Abstract: The invention provides a class of photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers. Each of the photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers of the invention comprise (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and photochromic siloxane unit having one methyl substituent and one organic substituent having a photochromic moiety that capable of undergoing a reversible color change upon exposure to UV-irradiation or high-energy-violet light; (2) two terminal ethylenically-unsaturated groups. The invention also provides a soft photochromic contact lens, especially a photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one of such a class of photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers.

Abstract: The invention provides a class of photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers. Each of the photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers of the invention comprise (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and photochromic siloxane unit having one methyl substituent and one organic substituent having a photochromic moiety that capable of undergoing a reversible color change upon exposure to UV-irradiation or high-energy-violet light; (2) two terminal ethylenically-unsaturated groups. The invention also provides a soft photochromic contact lens, especially a photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one of such a class of photochromic polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ophthalmic product which comprises a sealed and autoclave-sterilized lens package including (1) a post-autoclave packaging solution containing a polymeric surfactant having an HLB value of from about 11 to about 16 and a Mn of from about 800 to about 20,000 Daltons and (2) a readily-usable silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lens immersed in the packaging solution. The readily-usable SiHy contact lens comprises the polymeric surfactant thereon providing an excellent wettability to the readily-usable SiHy contact lens directly out of the lens package, and also the leachable polymeric surfactant which is physically distributed in the polymer matrix of the SiHy contact lens and can be released to the eye of a patient for at least 7 days of daily wear and to replenish the lens surface-bound polymeric surfactant to provide sustainable wettabilities to the contact lens and the eye.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for imaging and thickness determination of coatings on coated contact lenses. The method comprises selectively staining a negatively-charged-groups-containing coating over the lens body of a coated contact lens by immersing the coated contact lens in an aqueous solution comprising a fluorescently-labeled polycationic polymer and having a pH of from about 6.5 to 8.0; orthogonally cutting the selectively-stained coated contact lens; and determining the thickness of the coating on the coated contact lens. In addition, the invention provides a method for selecting a candidate coating material comprising negatively charged groups for applying a coating with a desired thickness onto silicone hydrogel contact lenses and for optimizing a coating process for producing coated silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a desired thickness coating thereon.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to silicone hydrogel contact lenses each inherently having, on lens surfaces, a relatively-high concentration of primary amino groups and to a method for producing the same. The invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lens precursors each inherently having, on lens surfaces, a relatively-high concentration of N-Boc-protected primary amino groups which can be easily and conveniently deprotected during lens extraction and/or hydration steps.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating of a hydrophilic copolymer thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body comprises or is made of a polymeric material having 1,2- and/or 1,3-diol moieties, and the hydrophilic copolymer comprises arylborono-containing repeating units each having a boronic acid group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one boronic acid group and one 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity higher than the surface lubricity of the lens body.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft hydrogel ocular insert that is composed of at least one hydrogel material in fully hydrated state and can be comfortable for wearing. The hydrogel material comprises polymer chains, which are derived from at least one arylborono-containing hydrophilic copolymer and at least one mucoadhesive polymer, and cyclic boronic ester crosslinks for crosslinking those mucoadhesive polymer chains and arylborono-containing hydrophilic copolymer chains to form a 3-dimensional polymer network. Those cyclic boronic ester crosslinks can be hydrolyzed slowly in the tear of the eyes of a patient, resulting in the disintegration (dissolution) of the 3-dimensional polymer network and thereby providing mucoadhesisve polymers and optionally drugs impregnated in the hydrogel ocular insert in a controlled manner.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to topical ophthalmic compositions comprising: from about 0.05 w/v % to about 5 w/v % of galactomannan polymer; a cis-diol and about 0.5 w/v % to about 10 w/v % of a hydrophilic copolymer which comprises (a) arylborono-containing repeating units each having a boronic acid, (b) repeating units of at least one phosphorylcholine-containing vinylic monomer, and (c) acrylic monomeric units of at least one acrylic monomer having 3 to 16 carbon atoms, the ophthalmic composition is substantially free of a borate for improving lubrication, hydration and drug delivery property.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing photochromic silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses based on thermal cast-molding technology in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. The method is characterized by selecting a high radical-reactive hydrophilic acrylic monomer while eliminating any low radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer in a lens formulation (polymerizable composition), by selecting a weight ratio of low-radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer to a high radical-reactive hydrophilic acrylic monomer in a lens formulation if the low radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer is needed, and/or by using a relatively high temperature thermal initiator in a lens formulation, to control the lens properties (e.g., water content, elastic modulus, etc.) and lens processability (capability of dry-delensing from molds) of thermally cast-molded SiHy contact lenses while minimizing loss in photochromic ability of resultant SiHy contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method comprising a process for removing unprocessed molded silicone hydrogel contact lenses from mold halves in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. A method of the invention comprises the combination of using a hydrophilic (meth)acrylamido monomer as one of major polymerizable components in a lens formulation for cast-molding of contact lenses, adding a post-curing treatment step which involves heating molds with molded lenses therewithin in an oven at a post-curing temperature higher than the curing temperature and under nitrogen gas flow at a higher flow rate, and using ultrasonic vibration energy for delensing. This method of the invention can be easily implemented in a production environment for enhancing the production yield.

Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method comprising a process for removing unprocessed molded silicone hydrogel contact lenses from mold halves in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. A method of the invention comprising the steps of formulating a lens formulation by dissolving/blending all polymerizable components in a mixture a hydrophobic acrylic monomer as a reactive diluent and an organic solvent as a non-reactive diluent at a weight ratio of least 0.24 (reactive diluent over the sum of reactive and non-reactive solvents) per gram of the polymerizable composition and using a relatively low ultrasonic vibration energy for delensing. This method of the invention can be easily implemented in a production environment for enhancing the production yield.

Abstract: A bolt and a method for manufacturing the bolt are provided. The bolt includes a screw cap and a bolt bar, the bolt bar includes a positioning bar, a flexible bar and a threaded portion, the positioning bar is connected to one end of the screw cap, and the flexible bar is connected to the positioning bar and the threaded portion respectively. Wherein, an anti-shearing stand is formed on the flexible bar. The threaded portion includes standard threads and transition threads, the transition threads are formed between the flexible bar and the standard threads, and a thread height of the transition threads is smaller than a thread height of the standard threads, wherein the thread height of the standard threads keeps constant. The force distribution of the threads can be optimized, and the threads can effectively cooperate with the threads of the nut.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The method of the invention is characterized by using an organic solvent as a processing-aid tool for controlling lens diameter without significantly affecting lens equilibrium water content during cast-molding of soft contact lenses from a polymerizable composition. By adjusting the weight percentage of the organic solvent in a polymerizable composition for making SiHy contact lenses, one can adjust lens diameter of produced SiHy lenses to meet target without affecting adversely the lens properties.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to silicone hydrogel contact lenses each inherently having, on lens surfaces, a relatively-high concentration of primary amino groups and to a method for producing the same. The invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lens precursors each inherently having, on lens surfaces, a relatively-high concentration of N-Boc-protected primary amino groups which can be easily and conveniently deprotected during lens extraction and/or hydration steps.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating of a hydrophilic copolymer thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body comprises or is made of a polymeric material having 1,2- and/or 1,3-diol moieties, and the hydrophilic copolymer comprises arylborono-containing repeating units each having a boronic acid group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one boronic acid group and one 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity higher than the surface lubricity of the lens body.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.