.

Abstract: A hard introcular lens having shape memory consisting of a copolymer having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) from 40.degree. C. to 60.degree. C. that is deformable into the shape of a straight or bent rod with a diameter of 1 to 4 mm at a temperature above its T.sub.g temperature and cooled to fix the deformation for insertion into the human eye through a small incision. After insertion into the eye the deformed lens will soften and relax to its original undeformed shape by elevating its temperature with a rinsing solution above 40.degree. C. and will maintain its final shape after a subsequent temperature reduction at normal body temperature of about 37.degree. C. whereby the lens becomes a hardened lens.