Novartis Ag

Alcon, Inc.

Jan Bernard

Halina Heidrich

Thomas Tonn

Roger Biel

Axel Heinrich

Matthias Schwab

Stephan Pirl

Karsten Straube

Eduard Jetzlaff

Peter Hagmann

Günter Lässig

Michael Stutz

Matthias Braun

Katrin Sylke Struckmeier

Andrea Kopp

Alexander Bayer

Yasin Acikgoez

Roger Beil

Steffen Lieb

Udo Schuessler

Maricel Teresa Repetto

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

To achieve molding insert is properly mounted to the tooling plate of the injection molding machine, a sensor head comprising confocal sensors is used. The sensor heads are placed on the tooling plate at the respective position to determine whether the desired mold insert has been mounted to that position and whether the desired mold insert has been precisely and accurately mounted to the tooling plate.

Method for verifying the accurate mounting of molding inserts to a tooling plate of an injection-molding apparatus for molding ophthalmic lens molds

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

A container () for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process has a longitudinal axis () and comprises as separate elements a containment element (), a mounting element (), and a retaining element (). The containment element () comprises a tubular section () and a bottom () arranged at a distal end of the tubular section (), the bottom () protruding convexly towards the outside at the distal end of the tubular section () and being provided with a number of apertures (), the tubular section () at a proximal end () thereof having a latch () protruding from the proximal end () of the tubular section () towards the mounting element (). The mounting element () comprises a sidewall () extending along the longitudinal axis () of the container (), the sidewall () being provided with recesses or orifices () which are in engagement with the latch () of the containment element (). The mounting element () further comprises an access opening () arranged at a proximal end of the mounting element () remote from the containment element (). The retaining element () is fixedly arranged in between the containment element () and the mounting element (), the retaining element () being configured to prevent the ophthalmic lens from being washed out of the containment element () and to permit access for a gripper through the access opening () of the mounting element () into the containment element () for insertion and removal of the ophthalmic lens.

Container for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process

A lens mold carrier () comprises: a frame () extending in a plane (x,y; u,v) and comprising a plurality of individual compartments (); at least one mold unit () arranged in one of the individual compartments () in a manner secured against falling out, the at least one mold unit () including an adapter piece () and a lens mold () fixedly connected to the adapter piece (). The adapter piece () is floatingly arranged within the compartment () to allow for limited movement of the adapter piece () within the compartment () at least in a translation plane parallel to or coincident with the plane (x,y; u,v) in which the frame () extends.

Lens mold carrier

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.

Mold release sheet

There is described a method of removing excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens (), such as the peripheral region of a contact lens. In order to form a lens () a lens forming material is polymerized and/or cross-linked within a mold cavity of a mold comprising female and male mold halves. The mold is opened by moving the female and male mold halves apart from each other. The formed lens () is supported on a carrier () such, that a front surface () of the lens () is exposed. Residues of non-polymerized and/or non-cross-linked lens forming material are removed mechanically by contacting the exposed surface () of the formed lens () for a period of time of about 0.5 seconds to about 4 seconds, preferably about 0.8 seconds to about 2 seconds, with a cleaner () having a hardness which is smaller than that of the polymerized and/or cross-linked lens forming material. There is also described a device () for carrying out the method.

Method of removing excess lens forming material from a molded ophthalmic lens such as a contact lens

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Niedernberg, Germany

Jan Bernard