Novartis Ag

Alcon, Inc.

Ryan DeSousa

Frank Chang

Troy Vernon Holland

Walter R Laredo

Jinyu Huang

John Dallas Pruitt

Feng Jing

Jared Nelson

Xuwei Jiang

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.

Cast-molding process for producing UV-absorbing contact lenses

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.

Cast-molding process for producing contact lenses

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.

Hydrophilic copolymer with pendant thiol groups

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.

UV-absorbing vinylic monomers and uses thereof

The invention provides a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker which comprises (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and hydrophilized siloxane unit having one methyl substituent and one monovalent C-Corganic substituent having two or three carboxy groups, wherein the molar ratio of the hydrophilized siloxane units to the dimethylsiloxane units is from about 0.035 to about 0.25, and (2) two terminal (meth)acryloyl groups. The hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker has a number average molecular weight of greater than 3000 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. In addition, the invention provides a method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses using a lens-forming formulation comprising hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker of the invention.

Polymerizable polysiloxanes with hydrophilic substituents

Described herein are dimethyl acetal-containing UV-absorbing compounds and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing polyvinyl alcohol prepolymers suitable for producing 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 polyvinyl alcohol prepolymer.

Water-soluble UV-absorbing compounds and uses thereof

Described herein are acyl germanium photoinitiator for cost-effective and time-efficient method for producing 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 method for making UV-absorbing contact lenses made by using an acyl germanium photoinitiator of the invention.

Visible-light photoinitiators and uses thereof

Described herein are UV-absorbing vinylic monomers and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet ('UV') radiation and 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.

UV/visible-absorbing vinylic monomers and uses thereof

The invention provides silicone hydrogel ophthalmic lenses (in particular contact lenses) having relatively-long thermal stability and methods for making such ophthalmic lenses.

Growing community of inventors

Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Ryan DeSousa