Patents by Inventor Peter Hagmann

Peter Hagmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210318468
    Abstract: A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers (1, 2) which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) comprises a frame (10, 20) having a predetermined number of mounting sites (100, 200) arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) further comprises a predetermined number of molds (112, 212) removably mounted to the frame (10, 20) at the mounting sites (100, 200), the molds being reusable male or female molds (212, 112). Two lens mold carriers (1, 2) are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers (1, 2) the male and female molds (212, 112) are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Shu Zong, Peter Hagmann, Roger Biel, Axel Heinrich, Stephan Pirl
  • Patent number: 10983251
    Abstract: A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers (1, 2) which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) comprises a frame (10, 20) having a predetermined number of mounting sites (100, 200) arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) further comprises a predetermined number of molds (112, 212) removably mounted to the frame (10, 20) at the mounting sites (100, 200), the molds being reusable male or female molds (212, 112). Two lens mold carriers (1, 2) are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers (1, 2) the male and female molds (212, 112) are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Shu Zong, Peter Hagmann, Roger Biel, Axel Heinrich, Stephan Piri
  • Patent number: 10751962
    Abstract: A modular production line for the production of contact lenses comprises at least three separate modules: a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP). The modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between the individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the lenses from a preceding module to a subsequent module. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) which are grouped to form a plurality of individual manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) arranged in a closed loop. Reusable male and female molds (212, 112) are transported through the manufacturing stations of the manufacturing units, and each manufacturing unit (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) comprises a plurality of the manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Shu Zong, Peter Hagmann, Roger Biel, Axel Heinrich, Stephan Pirl
  • Patent number: 10338408
    Abstract: Described herein is a cost-effective and time-efficient method for making UV-absorbing contact lenses. In contrast to the conventional method for making UV-absorbing contact lenses which involves copolymerizing a lens forming composition including a UV-absorbing vinylic monomer, a method of the invention involves dipping a contact lens in a solution of UV-absorbing polymer comprising carboxyl-containing monomeric units, UV-absorbing monomeric units and covalently bound radical-initiating moieties to form a UV-absorbing coating on the contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Harald Bothe, Peter Hagmann
  • Publication number: 20190064396
    Abstract: A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers (1, 2) which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) comprises a frame (10, 20) having a predetermined number of mounting sites (100, 200) arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) further comprises a predetermined number of molds (112, 212) removably mounted to the frame (10, 20) at the mounting sites (100, 200), the molds being reusable male or female molds (212, 112). Two lens mold carriers (1, 2) are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers (1, 2) the male and female molds (212, 112) are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Shu Zong, Peter Hagmann, Roger Biel, Axel Heinrich, Stephan Pirl
  • Publication number: 20190061294
    Abstract: A modular production line for the production of contact lenses comprises at least three separate modules: a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP). The modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between the individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the lenses from a preceding module to a subsequent module. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) which are grouped to form a plurality of individual manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) arranged in a closed loop. Reusable male and female molds (212, 112) are transported through the manufacturing stations of the manufacturing units, and each manufacturing unit (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) comprises a plurality of the manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Shu Zong, Peter Hagmann, Roger Biel, Axel Heinrich, Stephan Pirl
  • Patent number: 9914272
    Abstract: There is described a method of separating excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens. After polymerization and/or cross-linking of a lens forming material (P) within a mold cavity (4) of a mold (1) comprising female and male mold halves (2, 3) to form an ophthalmic lens non-polymerized and/or non-cross-linked lens forming material is flushed away from the mold halves (2, 3) with a jet of a fluid flushing medium, such as, e.g., water or a solvent or an inert gas. Subsequently the molded lens is dried. In accordance with the invention the flushing is accomplished with the mold halves (2, 3) still in the closed position. There is also described an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Axel Heinrich, Bernhard Seiferling, Peter Hagmann
  • Patent number: 9849642
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Lukas Lomb, Roland Schmieder, Gabriela Cocora, Halina Heidrich, Axel Heinrich, Peter Hagmann
  • Patent number: 9623589
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Roger Biel, Gabriela Cocora, Peter Hagmann, Uwe Haken, William Jordan Hall, Axel Heinrich, Günter Lässig, Honghui Lu, Deborah J. Mulcahy, Carlton Pope, Daryl Reece, Bernhard Seiferling
  • Patent number: 9491996
    Abstract: A container (1) for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process has a longitudinal axis (12) and comprises a containment portion (2), a mounting portion (3), and a retaining element (4). The containment portion (2) comprises a tubular section (21) and a bottom (22) protruding convexly towards the outside at one end of the tubular section (21) and has a number of apertures (23, 24). The mounting portion (3) comprises flow openings and an access opening (11) at an end remote from the containment portion (2). The retaining element (4) prohibits the lens from being washed out of the containment portion (2) and further permits access of a gripper into the containment portion (2) for insertion and removal of the lens. The mounting portion (3) extends from the access opening (11) to the tubular section (21) in a manner to enable introduction of the containment portion (2) of another such container (1) into the mounting portion (3) through the access opening (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Roger Biel, Peter Hagmann
  • Publication number: 20160097939
    Abstract: The invention is related to a method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a nano-textured surface which mimics the surface texture of cornea of human eye. A method of the invention comprises creating a prime coating having nano-textures through controlled imbibition and/or depositions of a reactive polymeric coating material and fixing the nano-textures by crosslinking a hydrophilic polymeric material onto the prime coating to form a crosslinked polymeric coating that preserves the nano-textures of the prime coating and provides a nano-textured surface to the contact lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: R. Erich Bauman, Peter Hagmann, John Dallas Pruitt, Joseph Michael Rappon
  • Patent number: 9244195
    Abstract: The invention is related to a method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a nano-textured surface which mimics the surface texture of cornea of human eye. A method of the invention comprises creating a prime coating having nano-textures through controlled imbibition and/or depositions of a reactive polymeric coating material and fixing the nano-textures by crosslinking a hydrophilic polymeric material onto the prime coating to form a crosslinked polymeric coating that perserves the nano-textures of the prime coating and provides a nano-textured surface to the contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: R. Erich Bauman, Peter Hagmann, John Dallas Pruitt, Joseph Michael Rappon
  • Patent number: 9227746
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses, e.g. contact lenses, in particular soft contact lenses, comprises the steps of molding in a high volume manufacturing process a plurality of lenses (CL) having different properties, and transferring the respective molded lenses (CL) that have the same properties to a respective intermediate buffer (1;1a) so as to store therein a bulk of lenses (CL) having the same properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Roger Biel, Peter Hagmann, Günter Lässig
  • Publication number: 20150251364
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for washing, with a water-based system, reusable molds for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The water-based washing system comprises a solvo-surfactant which is an alkyl (propylene glycol)n ether wherein alkyl is a linear alkyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms and n is the integer 1, 2 or 3. The water-based system of the invention can effectively wash away silicone-containing components and other components of a lens formulation left behind on the molding surfaces of a reusable mold, after removing a silicone hydrogel contact lens cast molded in the reusable mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Harald Bothe, Michael Tretter, Peter Hagmann
  • Publication number: 20150174839
    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).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Lukas Lomb, Roland Schmieder, Gabriela Cocora, Halina Heidrich, Axel Heinrich, Peter Hagmann
  • Patent number: 9050761
    Abstract: There is described a method of dosing a lens forming material into a mold (1;21), which comprises dosing a metered amount of a lens forming material (P) including a volatile solvent into a mold cavity (4) enclosed by a female mold half (2) and a male mold half of a mold (1;21). The lens forming material (P) is subsequently polymerized and/or cross-linked to form an ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens. Dosing of the lens forming material (P) into the mold cavity (4) is accomplished while the mold halves (2, 3) are associated with each other substantially gas-tight. There is also described an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Matthias Braun, Axel Heinrich, Peter Hagmann
  • Patent number: 9005700
    Abstract: Described herein is a cost-effective and time-efficient method for making UV-absorbing contact lenses. In contrast to the conventional method for making UV-absorbing contact lenses which involves copolymerizing a lens forming composition including a UV-absorbing vinylic monomer, a method of the invention involves dipping a contact lens in a solution of UV-absorbing polymer comprising carboxyl-containing monomeric units and UV-absorbing monomeric units to form a UV-absorbing coating on the contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Harald Bothe, Yongxing Qiu, Peter Hagmann
  • Patent number: 8944795
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mold half for making an ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens, wherein the mold half comprises a release sheet removably arranged on the mold surface of said mold half to separate a lens forming material from the mold surface, as well as to a method for applying a removable mold release sheet to said mold half. The mold half of the invention comprises a vacuum means to removably attach said release sheet to said mold surface, and preferably the mold half further comprises a pinch-off rim for forming the edge of said ophthalmic lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Axel Heinrich, Halina Heidrich, Alexander Bayer, Karsten Straube, Peter Hagmann, Stephan Pirl, Jan Bernard, Matthias Braun
  • Publication number: 20140199425
    Abstract: There is described a method of separating excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens. After polymerization and/or cross-linking of a lens forming material (P) within a mold cavity (4) of a mold (1) comprising female and male mold halves (2, 3) to form an ophthalmic lens non-polymerized and/or non-cross-linked lens forming material is flushed away from the mold halves (2, 3) with a jet of a fluid flushing medium, such as, e.g., water or a solvent or an inert gas. Subsequently the molded lens is dried. In accordance with the invention the flushing is accomplished with the mold halves (2, 3) still in the closed position. There is also described an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Axel Heinrich, Bernhard Seiferling, Peter Hagmann
  • Publication number: 20140174956
    Abstract: A container (1) for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process has a longitudinal axis (12) and comprises a containment portion (2), a mounting portion (3), and a retaining element (4). The containment portion (2) comprises a tubular section (21) and a bottom (22) protruding convexly towards the outside at one end of the tubular section (21) and has a number of apertures (23, 24). The mounting portion (3) comprises flow openings and an access opening (11) at an end remote from the containment portion (2). The retaining element (4) prohibits the lens from being washed out of the containment portion (2) and further permits access of a gripper into the containment portion (2) for insertion and removal of the lens. The mounting portion (3) extends from the access opening (11) to the tubular section (21) in a manner to enable introduction of the containment portion (2) of another such container (1) into the mounting portion (3) through the access opening (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Roger Biel, Peter Hagmann