Johnson & Johnson Vision Products Inc.

Thomas J Wagner

Jonathan Patrick Adams

John C Heaton

Edmund C Rastrelli

Kenneth John Weber

Michael Francis Widman

Mano Chinnaswamy

Joe E Wilburn

Robert J Edie

An apparatus for causing the polymerized excess monomer to separate from a molded lens by increasing the surface energy of the flange area of one mold piece, causing the polymerized excess monomer to stick thereto. Specifically when manufactured under inert atmosphere conditions, a particular manifold is needed to supply an oxygen bearing gas, air, to the area to be treated while preventing the oxygen from contaminating the lens manufacturing area of the molds or diluting the nitrogen atmosphere of other lens process areas. It has been found that generation of the ionized oxygen by means of a corona treatment electrode sufficiently increases the adherence of the polymer to the mold piece so treated. In the preferred embodiment, the flange around the convex, male piece of the lens mold is corona treated so that when the mold pieces are separated after lens polymerization, the flashing of excess polymerized material surrounding the lens cavity adheres to that male, convex piece flange while the lens is removed with the female, concave piece.

Apparatus for treating an ophthalmic lens mold

An apparatus and method for causing the polymerized excess monomer to separate from a molded lens by increasing the surface energy of the flange area of one mold piece, causing the polymerized excess monomer to stick thereto. Specifically when manufactured under inert atmosphere conditions, a particular manifold is needed to supply an oxygen bearing gas, air, to the area to be treated while preventing the oxygen from contaminating the lens manufacturing area of the molds or diluting the nitrogen atmosphere of other lens process areas. It has been found that generation of the ionized oxygen by means of a corona treatment electrode sufficiently increases the adherence of the polymer to the mold piece so treated. In the preferred embodiment, the flange around the convex, male piece of the lens mold is corona treated so that when the mold pieces are separated after lens polymerization, the flashing of excess polymerized material surrounding the lens cavity adheres to that male, convex piece flange while the lens is removed with the female, concave piece.

Method for treating an ophthalmic lens mold

A method of automatically transferring contact lenses from a plurality of cups good positioned at a first location to a plurality of packages positioned at a second location wherein each good cup contains a transferable contact lens for placement in an individual blister package comprises a step of communicating positional information of good cup locations to a robotic device having an arm with one or more end effectors thereon, each end effector having a tip in connection with a vacuum and air pressure supply device, each end effector independently moveable with respect to the arm. Then, steps of applying a vacuum to the end effector tip to enable pick-up of a transferable lens from a cup located at a good cup location, and, controlling the robot to effect positioning of one end effector tip within the cup having the transferable lens therein to pick up the lens are performed. A further step includes controlling the robot to remove the end effector tip from the good cup location to position it within a blister package cavity, and finally, removing the vacuum and applying air pressure to the end effector tip to deposit the lens from the effector tip into a blister package cavity.

Automated robotic lens load system

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Jacksonville, FL, United States of America

Thomas J Wagner