CA1297403C - Contact-lens care set - Google Patents

Abstract

The specification discloses a method of caring for a contact lens and a neutralizing agent for use in a contact lens care set. The set is disclosed as having a container for receiving the neutralizing agent, the lens, and a liquid comprising hydrogen peroxide.
The neutralizing agent comprises decomposing means for decomposing at least residual hydrogen peroxide on the lens into oxygen and water after the hydrogen peroxide has so sterilized the lens; and retarding agent means for delaying the time at least the decomposing means decomposes the residual hydrogen peroxide after the neutralizing agent is received in the container until after the hydrogen peroxide has so sterilized the lens.
The invention provides a contact lens care set which, in one step, keeps hydrogen peroxide active sufficiently long at least for substantially sterilizing the lens and then neutralizes at least residual hydrogen peroxide on the lens at least substantially so that the lens can then be worn, at least generally, without discomfort.

Description

Contact-~ens Care Set The ~nvention relates to a contact lens care set.

Care sets for soft and hard contact lenses serve to clean, to disinfect and to stabilize the optical properties and to improve the wear comfort of the contact lenses. ~ydrogen perox;de, as antimicrobial substance, has become more important recently for disinfecting and cleaning contact lenses. Compared to chlorhexidine salts or organomercury compounds, such as th;omersal, which are also used to disinfect contact lenses, hydrcgen peroxide has a better antimicrobiolog;cal effect, especially with respect to the retati~ely resistant Aspergillus species. The known hydrogen peroxide solut;ons, used to clean contact lenses, are 3% per-oxide solut;ons (German Patent 2,425,714). After treatment of the contact lenses with these solutions, relatively large res;dual a~ounts of hydrogen peroxide solution adhere to the lens. When lenses so treated are inserted, these residual amounts lead to varying degrees of irritation of the mucous ~embrane. Therefore, after treatment with a hydrogen peroxide solution, it is necessary to treat the lens with a neutral~zing solution, by means of which the hydrogen peroxide is split into water and oxysen. The elimination after the ster;lization treat-ment of res;dual amounts of hydrogen peroxide by decomposition with the help especially of heavy metal catalysts is known from the aforemen-tioned German Patent 2l42~,714. The use of two d~fferent treatment steps is required here, namely, first of all, the treatment step of ster;liz1ng the lens and, after discarding the sterilizing solution, the treatment step of eliminating the residual hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous system conta;ning the catalyst. ~he handl;ng of the lens durin~
the care and cleaning ~perations therefore is relatively complicated.
The choice of suitable catalysts, which are used for the decomposition of residual amounts of hydrogen peroxide, also presents d;fflculties.

As catalysts for the decomposition of the hydrogen perox~de, used to disinfect and clean contact lenses, after the cleaning and dis;nfecting -treatments have been carried out, the use of enzymatic peroxidases, especially catalase, is known from the EP-A-82 798. In this case also, however, the hydrogen peroxide solution is poured off after its disinfecting treatment and replaced by a neutralizing solution which contains the peroxide-neutralizing catalyst or catalysts (i.e., peroxidases). Here also, therefore, two different, successive treatment steps are employed, so that the care treatment of the lens remains complicated.

In both cases, a contact lens care treatment simultaneously using hyd-ogen peroxide and a neutralizing solution with a decomposition catalyst, for example, has been impossible because, in such case, the hydrogen peroxide is decomposed into oxygen and water by the neutralizing solution via its decomposition catalyst, for example, before it can have a sufficient sterilizing action to kill the germs on the lens which requires from about one to about four hours, especially for a soft lens.

Summary of the Invention It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a contact lens care set which, in one step, keeps hydrogen peroxide active sufficiently long at least for substantially sterilizing the lens and then neutralizes at least residual hydrogen peroxide on the lens at least substantially so that the lens can then be worn, at least generally, without discomfort.

12974~3 To this and other end, the invention provides a contact lens care set having at least two agents: hydrogen peroxide and a neutralizing agent. The hydrogen peroxide is sufficient to be effective at least for substantially .
sterilizing at least one of a hard or soft contact lens and, preferably, either. The neutralizing agent is sufficient to be effective at least for decomposing any residual amount of the hydrogen peroxide on the lens into oxygen and water after the hydrogen peroxide has so sterilized the lens at least substantially, whereby the lens can then be worn, at least generally, without discomfort. The neutralizing agent has at least two constituents: a catalyst or enzyme, preferably for so decomposing the residual hydrogen peroxide, and a retarding agent. The retarding agent delays the time of release of at least so much of the neutralizing agent as decomposes the residual hydrogen peroxide, e.g., the catalyst, into the hydrogen peroxide until the hydrogen peroxide has so sterilized the lens.

The invention therefore substantially facilitates the care of the contact lens, whether hard or soft, because only a one-step treatment is required. The lens and the neutralizing agent with the catalyst and the retarding agent that controls the time-delayed release of at least part of the neutralizing agent such as the catalyst, for example, are placed into a sterilizing hydrogen peroxide solution.
The regarding agent, which comes into contact with the hydrogen peroxide during the immersion, then releases at least the neutralizing portion of the catalyst-containing neutralizing agent after the hydrogen peroxide has acted on the contact lens that is to be treated for a time sufficient for the lens sterilization.

12974~13 For this, the neutralizing agent may be coated with its retarding agent may be coated with its regarding agent for immersion in the hydrogen peroxide in a water solution with the lens. The delayed release time then can be adjusted (especially up to four hours), for example, by the thickness of the coating which dissolves into the hydrogen peroxide solution. As a result of the release of the catalyst-containing neutralizing agent when the coating dissolves, the neutralizing acts automatically, without further help from the contact-lens wearer taking care of the contact lens, on the hydrogen peroxide solution. The hydrogen peroxide solution is acidic (with a pH of less than 4) in the stable state for effecting both the sterilization and the dissolving. The catalyst, for example, inside the coating then decomposes the sterilizing hydrogen peroxide solution in a treatment container therefore in which the lens to be treated and the neutralizing agent have also been placed at the same time.

2 9 7~0 3 ~xamples o~ the composition of the hydrogen peroxide solution and of the catalyst- or enzyme-containing neutral;z;ng agent are gi~en ;n the Ger-man Offenlegungsschrift 3,410,400.

Moreover, the following composition is s~itable as neutral;zing agent:

0.0~ weight percent catalase concentrate, 260,000 units/mL
0.05 weight percent hydroxypropylmethy kellulose USP XX
O.OS weight percent NaH2P04 x 2~20 DAB B
0.25 weight percent Na2HP04 x 2H~O
0.75 weight percent sodiur chloride EP I

The following is a further suitable composition of the neutrali2ing agent:
~ - 12 mg suitable buffer substance(s) or mixture, for exa~ple, alkal1 phosphate, borate or citrate, glycine 40 - 70 mg neutral electrolyte (for example, NaCl, KCl) ~ - lO ~9 alkali hydrogen carbonate - lO mg water~soluble polymer, for example, polyvinylpyrrolitone 0.2 - l mg catalyst (catalase, peroxidase) per single tose.

this amount is sufficient to deco~pose, to neutralize and to adjust to an osmolarity of Z70 - 320 mosmol 7 ~L of an hydrogen peroxide solution.
These 7 mL correspond to the volume of a standard contact lens case or contact lens treatment body.

An exampte of a further special composition of the neutralizing agent-is the following:

5.6 mg potasslu~ hydrogen phosphate 8 mg disodiu~ hydrogen phosphate 52.4 mg NaCl 7 mg sodium hydrogen carbonate 4.8 mg polyvinylpyrrolidone K25 0.3 mg catalyst The compositlons of the neutrallzlng agent, qiven above, can be used as capsule fillings, the capsule being fashloned as the retard~ng agent, which surrounds the catalyst-containing neutralizing agent. The capsule co~prises a water-soluble poly~er, espec;ally a polyvinyl alcohol.

The neutralizing agent ~ay also be formed lnto a ta~let, wh kh 1s pro~
vlded with a water-soluble coating for the time-delayed dissoluticn of the tablet. The water-soluble coating may compr;se a polymer, soluble ln an ac;d;c mediu~, such as a polymer of dimethylaminomethacrylate and neutral methacrylate esters. The coating may also compr;se a pH-neu-tral, sotuble polymer. Polymers, suitable for thls purpose, are, for example, soluble cellulose ethers such as methylcellulose, methylhy-droxypropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydro~ypropylcellu-lose, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcelluloses; cellulose acetate phthalate; hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate; polymers of ~ethacrylic acid and ~ethacrylate esters; a coating of an aqueous dls-persion of a copolymer of methacrylic ac;d and methacrylate esters; a coating of an aqueous dispersion of cellulose acetate phthalate; copoly-mers o~ methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride and polyvinyl alcohols.

~L2 9 7 ~0 3 Su;table polyalcohols, especially in an amount o~ 0.2 - 1 mg/tablet, can be added to these polymers to control the time delay, 1,2-propylenegly-col, polyethylene ~lycols and citrate esters be~ng suitable as polyalco-hols.

The coating can be produced from the water-soluble polymer by known processes, for example, by spray-coating a film in the coating pan, by the fluidlzed bed process (Wurster process) or in closed systems. The preferred amount of polymer, coating a tablet> is 2.0 to 5.0 ~9.

~he following is an example of a tablet composition, which forms the catalyst-conta;ning neutrallz~ng agent:

11.2 ~9 disodium hydrogen phosphate 55.8 mg NaCI
4.8 mg polyvinylpyrrolidone K25 0.2 mg catalyst tcatalase, peroxidase) The following is an example of an acid~soluble polymer, suitable as a coating:

1.9 mg methacrylate ester 0.4 mg hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 0.2 mg polyethylene glycol (1000) The following is an example of a coating film of a neutral-soluble polymer:

2.2 mg hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate 0.3 mg polyethylene slycol ~1000) It is alsc possible to seal a catatyst-containing neutraliz;ng agent, which has been formed into a tablet, in a water~soluble ~ilm, for exam-ple, of polyvinyl alcohol, wh;ch acts as a retarding agent. Plasticiz-ers ~f multihydr;c alcohols and water are added in an amount of 3.5X to5Z to the polyvinyl alcohol fi1m, as a result of which a time-delayed dissotution of the film ~s effected. The fi~ms may be ~s thick ~s 30 -150 ~m. The gas permeability (D~N 53 380) is 0.9 - 1.4 cc/m2/d/bar.
The f11ms cin be welded at temperatures ranging from 140~C - l90~C w1th a contact~ng pressure of 4 - 5 bar.

The catalyst-containing neutralizing agent, formed into a tablet, may also be coated w~th an insoluble, yet semipermeable membrane. This membrane ~ay also be appl~ed by known coating processes, such as spray-coating the film, by the flu;d;zed bed process or in closed systems, and moreover in an amount of 3 to 10 ~g/tablet. The semipermeable membrane may be formed, for example, as follows from an organic solution of ethylcellulose, an aqueous dispersion of ethylcellulose, a copolymer of acrylate/methacrylate esters with tr;methylammoniummethacrylate, an aqueous dispers~on of mixed ~ethyl methacrylates and ethyl methacry-lates; to control the diffusion rate, suitable plasticisers can be added, especially in an amount of 1.0 - 5.0 mg/tablet. As plast;cizer, 1,2-propyleneglycol, polyethylene glycols and citrate esters ~re suit-able. An example of the co~position of a semiper~eable membrane 1s as follows;

3.8 mg ethylcellulose N22 1.2 mg polyethylene glycol (6,000) A further example of a retarding agent, by means of which a time~delayed release of the catalyst, which decomposes hydrogen perox~de, and of the neutralizing agent can be attained, ;s a sw~lable, yet sparingly solu~
ble or insoluble ~atrix, especially in tablet form, ;n which the cata-lyst-contain~ng neutralizing agent is d;stributed. The catalyst-con-taining neutralizing agent may have one of the aforementioned compos1-tions, ~hich is incorporated in the matrix that may comprise natural or partly synthet1c polymers. The matrix, especially in tablet form, can be produced by conventional processes, for example, by granulating and molding the starting materials. It is of course also possible to pro-- ~297403 cess the mixture of start;ng ~a~erlals directly ;nto tablets without prior granulation. Polymers, suitable for the formation of the ~atrix, are the soluble cellulose ethers, such as those given by way of exa~ple above, the alkali salts of alginic acid, ~ethacrylic ac1d der{vatives, especially acrylate/methacrylate esters, acrylic acid derivatives, tex-trans (MW 1,000 - 75,000) and polyvinyl alcohols. The following is an example of the matrix, in which the catalyst-conta;ning neutral~ing agent i5 1ncorporated:

0.3 mg catalyst (catalase, perox1dase) 10.2 mg disodium hydrogen phosphate 55.8 mg ~aCl

4.7 mg polyv;nylpyrrolidone K25 l~ mg hydroxypropylmethylcellulose Tablets are molded to have, for example, a weisht of 86 mg and a 6 ~m round format.

It is also possible to incorporate the components of the catalyst and the neutralizing agent in a h;ghly-concentrated, aqueous polymer solu-tion and, after cast1ng and drying, to produce from this sectile films 1.0 - 3.0 mm thick. By cutting the film to s;ze, appropriate dosage units can be produced in precalculated superficial dimensions. ~he water~soluble polymers act as retarding asent, through wh1ch the time-delayed release of catalyst and neutralizing agent ~s attained. Su1t-able polymers are water-soluble cellulose ethers, 11ke those given above by way of example, alkali alginates, dextrans and polyvinyl alcohols.

It is known in the medical sector concerned with the admin;stration of drugs that therapeut k systems may be used in the form of tablets, sem1permeable membranes and matrices, which are brought into a particu-lar target area of a biosystem in order to bring about a constant delivery of drug over a prolonged per;od of tire. In contrast to this, the invent10n accomplishes that the hydrogen perox;de-decomposlng cata-lyst, together with the stérilizing hydrogen peroxide, can be used -12~7403 simultaneously in the treatment of contact lenses ~ithout adverse effect by the catalyst, which decomposes the hydrogen peroxide, on the desired ster~lizing action of the hydrogen peroxide over a period of, for exam-ple, four hours. The decomposing action of the catalyst on the hydrogen peroxide sets ~n~only ~t the end of the desired treatment time.

A delayed release of the catalyst can also be achieved by immobilizing the catalyst on particutate carrier substances, especially acrylic resin pellets, for example, by bonding over reactive oxiran groups. The carrier substances, with the catalyst, especially an enzymatic catalyst, immobllized thereon, are d;sposed in an adeguate amount, for example in a bottom part or a lid w~th screw thread of a contact lens treatment container or ~ contact lens case and are separated from the treatment solut~on, which conta;ns the pH-neutralizing materials and the neutral salts together with the hydrogen peroxite, by permeable, inert sieve netting. In this vers;on, the catalyst is disposed in a part of the treatment container without mixing with the treatment solution. By these means the danger is avoided, that the catalyst material will collect or accumulate in the soft lens materlal during the treatm~nt of soft contact lenses. For example, an amount of carrier substances with an immob~l~zed enzymatic catalyst, suff~cient for 30-day repeatet use, can be accommodated in the container part.

The treatment solution, ;n which the release of catalyst-containing neutralizing agent takes place, may have a pH of about 7 to 7.5 and espeoially of 7.3 and an osmolarity of about 300 mosmol.

A color change, especially the use ~f a color indicator (pH/redox indi-cator3, changins color at a p~ of 7.0 to 7.5 and espec;ally at 7.3, indicates to the user that the hydrogen peroxide, used for the steriliz-ing treatment, has been decomposed. For this purpose, high molecular weight dyes, which do no~ penetrate into the 1ens mater;al, are espe-cially suitable.

So that the catalyst, which preferably is an enzymatic catalyst, exerts lZ974(~3 its act10n only after the disinfecting or sterilizing treat~ent of the lens, this catalyst additive, together with auxiliary ~aterials, whtch are present ;n the neutralizing agent and which serve to neutral;ze the hydrogen peroxide, may be packaged in a coat;ng, wh kh ensures that the catalyst for décomposing the hydrogen peroxide is released only after the necessary treatment time (up to four hours). rhere are a number of possibilit~es for accomplishing this.

The coating or packaging of the catalyst and the auxiliary materials has the shape of a capsule, which is ~ater-soluble at the pH, at which the hydrogen peroxide solution is stable, that is, at a pH of 4 to about 5, yet does not fl~cculate or precipitate in neutral solution, that is, at a p~ of about 7.3.

It is, moreover, advantageous if the capsule is provided with one or two or optionally even more laser perforations, through which the auxtliary materials are released on contact with the hydrogen peroxide solution, the capsule dissolving completely when a pH of about 7 is reached in order to release the catalyst then.

The ca~alyst may also be present as an enzyme pr;ll which, together with the auxiliary materials, is filled into the capsule, wh;ch has the aforementioned dissolving properties.

The catalyst-containing neutralizing agent may also be fashioned as a coated tablet, from which, with delayed dissolution of the coating, first of all the auxiliary materials are set free to change the p~ of the hydrogen peroxide solution and then, at a pH of about 7, the cata-lyst is set free.

Furthermore suitable for the catalyst-containing neutraliz;ng agent is a two-layer tablet, one of the layers of which, comprising soluble salts, serves to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide soluti~n and the other layer of which conta;ns the catalyst, it being possible to release either the auxil;ary materials or the catalyst first.

.,.
, ~2~4~3 The neutratizing agent may also be present as a basic gel in a coating, which is soluble at a pH of 7. The catalyst may also be present ss viscous so1ution ;n a coàting, which surrounds the aux~liary mater1als.

Moreover, the neutral;zing agent may have a sem;permeable membrane as coating, through which the water to dissolve the auxiliaries penetrates into the interior and out of which the dissolved salts reach the outside due to osmotic pressure. For this purpose, the semipermeable membrane may have a perforation or it may be destroyed by osmotfc pressure, whereby then the auxiliary materials and the catalyst are set free. The catalyst may be present here as an enveloped enzyme product.

Moreover, a two-layer syste~ with a soluble and a semipermeable membrane is suitable for the time-displaced release of the auxil~ary materials and the catalyst. An insoluble membrane system could be exchanged on renewed use.

A suitable two-layer system may be constructed so that the catalyst is enveloped by the semipermeable membrane, at the outside of which the aux;liary mater;als lie. A coating, water soluble at the pH (less than 4) of the stable hydrogen perox~de solution, moreover envelops the aux;liary materials and the se~ipermeable ~embrane enclosing the cata-lyst.

~he decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide can be tetected by a color ind~cator. ~n this connect;on, it is a question of the addition of a pH/redox indicator, ~hich does not penetra~e lnto the soft hydrophiltc contact lenses and which is physiologically safe. ~he color indicator may also be so designed, that it is colored at pH 7 in the presence of hydrogen perox;de and colorl~ss at pH 7 in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.

The container, in which the contact lens care or treatment ~s carr~ed out, may have facllities for vent;ng, ~or example, in the form of a 12974~3 Bunsen valve or the like, through which the oxygen released during the neutralization and decomposition of the hydrogen perox;de can escape.

The attached Figures serve to explain the invention further.

Figures 1 to 5 show different examples of the systems containing hydro-gen perox~de and the decompos;tion catalyst.
Figure 6 shows the timewise course of the treat~ent of a contact lens with an example of the operation of the contact lens care set.
Figure 7 shows a treatment container ;n side view.
Figure 8 shows a plan view of a container part, which can bescrewed onto the treatment container and which contains part~culate carrier substances, to wh~ch an enzymatic, hydrogen peroxide-decomposing catalyst is bound.

In the example shown in Fig. 1, the auxiliary materials 1 ~nd a hydrosen peroxide-spl;tt;ng catalyst 2. for example in the for~ o~ c~talase, are randomly distributed in the outer casing ~. The outer casing 3 may be water soluble or sem~permeable after it has been acted upon for a cer-tain period of time by the hydrogen peroxide, which has a sterilizing effect in contac~ lens care on the contact lens to be treated. ~he thickness of the casing controls the len~th of time (up to four hours) that the hydrogen peroxide acts on the lens, before sufficient catalase and auxiliary materials are released by the dissolution of the outer casing 3 or by the sem~permeability of this cas;ng, so that the steri-lizing hydrogen peroxide i5 neutralized and e1iminated by catalyt;c decomposltion. In this example of the operation, the auxiliary mate-rials and the catalyst may be released simultaneously.

In the example shown ;n Fig. 2, the auxiliary materials 1 are released first, ~s a result of wh~ch the ster;l;zing hydrogen peroxide solutlon is neutralized. After this, the hydrogen peroxide-testroying catalyst 2, for example ~n the form of catalase, comes to be used. For this purpose, the outer caslng 3 is provided whlch, after the hydrogen per--. , ~297~3 oxide has acted for a certain period ~f ti~e, is soluble or wh1ch is appropriately sem~permeable and which surrounds the auxiliary materials l. ~he auxiliary materials l surround the catalyst 2, which, for ~ts part, 1s surrounded by an internal casing 4, which may also be con-structed so as to be soluble or semipermeable.

~n the example shown ln Flg. 3, the catalyst 2 and the auxiliary mate-rials l are next to each other and are surrounded by a common outer casing 3, which is water soluble or semipermeable. In th~s case, the auxiliary materials l and the catalyst 2 ~ay be separated by a partition

5.

In the example shown in Fig. 4, tne catalyst 2, which may be present ;n the form of a viscous solution, is released first, after which the auxiliary materials l are released. The catalyst 2 is surrounded here by the outer casing 3 and the auxit;ary materials l by the inner casing 4. In this version, the auxiliary materials l lie on the inside and are surrounded by the catalyst 2.

In the example shown ;n F;g. 5, the catalyst 2, as catalyst prill, and the auxiliary mater;als l are randomly d;stributed ~n the outer casing 3, which may be soluble or semipermeable.

Fig. 6 graphically shows the timewise course of the treatment of the contact lens with the hydrogen peroxide and the subsequent destruction of the hydrogen peroxide, after it has acted for the desired time tl.
The length of ti~e, that the hydrogen peroxide acts, can be f;xed. for exa~ple, by the thickness of the coating or by an appropriate selection of the ~aterial of the coating. The hydrogen peroxide content is plot-ted on the ordinate, the ;n~tial hytrogen perox~de content essentially remainin~ constant until the end of the time of action tl. After the release of the au~ aries and/or the catalyst, the hydrogen peroxide content 1n the treatment container decreases rapidly.

F;gs. 7 and 8 schemat k ally shown an example of the operation of a ~ 7~33 treatment conta;ner l, in which in a bottom part 2 particulate carrier substances 3, on which an enzymatic hydrogen peroxide-deco~posing cata~
lyst ~s immobilized, are d~sposed in a recess 4 of the bottom part 2.
The ~otto~ part 2 may, for example, may be attached by a screw th~ead to the treatment vessel part 5, as described, for example, in the German Offenlegungsschrift 3,410,400. The carrier substances 3, coated w~th the cat~lyst, are separated fro~ the 1nterior 7 of the container by means of an inert sieve netting 6, which is impermeable to the treatment solution present in the interior 7 of the container. The color of the lid 8, which ;s ~lso screwed on and to which the cups 9 for the contact lenses to be treated ~re attached, as shown ~n the German Offenlegungs-schrift 3,410,400, may be different from the color of scre~ed-on base part 2, so that the danger of co~fusion ~s precluded.

It ~ill be understood that the specification and examples are illustrative but not limitative of the present invention and that other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

. :- - . .

Claims (41)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A contact lens care set with two treatment agents of which one treatment agent is a sterilising hydrogen peroxide and the other treating agent is a catalyst-containing neutralising agent for neutralising and decomposing the hydrogen peroxide after the sterilising treatment of a contact lens, characterised in that the neutralising agent and/or the catalyst for decomposing the hydrogen peroxide are/is combined with a retarding agent which controls the time-delayad release.

2. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the catalyst-containing neutralising agent is enclosed by a coating which, in contact with the hydrogen peroxide solution, releases the catalyst-containing neutralising agent after the hydrogen peroxide solution has acted for a specified time on the contact lens that is to be treated.

3. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the neutralising agent contains, in addition to the catalyst for decomposing the hydrogen peroxide, auxiliary materials that neutralise the acidic hydrogen peroxide solution.

4. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the catalyst for decomposing the hydrogen peroxide is released before or after the neutralisation of the hydrogen peroxide solution.

5. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the retarding agent is in the form of a water-soluble coating for the catalyst-containing neutralising agent and consists of a polymer that is water-soluble in an acidic or neutral medium.

6. A contact lens care set according to claim 5, characterised in that the polymer that is soluble in an acidic medium is a polymer of dimethylaminomethacrylate and neutral methacrylate esters.

7. A contact lens care set according to claim 5, characterised in that the polymer that is soluble in a neutral medium is a compound from the group of soluble cellulose ethers, cellulose acetate phthalate, hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose phthalate, a polymer of methacrylic acid and methacrylate esters, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and methacrylate esters, a copolymer of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride and polyvinyl alcohols.

8. A contact lens care set according to claim 7, characterised in that the soluble cellulose ethers are methylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose and sodium carboxymethylcellulose.

9. A contact lens care set according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that polyalcohols are added to the water-soluble polymer for controlling the retarding time.

10. A contact lens care set according to claim 9, characterised in that the polyalcohols are 1,2-propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, citrate esters.

11. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 or 10, characterised in that the coating is in the form of a water-soluble film.

12. A contact lens care set according to claim 5,6,7,8 or 10, characterised in that the coating consists of polyvinyl alcohol.

13. A contact lens care set according to claim 11, characterised in that the polyvinyl alcohol film contains plasticisers of polyhydric alcohols and water in an amount of from 3.5 % to 5 %.

14. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the retarding agent is in the form of a semipermeable membrane that envelops the catalyst-containing neutralising agent and that consists of ethylcellulose or a copolymer of acrylate/methacrylate esters with trimethylammonium methacrylate or a mixture of methyl methacrylates and ethyl methacrylates.

16. A contact lens care set according to claim 14, characterised in that plasticisers are added to the membrane to control the diffusion rate.

16. A contact lens care set according to claim 15, characterised in that the plasticisers are 1,2-propylene glycol or polyethylene glycols or citrate esters.

17. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the coating is water-soluble or semipermeable at the pH (< 4) at which the hydrogen peroxide solution is stable.

18. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the coating has one or more perforations through which the auxiliary materials are released tnrough the coating upon contact with the hydrogen peroxide solution, and the coating is semipermeable or soluble at a pH of about 7.

19. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the catalyst is in the form of a catalyst prill which, together with the auxiliary materials, is present in the coating.

20. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the retarding agent is in the form of a sparingly soluble or insoluble matrix in which the catalyst-containing neutralising agent is distributed.

21. A contact lens care set according to claim 20, characterised in that the matrix consists of a compound from the group of cellulose ethers, alkali metal salts of alginic acid, methacrylic acid derivatives, acrylic acid derivatives, dextrans (mol. wt. 1000 - 75000) and polyvinyl alcohol.

22. A contact lens care set according to claim 20 or 21, characterised in that the matrix is in the form of a tablet.

23. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the retarding agent is in the form of a film cast from a highly concentrated polymer solution, in which film the catalyst-containing neutralising agent is embedded.

24. A contact lens care set according to claim 23, characterised in that the film material consists of alkali metal alginates, dextrans (mol. wt. 1000 - 75000) and polyvinyl alcohol.

25. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 ~ ~ , characterised in that the catalyst-containing neutralising agent is in the form of a tablet provided with a coating in such a manner that, with delayed dissolution of the coating, first of all the auxiliary materials are released to change the pH of the hydrogen peroxide solution and then, at a pH of about 7, the catalyst is released.

26. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, ~ characterised in that the catalyst-containing neutralising agent is in the form of a coated tablet and, with delayed dissolution of the coating, first of all the catalyst and then the auxiliary materials are released.

27. A contact lens care set according to claim 25 or 26, characterised in that the neutralising agent is in the form of a two-layer tablet of which one layer, consisting of soluble salts, serves to neutralise the hydrogen peroxide solution and the other layer is the catalyst.

28. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the neutralising agent is present in the coating as a basic gel that is soluble at pH <7.

29. A contact lens care set according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the catalyst is present in the coating as a viscous solution that surrounds the auxiliary materials.

30. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the neutralising agent is enclosed by a semipermeable membrane through which water penetrates to the inside to dissolve the auxiliary materials and from which the dissolved salts pass to the outside as a result of osmotic pressure.

31. A contact lens care set according to claim 30, characterised in that the semipermeable membrane has one or more perforations.

32. A contact lens care set according to claim 31, characterised in that the semipermeable membrane is destructible by osmotic pressure.

33. A contact lens care set according to claim 17, 30, 31 or 32, characterised in that the catalyst is enveloped by the semipermeable membrane, at the outside of which the auxiliary materials lie, and the coating that is water-soluble or semipermeable at the pH (<4) of the stable hydrogen peroxide solution envelops the semipermeable membrane enclosing the catalyst.

34. A contact lens care set according to claim 17, 30, 31 or 32, characterised in that the catalyst lies on the outside of the membrane that envelops the auxiliary materials, and the water-soluble or semipermeable coating envelops the catalyst and the membrane enclosing the auxiliary materials,

35. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the retarding agent is in the form of particulate carrier bodies on which the catalyst for decomposing the hydrogen peroxide is immobilised.

36. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the catalyst is an enzyme, especially catalase.

37. A contact lens care set according to claims 35 or 36, characterised in that the carrier bodies consist of acrylic resin and the catalyst, in the form of an enzyme (catalase, peroxidase), is bonded to the carrier body by way of reactive oxirane groups.

38. A contact lens care set according to claim 35, characterised in that the carrier bodies are disposed in a detachable part of the treatment container and are separated from the interior of the container, into which the hydrogen peroxide-containing treatment solution is introduced, by a permeable inert sieve netting.

39. A contact lens care set according to claim 38, characterised in that the detachable part of the container is constructed as a screw-on container lid or container base.

40. A contact lens care set according to claim 1, characterised in that the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide can be detected by means of a colour indicator.

41. A contact lens care set according to claim 3, characterised in that the auxiliary materials are NaH12PO4, Na2HPO4 and NaC1 buffer substances, film-forming materials and wetting agents.