Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses for correcting refractive error of an eye are disclosed. Ophthalmic lenses include a deformable inner portion and a deformable peripheral portion. When disposed over the optical region of an eye, the inner portion is configured so that engagement of the posterior surface against the eye deforms the posterior surface so that the posterior surface has a shape diverging form the refractive shape of the epithelium when viewing with the eye through the ophthalmic lens. The rigidity of the inner portion is greater than the rigidity of the peripheral portion and the ophthalmic lenses are configured to allow movement relative to the eye upon blinking of the eye and to be substantially centered on the optical region of the cornea following the blinking of the eye. Methods of correcting refractive errors of an eye such as astigmatism or spherical aberration using the ophthalmic lenses are also disclosed.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lens molds made from one or more thermoplastic polymer having a low level of UV light transmittance (UV % T) ophthalmic lenses including silicone hydrogel contact lenses molded using these thermoplastic polymer having low UV % T, and methods of manufacturing ophthalmic lenses by cast molding a polymerizable composition in mold members formed of these thermoplastic polymers having low UV % T and curing the polymerizable composition using UV light are described.

Abstract: The invention provides a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a hydrophilic coating thereon that is covalently attached to the lens and has a good hydrophilicity, intactness and durability. The invention also provides a silicone hydrogel contact lenses having a hydrophilic coating consisting of a prime coating covalently attached to the contact lens and a top coating covalently attached to the prime coating.

Abstract: The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

Abstract: A contact lens having nanoparticles integrated within, or deposited onto, the contact lens. A method for altering the optical density and spectral transmission or reflection response of a contact lens. The method includes obtaining a nanoparticle solution having a predetermined concentration. The method further includes exposing the contact lens in the nanoparticle solution for a predetermined period of time. A method for manufacturing a contact lens further includes exposing contact lens material to nanoparticles for a predetermined period of time to alter the optical density and spectral transmission or reflection response of the contact lens material. A contact lens may be formed after the material is exposed to the nanoparticles.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

Abstract: This invention relates to comfortable ophthalmic devices and methods of producing such devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising a polymeric substrate comprising at least one volume excluding polymer. In one embodiment, the present invention provides polymeric articles that are capable of acting as osmotic drivers. The articles are capable of maintaining a desired water balance by moving water in or out of a substrate to maintain cation concentration equilibrium between the substrate and its environment.

Abstract: Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, packaged ophthalmic devices present in a solution comprising the at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use wet demolding processes, or wet delensing processes or both wet demolding and wet delensing processes involving dissolving the molds in water or an aqueous solution.

Abstract: Medical devices having a wettable, biocompatible surface are described herein. Processes for producing such devices are also described.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses using direct injection molding are described. The present methods, devices, and systems include a mold block having a first mold insert and a second mold insert defining a lens-shaped cavity between them. A raised non-uniform region that projects into the lens-shaped cavity is incorporated in a peripheral zone of the molding surface of at least one of the mold inserts. When an ophthalmic lens is formed using the described mold block, at least one depression is produced in the lens. A gate placed at the non-uniform region allows the depression to hide any gate witness that may form when the mold is closed or separated.

Abstract: Medical devices having a wettable, biocompatible surface are described herein. Processes for producing such devices are also described.

Abstract: Silicone hydrogel ophthalmic devices, such as ocular inserts and contact lenses, formed in direct contact with molds comprising at least one vinyl alcohol copolymer and related methods are described. The at least one vinyl alcohol copolymer of the molds is a vinyl alcohol copolymer other than an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use dry or wet demolding processes, or dry or wet delensing processes.

Abstract: The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lens molds made from at least one vinyl alcohol copolymers with high amorphous content, ophthalmic lenses including silicone hydrogel contact lenses formed using these molds, packaged ophthalmic lenses present in a solution comprising the at least one vinyl alcohol copolymer with high amorphous content, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic lenses can use wet demolding, delensing or demolding and delensing processes involving dissolving the molds in water or an aqueous solution.

Abstract: Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one highly amorphous vinyl alcohol polymer, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use dry or wet demolding processes, or dry or wet delensing processes.

Abstract: Ophthalmic lens molds made from one or more thermoplastic polymers with average polarities from about 1% to about 7%, ophthalmic lenses including silicone hydrogel contact lenses molded using these less polar thermoplastic polymers, and related methods are described. When the molds are used to cast mold silicone hydrogel contact lenses, the resulting polymerized lens bodies have ophthalmically acceptably wettable surfaces.

Abstract: Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one vinyl alcohol copolymer and having a static sessile drop contact angle of less than 70 degrees, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use dry or wet demolding processes, or dry or wet delensing processes.

Abstract: Medical devices having a wettable, biocompatible surface are described herein. Processes for producing such devices are also described.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing contact lenses using ophthalmic lens molds having a molding surface comprising a thermoplastic polymer, the molding surface having a percent polarity from 3% to 20% and a surface energy from about 25 mN/m to about 40 mN/m to cast mold a polymerizable composition having a surface tension from about 20 mN/m to about 25 mN/m, wherein a surface energy differential of the surface tension of the polymerizable composition less the surface energy of the molding surface less than or equal to zero (0); and silicone hydrogel contact lens bodies so manufactured are described.

Abstract: Medical devices having a wettable, biocompatible surface are described herein. Processes for producing such devices are also described.

Abstract: The invention is related to a disposable contact lens comprising a top coating which is made of a hydrophilic polymeric material including dangling hydrophilic polymer chains covalently linked to the hydrophilic polymeric material through oligo-caprolactone linkages susceptible to enzymatic degradation in the eyes. The top coating is stable to lens processing/storage and confers lubricity to the lens. However, it slowly is degraded during the lens wear due to the action of enzymes (e.g., Lipase) in tear film. The loss in lubricity will be experienced as a drop in comfort for the lens wearer and thereby serves as the built-in compliance features of the disposable contact lens.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method for coating ophthalmic lenses, preferably contact lenses, more preferably silicone hydrogel contact lenses. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method for forming a coating comprising a polyionic material on a contact lens, preferably a silicone hydrogel contact lens, directly in the primary package and maintaining the coated contact lens within said primary package until insertion of the coated contact lens in the eye of the contact lens user.

Abstract: This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.

Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves autoclaving, in a sealed lens package, a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a base coating of polyacrylic acid thereon in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having epoxide groups, for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one epoxide group and one of the carboxyl groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens.

Abstract: The invention provide a new class of silicone-containing prepolymers containing ethylenically unsaturated groups and latent UV-activated free radical generating moieties. This class of silicone-containing prepolymer is capable of being actinically crosslinked in the presence of one or more hydrophilic vinylic monomers to form a silicone hydrogel material with a hydrophilic surface without post curing surface treatment. The present invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lenses made from this class of silicone-containing prepolymers and a vinylic monomer having a latent UV-activated free radical generating moiety.

Abstract: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are provided which have reduced modulus and contact angle properties, and which have acceptable wettabilities for use in daily wear and extended or continuous wear applications.

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.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making a hybrid contact lens, comprising: a step of providing a hydrophilic disc (100); a step of providing a rigid disc (200); a step of hydrating the hydrophilic disc (100); a step of applying an adhesive element (202) on a surface of the rigid disc; a step of bonding the hydrophilic disc (100) to said surface of the rigid disc; a step of drying the two thus bonded discs (100); and a step of cutting the two thus bonded and dried discs (100).

Abstract: A soft contact lens for fitting to a cornea includes a lens main body made of a light permeable member. The lens main body has a diameter larger than that of a light-shielding portion which shields incident light incident to the cornea. The light-shielding portion includes a main body constituting a light-shielding member, an aperture that allows incident light to be transmitted, the aperture being positioned on a position of the main body of the light-shielding portion, and multiple holes that maintain a scotopic vision and a night vision, the holes being provided around the aperture in the main body of the light-shielding portion and each of the holes having a diameter smaller than that of the aperture.

Abstract: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are produced without using volatile organic solvents to extract materials from the polymerized contact lens bodies, and instead are washed with aqueous liquids. The silicone hydrogel contact lenses so produced have ophthalmically wettable lens surfaces. The hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lenses have diameters that are at least 24% larger than the diameters of the silicone hydrogel contact lenses prior to hydration or washing.

Abstract: Hydrogel contact lenses that are derived from a polymerizable composition including at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one phosphine-containing component are described. The hydrogel of the contact lenses can be a silicone hydrogel or a non-silicone hydrogel. Use of polymerizable compositions comprising a phosphine-containing component can be cured under both inert and air atmospheres, and can be used to form hydrogel contact lenses having improved shape retention properties, having improved resistance to discoloration. Batches of hydrogel contact lenses and methods of making hydrogel contact lenses are also described.

Abstract: Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are produced without using volatile organic solvents to extract materials from the polymerized contact lens bodies, and instead are washed with aqueous liquids. The silicone hydrogel contact lenses so produced have ophthalmically wettable lens surfaces such that less than five percent of a batch of twenty or more such silicone hydrogel contact lenses have visually identifiable non-wetting spots when the contact lenses are located on eyes of subjects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising a polymeric substrate comprising at least one volume excluding polymer. In one embodiment, the present invention provides polymeric articles that are capable of acting as osmotic drivers. The articles are capable of maintaining a desired water balance by moving water in or out of a substrate to maintain cation concentration equilibrium between the substrate and its environment.

Abstract: A lens body comprising at least one form of boronic acid, boronic ester or boronic anhydride is provided. The lens body is contacted with a solution comprising at least one form of TRIS. A contact lens package including the contact lens, and methods of producing and using the contact lens, are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hybrid soft contact lens including a central portion formed with a first hydrous soft material, and a peripheral portion formed with a second hydrous soft material, in which the first hydrous soft material is obtained by curing a first curable composition including a silicone-containing monomer. Preferably, the first hydrous soft material has a Young's modulus of no less than 3.0 MPa and no greater than 100 MPa, and the second hydrous soft material has a Young's modulus of no less than 0.20 MPa and less than 3.0 MPa.