Abstract: Described herein is a method for producing photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lenses in a relatively efficient and consistent manner from a polymerizable composition under a controlled thermal curing scheme. The main polymerizable components in the polymerizable composition are a high radical-reactive hydrophilic (meth)acrylamido monomer, a high radical-reactive siloxane-containing (meth)acrylamido monomer, and a polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker(s) free of low-reactive ethylenically unsaturated group as the main crosslinker. The thermal free radical initiator having a 10 hour half-life temperature (T10h?) of from about 50° C. to about 90° C. The controlled thermal curing scheme includes maintaining a first curing temperature of from about (T10h??20)° C. to about T10h?° C. for a first curing time and maintaining a second curing temperature of from about (T10h?+10)° C. to about (T10h?+35)° C. for a second curing time.

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 invention provides a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker which comprises (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and hydrophilized siloxane units each having one methyl substituent and one monovalent C4-C40 organic radical substituent having two to six hydroxyl groups, wherein the molar ratio of the hydrophilized siloxane units to the dimethylsiloxane units is from about 0.035 to about 0.15, and (2) two terminal (meth)acryloyl groups. The hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker has a number average molecular weight of from about 3000 Daltons to about 80,000 Daltons. The present invention is also related to a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises repeating units derived from a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker of the invention.

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: Described herein is a method for producing photochromic contact lenses, in particular, photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The method comprises a step of cast molding of a lens-forming composition including an iniferter to form an unprocessed contact lens having iniferter moieties covalently incorporated into its polymer matrix and a step of iniferter-induced graft-polymerization of a photochromic vinylic monomer to the polymer matrix only in its central region which is circular and concentric with the central axis of the unprocessed contact lens. The obtained photochromic contact lens has a central pupillary region that only can undergo a reversible color change upon exposure to UV/HEVL-radiation.

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 an insert for being embedded in a silicone hydrogel contact lens. The insert is made of a crosslinked materials which are rigid in dry state at room temperature (from about 22° C. to about 26° C.), have a high oxygen permeability and a high refractive index in fully hydrated state, and can become softer at a temperature great than 32° C. Such materials are useful for making inserts in embedded contact lenses for correcting corneal astigmatism, presbyopia, and color blindness lenses and for imparting photochromic characteristics to the lenses. The invention is also related to a method for making embedded silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising an insert of the invention therein and to embedded silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising an insert of the invention therein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a method for producing, in a relatively efficient and consistent manner, embedded or hybrid silicone hydrogel contact lenses, and also to unprocessed embedded or hybrid silicone hydrogel contact lenses, according to conventional cast-molding technologies. A method of the invention involve use of a polymeric non-reactive diluent in preparing a polymerizable composition for forming the silicone hydrogel material of the unprocessed embedded or hybrid silicone hydrogel contact lens, which is cast-molded with a lens mold. The unprocessed cast-molded embedded or hybrid silicone hydrogel contact lens has no or a minimal water-swelling degree, so that lens distortion or delamination during the hydration of the unprocessed embedded or hybrid silicone hydrogel contact lens.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for producing a contact lens comprising a central photochromic zone that has a diameter of about 13 mm or less and is concentric with the central axis of the contact lens. The method comprises: applying, in the center of the molding surface of a male mold half, a drop (having a volume of about 5 ?L or less) of a first polymerizable fluid composition containing at least one photochromic compound and a relatively-high molecular weight polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker for increasing the viscosity and adhesion on the molding surface of the male mold half; dosing a second polymerizable fluid composition in a female mold hald; closing the female mold hald with the male mold half with the drop thereon to form a molding assembly; and curing the second polymerizable fluid composition and the drop of the first polymerizable fluid composition in the molding assembly.

Abstract: A method for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses comprises at least the following steps: obtaining an insert made of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of a free-radical photoinitiator; placing the insert in a female lens mold half; dosing an amount of a lens-forming composition to immerse the insert in the female lens mold half; closing tightly a male lens mold half onto the top of the female lens mold half halves to form a molding assembly; actinically curing both the lens-forming composition in the molding assembly to form an embedded hydrogel lens precursor which comprises a bulk hydrogel material formed the lens-forming composition and the insert that is embedded therein and covalently linked to the bulk hydrogel material.

Abstract: A method for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses comprises at least the following steps: depositing a small drop of a viscous lens-forming composition in the center of a female lens mold half; placing a preformed insert on top of the small drop precisely in the center of the female lens mold half so that the insert is held by capillary forces due to the presence of a thin layer of the viscous lens-forming composition between the insert and the molding surface of the female lens mold half; dosing an amount of another less viscous lens-forming composition on top of the insert to immerse the insert in the female lens mold half; closing tightly a male lens mold half onto the top of the female lens mold half halves to form a molding assembly; curing both the lens-forming compositions in the molding assembly to form an embedded hydrogel lens precursor.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses in a relatively efficient and consistent manner from a lens formulation (i.e., a polymerizable composition) including a thermal initiator having a 10-hour half-life temperature (T10h?) under a controlled thermal curing scheme. A method of the invention comprises a step of curing the lens formulation in an oven according to a thermal curing profile that comprises or consists essentially of increasing the oven's temperature from room temperature or a temperature that is at least about 5° C. lower than T10h? to a temperature that is at least 30° C. higher than T10h? at a selected rate (e.g., from about 1° C./minute to about 10° C./minute). Under such a controlled thermal curing scheme, the lens diameter of the fully-hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lenses obtained according to a method of the invention does not vary significantly with the positions of the molds in the oven.

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: A method for producing embedded hydrogel contact lenses comprises at least the following steps: obtaining an insert made of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising iniferter moieties covalently attached thereto; placing the insert in a female lens mold half; dosing an amount of a lens-forming composition to immerse the insert in the female lens mold half; closing tightly a male lens mold half onto the top of the female lens mold half halves to form a molding assembly; curing the lens-forming composition in the molding assembly to form an embedded hydrogel lens precursor which comprises a bulk hydrogel material formed the lens-forming composition and the insert that is embedded therein and covalently linked to the bulk hydrogel material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for fabricating a hybrid contact lens product having a lens insert embedded at a precisely controlled location within a lens body. A mold engagement and support base engages and retains a lens forming mold in a substantially fixed position. An insert placement and positioning device includes an insert pickup head with a contact face configured for releasable engagement of the lens insert and at least one suction opening in the contact face for applying suction to engage the insert on the contact face. A positioning housing interacts with the mold and/or the support base to provide precise locational positioning of the lens insert within the mold. A lens body forming material is delivered to the mold to encapsulate the lens insert.

Abstract: A dosing system and method for delivery of contact lens formulation(s) to a contact lens forming mold. The system includes a carrier portion configured for holding a contact lens mold, and an alignment mandrel configured for retaining a lens formulation delivery device. The lens formulation delivery device is retained in a specified position relative to the contact lens mold for precise location of delivery of the lens formulation within the contact lens mold. A first lens formulation can be dosed to a center location in the mold, and a different second lens formulation can be dosed to a ring-shaped pattern around the center location, to form a contact lens having different center and edge characteristics.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to an embedded silicone hydrogel contact lens comprising a silicone hydrogel material and a hydrophobic insert. The silicone hydrogel material comprises repeating units of at least one first polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker comprising hydrophilized siloxane units each having one methyl substituent and one organic radical including at least one H-bond donor (e.g., hydroxyl groups), wherein the content of said at least one H-bond donor is at least 0.8 meq/g relative to the molecular weight of said at least one first polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker. The hydrophobic insert is composed of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising at least 40% by mole of acrylic repeating units and at least 6% by mole of repeating units of at least one vinylic crosslinking agent. The embedded silicone hydrogel is not susceptible to delamination.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to an insert for being embedded in a silicone hydrogel contact lens. The insert is made of a crosslinked materials which are rigid in dry state at room temperature (from about 22° C. to about 26° C.), have a high oxygen permeability and a high refractive index in fully hydrated state. Such materials are useful for making inserts in embedded contact lenses for correcting corneal astigmatism, presbyopia, and color blindness lenses and for imparting photochromic characteristics to the lenses. The invention is also related to a method for making embedded silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising an insert of the invention therein and to embedded silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising an insert of the invention therein.