Novartis Ag

Alcon, Inc.

Halina Heidrich

Axel Heinrich

Gabriela Cocora

Jan Bernard

Eduard Jetzlaff

Peter Hagmann

Matthias Schwab

Thomas Tonn

Fabian Kern

Karsten Straube

Volker Lanig

Yasin Acikgoez

Roland Schmieder

Matthias Braun

Stephan Pirl

Alexander Bayer

Lukas Lomb

Maricel Teresa Repetto

Udo Schuessler

Steffen Lieb

A method of providing a male mold half for molding a toric contact lens at a predetermined target rotational orientation is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: —providing the male mold half at a predetermined rotational orientation, —picking the male mold half up with a gripper having a central axis, —rotating the gripper with the male mold half about the central axis of the gripper by a predetermined rotational angle (α) towards the predetermined target rotational orientation, and —releasing the rotated male mold half from the gripper. Prior to picking the male mold half up, the method comprises centering the grippe and the male mold half relative to each other such that the central axis of the gripper and a central axis of the male mold half coincide.

Method for providing a male mold half for molding a toric ophthalmic lens at a predetermined target rotational orientation

An injection molding apparatus for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens mold having a front surface comprising a lens forming portion and a rear surface, comprises a first molding tool and a second molding tool. The first and second molding tools are movable towards and away from each other between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position the first mold forming portion of the first molding tool and the second mold forming portion of the second molding tool define a cavity between them corresponding in shape to the shape of the ophthalmic lens mold. The surface of the second mold forming portion, at least in a central zone thereof, has a surface roughness Sin the range of 0.3 &#x3bc;m to 2 &#x3bc;m, and a surface roughness Sin the range of 10 &#x3bc;m to 50 &#x3bc;m.

Injection molding apparatus and method for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens mold through injection molding

An apparatus for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of plastic molds comprises: A front surface of the first molding members comprises recesses to allow the formation of pins projecting from the rear surface the plastic mold into the recesses to make the plastic molds adhere to the first molding members. The gripper tool is movably arranged only in a direction parallel to the first surface into the space formed between the first and second surfaces for transferring the plastic molds to the gripper members and out of this space again.

Apparatus and method for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of single-use plastic molds for making ophthalmic lenses through injection molding

A method for cleaning a molding surface () of a reusable lens mold (), in particular of a reusable lens mold () for molding ophthalmic lenses such as soft contact lenses, comprising the steps of:

Method and device for cleaning a molding surface of a reusable lens mold

A method of cleaning deposited material from a molding surface () of a mold () for forming ophthalmic lenses, including bringing a cleaning head () into contact with the molding surface (), the rotational axis () of the cleaning head () being arranged normal to the molding surface (), rotating () the cleaning head () around the rotational axis () while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head () and the molding surface (), moving the cleaning head () to perform a precession motion () around a central normal () on the molding surface (), while rotating () the cleaning head () around the rotational axis () and while maintaining the contact between the cleaning head () and the molding surface (). During the precession motion () the rotational axis () includes an inclination angle (&#x3b1;) with the central normal () on the molding surface ().

Method and device for cleaning deposited material from a molding surface of a mold for forming ophthalmic lenses

A method for avoiding the entrapment of air bubbles () in a lens forming material, in particular in a low viscosity lens forming material, in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using mold halves () each having a lens forming surface () comprises electrostatically charging a predetermined portion of the lens forming surface () of the mold half () prior to the predetermined portion of the lens forming surface () coming into contact with the lens forming material ().

Method for avoiding entrapment of air bubbles in a lens forming material and apparatus for carrying out the method

There are described a method for applying a coating to a surface of an ophthalmic lens mold. The mold includes male and female () mold halves, with each of the mold halves being provided with a lens forming surface (). The method includes

Method for molding an ophthalmic lens

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.

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Kahl am Main, Germany

Halina Heidrich