Johnson & Johnson Vision Products Inc.

Johnson and Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

Other

Timothy P Newton

Daniel Tsu-Fang Wang

Michael Francis Widman

Ture Kindt-Larsen

Darren S Keene

Denwood F Ross, Iii

Svend Christensen

Kaj Bjerre

Finn Thrige Andersen

Kiyoshi Imai

James A Ebel

Peyman Dehkordi

David Dolan

Katsuaki Yoshida

Robert Lee Simmons

Chandra Tan

Junichi Fukuchi

David Clarence Byram

Gary Hall

A system for determining the presence and optionally the position of an ophthalmic product such as a contact lens in a container is provided.

Missing lens detection system and method

A system for determining the presence and optionally the position of an ophthalmic product such as a contact lens in a container.

An automated means for hydrating a molded hydrophilic contact lens is provided in which a first robotic assembly removes a plurality of contact lens molds from a production line carrier, each of the lens molds having a contact lens adhered therein. The first robotic assembly transports the molds to a first staging area where the lens molds are sandwiched between a lens mold carrier and a top chamber plate to form a first hydration carrier. A first rotary transfer device then hands the first hydration carrier to a second robotic assembly which immerses the first hydration carrier in a hydration bath to hydrate the lens and to release the lens from the lens mold. While the lens is immersed in the hydration bath, each lens is transferred from its respective mold to a lens transfer means found within the top chamber plate. After a predetermined period of time, the second robotic assembly removes the first hydration carrier from the hydration bath and hands the hydration carrier off to a second rotary transfer device which rotates the first hydration carrier and aligns it for transfer to a third robotic assembly. The third robotic assembly then carries the top chamber plate and contact lenses through a series of steps in which the lens mold carrier and lens molds are removed from the top chamber plate. The lenses carried on the lens transfer means are then flushed and transported for assembly with a hydration base member to form a second hydration carrier for processing the lens in subsequent extraction stations. The second hydration carrier is then transported through a plurality of flushing or extraction stations wherein fresh deionized water is introduced into the hydration chambers at each hydration station to flush leachable substances from the hydration chamber. At each flushing station, fresh deionized water is introduced into the hydration chamber to remove previously extracted impurities and the products of hydrolysis. A final robotic dis-assembly device separates the top chamber plate and lens transfer means from the hydration base member, to provide fully hydrated lenses in a concave lens holding means ready for transfer to inspection and packaging stations.

Automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses

Automated apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses

An automated method for high speed production rates in the hydration of soft contact lenses. The method includes the use of robotic transfer equipment to transfer contact lens molds containing contact lenses to and from a hydration station and a flushing station.

Automated method for hydrating soft contact lenses

A device and method for high speed production rates in the hydration of soft contact lenses. Such device and method includes the use robotic transfer equipment to transfer contact lens molds containing contact lenses to and from a hydration station and a flushing station.

Apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses

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Jacksonville, FL, United States of America

Timothy P Newton