Alcon, Inc.

Novartis Ag

Thomas Tonn

Roger Biel

Günter Lässig

Jan Bernard

Halina Heidrich

Matthias Schwab

Eduard Jetzlaff

Susanne Fechner

Michael Stutz

Yasin Acikgoez

Marcus Heift

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

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 method for determining geometrical parameters of a soft contact lens comprises the steps of

Method for determining geometrical parameters of a soft contact lens

A method for determining whether or not a single use mold is acceptable, comprises

Method and device for determining whether or not a single use mold is acceptable

Method for determining the refractive index (n) of a material of a contact lens, in particular of a soft contact lens, the contact lens () having a first surface and a second surface defining a lens geometry there between, by measuring the wavefront issued by the contact lens () with a wavefront sensor (), obtaining data of the geometry of at least one section of the contact lens () with an optical coherence tomography system () and communicating the geometry of the at least one section of the contact lens () from the optical coherence tomography system () to an analyzer, particularly a computer, and determining the refractive index (n) of the material of the contact lens from the geometry of the at least one section of the contact lens and from the wavefront issued by the contact lens ().

Method and apparatus for the determination of the index of refraction of lens material

A method for inspecting an ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens, using Optical Coherence Tomography. The method includes illuminating a sample volume including the lens with a sample light beam which is provided from a light source having a power of at least 2 mW at a wavelength of 1040 nm to 1080 nm and which does not exceed 5 W. In carrying out the method an ophthalmic lens is inspected which has been manufactured such that it comprises scattering centers embedded in and/or on an anterior surface and in and/or on a posterior surface thereof, respectively, and/or distributed throughout a bulk material being delimited by the anterior surface and the posterior surface of the ophthalmic lens. An interference pattern resulting from a superposition of back-scattered light from the sample volume including the ophthalmic lens and a reference light beam provided from the light source may then be analyzed and evaluated.

Method for inspecting an ophthalmic lens using optical coherence tomography

Contact lenses often comprise a coating containing water so as to enhance comfort when being worn on the eye. The present invention is useful to determine the water content of the coating of a contact lens. To determine the water content of the coating, the lens having the coating to be measured is arranged under water. The reflectivity of the surface of the lens is then determined with the aid of a Chromatic sensor system.

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Aschaffenburg, Germany

Thomas Tonn