Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method for cast-molding of silicone hydrogel contact lenses having enhanced oxygen permeability without adversely affecting desirable lens mechanical properties (e.g., modulus). A method of the invention comprises adding a small amount of a radical scavenger (e.g., H-TEMPO) in a polymerizable composition for cast-molding of SiHy contact lenses) to provide the resultant polymerizable composition with a bi-phase curing profile at a curing temperature of from about 45° C. to about 100° C. With such a bi-phase curing profile, the resultant polymerizable composition can be thermally cured at the curing temperature to form a SiHy contact lens having an oxygen permeability higher than that for a polymerizable composition having the substantially identical composition excepting being free of any radical scavenger.

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: 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 provides an actinically or thermally curable ink for making colored silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The ink of the invention comprises at least a pigment, a polymeric dispersant, a solvent and an actinically or thermally curable silicone-containing binder polymer including ethylenically unsaturated groups and segments derived from at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromere. The ink of the invention is characterized by having capability to be cured actinically or thermally to form a colored coat on a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein the ink is characterized by having an longer print life using a pad-printing system by at least 30% comparing to the ink which has the same composition except of no polymeric dispersant, wherein ink life is a number of printed parts that can be achieved in a print cycle.

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 a method for producing inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a robusteness of lens shape and having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus.

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 provides a metal oxide dispersion comprises a metal oxide, a millbase and a dispersant. The dispersant in the metal oxide is selected from a group consisting of a phosphoric acid polyester copolymer, a trimethoxysilane compound, a triethoxysilanes compound, dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and a combination thereof, and the dispersion is substantially free of water. The metal oxide dispersion of the invention is useful for manufacturing an inkjet ink to provide a high-quality color image on a contact lens or a mold so as to produce a colored contact lens.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actinically or thermally curable ink for making colored silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The ink of the invention comprises at least a pigment, a polymeric dispersant, a solvent and an actinically or thermally curable silicone-containing binder polymer including ethylenically unsaturated groups and segments derived from at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromere. The ink of the invention is characterized by having capability to be cured actinically or thermally to form a colored coat on a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein the ink is characterized by having an longer print life using a pad-printing system by at least 30% comparing to the ink which has the same composition except of no polymeric dispersant, wherein ink life is a number of printed parts that can be achieved in a print cycle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metal oxide dispersion comprises a metal oxide, a millbase and a dispersant. The dispersant in the metal oxide is selected from a group consisting of a phosphoric acid polyester copolymer, a trimethoxysilane compound, a triethoxysilanes compound, dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and a combination thereof, and the dispersion is substantially free of water. The metal oxide dispersion of the invention is useful for manufacturing an inkjet ink to provide a high-quality color image on a contact lens or a mold so as to produce a colored contact lens.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a pad transfer printing method for making colored hydrogel contact lenses with good image quality. More specifically, the present invention relates to make and use a pad transfer printing pad comprises an addition-cure room temperature vulcanized silicon, which has subjected to post-heat treating. The post-heat treated pad transfer printing pad is characterized by having a reduced silicone residue release by at least 50 percent relative to a control transfer pad having identical composition without post heat treating.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a pad transfer printing method for making colored hydrogel contact lenses with good image quality. More specifically, the present invention relates to make and use a pad transfer printing pad comprises an addition-cure room temperature vulcanized silicon, which has subjected to post-heat treating. The post-heat treated pad transfer printing pad is characterized by having a reduced silicone residue release by at least 50 percent relative to a control transfer pad having identical composition without post heat treating.