Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymers each comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive chains each terminated with a carboxyl group groups and at least 50% by mole of (meth)acrylamide repeating units relative to all repeating units of the hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a coated contact lens having a hydrogel coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a contact lens precursor having carboxylic acid groups on and/or near its surface in an aqueous solution in the presence of a hydrophilic copolymer that comprises monomeric units of (a) at least one epoxy-containing vinylic monomer, (b) at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer having a primary or secondary amino group, (c) at least one polyethyleneglycol-containing vinylic monomer, and (d) at least one phosphorylcholine-containing vinylic monomer, at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 140° C. for at least 30 minutes, thereby forming a hydrogel coating on the contact lens precursor. Such a method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for producing HEVL-filtering contact lenses in a relatively efficient and consistent manner from a polymerizable composition under a controlled thermal curing scheme. The polymerizable composition comprises at least one N-vinyl amide monomer and at least one Cu(II)-meso-aryl-substituted porphyrin free of any ethylenically unsaturated group. The resultant HEVL-filtering contact lenses each comprise a polymer matrix to which the Cu(II)-meso-aryl-substituted porphyrin is grafted or covalently attached.

Abstract: Described herein is UV/HEVL-absorbing contact lens of the invention comprises a bulk hydrogel material that comprises repeating units of at least one UV-absorbing vinylic monomer, repeating units of at least one UV/HEVL-absorbing vinylic monomer, and derivatives of a reactive Cu(II)-porphyrin present in selected amounts and at a selected ratio. A UV/HEVL-filtering contact lens of the invention not only can provide Class I UV protection against UVA and UVB rays (i.e., filtering more than 90% of UVA and 99% of UVB rays) but also can mimics the natural crystalline lens of a human eye in providing HEVL protection.

Abstract: Described herein is a cost-effective and time-efficient method for producing UV- and HEVL-absorbing silicone hydrogel contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and high-energy-violet light (HEVL) with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV and HEVL radiation. This invention also provides UV- and HEVL-absorbing absorbing contact lenses made according to a method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a class of hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers. Each of the hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers of the invention comprise (1) a polydiorganosiloxane segment comprising dimethylsiloxane units and hydrophilized siloxane units each having one methyl substituent and one organic substituent having a phosphorylcholine moiety; (2) ethylenically-unsaturated groups. The invention also provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one of such a class of hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers. The invention further provides a method of producing a hydrophilized contact lens from a polymerizable composition comprising at least one of such a class of hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinkers.

Abstract: Described herein is a cast-molding process for producing contact lenses in a relatively-short curing time from a lens-forming composition, which comprises (a) at least one thiol-containing compound or component, (b) at least one metal scavenger, and (c) at least one free radical scavenger and which has a pH of from about 2.5 to about 5. The addition of a chain-transfer agent into a lens-forming composition can reduce not only the curing time of the lens-forming composition but also reduce the elastic modulus of resultant crosslinked materials (e.g., contact lenses) from the lens-forming composition. The lower pH and the addition of metal scavenger and the free radical scavenger into the lens-forming composition can ensure that the lens-forming composition to have a shelf life of at least three days.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body is composed of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one arylborono-containing vinylic monomer having a boronic acid group, and the coating comprises a layer of a phosphorylcholine-containing polymer which comprises (a) repeating units of vinyl alcohol, and (b) repeating units of 6-membered acetal ring substituted with a phosphorylcholine-containing group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one of the boronic acid groups of the crosslinked polymeric material and one of the 1,2-diol and 1,3-diol moieties of the phosphorylcholine-containing polymer.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for producing silicone medical devices, in particular, silicone contact lenses, having consistent mechanical properties in a cost-effective manner. The invention is also related to a silicone medical device, especially a soft silicone contact lens.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymers each comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive chains each terminated with a carboxyl group groups and at least 50% by mole of (meth)acrylamide repeating units relative to all repeating units of the hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

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 related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymers each comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive chains each terminated with a carboxyl group groups and at least 50% by mole of (meth)acrylamide repeating units relative to all repeating units of the hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: Described herein is a cast-molding process for producing contact lenses in a relatively short curing time. The short curing time has been achieved by adding a chain transfer agent into a lens-forming composition.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic copolymers comprising loosely dangling thiol-containing pendant groups. The hydrophilic copolymers are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating and can find particular use in for producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material useful for producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: Described herein are water-soluble UV-absorbing vinylic monomers and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and optionally (but preferably) violet radiation with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV radiation and potentially from violet radiation. This invention also provides a UV-absorbing contact lens.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic copolymers comprising loosely dangling thiol-containing pendant groups. The hydrophilic copolymers are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating and can find particular use in for producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material useful for producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) phosphorylcholine groups and dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive groups or chains each of which comprises one carboxyl group, one thiol group, or one primary or secondary amino group. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body is composed of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one arylborono-containing vinylic monomer having a boronic acid group, and the coating comprises a layer of a phosphorylcholine-containing polymer which comprises (a) repeating units of vinyl alcohol, and (b) repeating units of 6-membered acetal ring substituted with a phosphorylcholine-containing group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one of the boronic acid groups of the crosslinked polymeric material and one of the 1,2-diol and 1,3-diol moieties of the phosphorylcholine-containing polymer.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic copolymers comprising loosely dangling thiol-containing pendant groups. The hydrophilic copolymers are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating and can find particular use in for producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material useful for producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to azetidinium-containing copolymers and vinylic monomers and their uses in formation of non-silicone hydrogel coatings on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.