GB2605085A - A packaged contact lens in a blister package suitable for recycling - Google Patents

Abstract

A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens comprising a base member 100, an upper 130 and a lower surface 132, a blister well 104, a handle 106, three or more stabilising legs 116, two side tabs 122, a sealing member 103 (Fig. 1b) joined to the base member 100 to form a blister cavity which houses a contact lens and solution, and a hole or slot 110 with a notch 146 on the handle forming a female connecting feature, which couples to a male connecting feature in the form of a protrusion 152 on the handle of the base member of another blister package, thus creating a stacked assembly of base members (Fig. 10c) that can be recycled. A method of using and recycling the blister package are disclosed, as well as the preferred dimensions of the various components.

Description

A packaged contact lens in a blister package suitable for recycling

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a packaged contact lens. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a sealed blister package including a base member and a sealing member joined to the base member to form a blister cavity arranged to hold an unworn contact lens and an aqueous solution.

Background of the Invention

Soft contact lenses, for example hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses, are stored in an aqueous solution in order to keep them hydrated and in a useable condition. Contact lenses are typically sold individually packaged in sealed blister packaging. A molded blister package for storing and dispensing a contact lens is disclosed in Martinez US 4,691,820. Blister packages provide a sterile and secure environment for an unused contact lens, allowing it to be transported and stored safely until such time as it is required by the end user. A conventional blister package comprises a base member made of a plastics material and a sealing member that is sealed to that base member to form a blister cavity. A typical blister package of the prior art has a blister cavity in which the unused contact lens is stored and a handle that can be held between the finger and thumb of the user. The blister cavity is often configured as a well in the base member, the well being capable of holding a volume of contact lens packaging solution and the contact lens itself Many people use daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly disposable contact lenses, packaged in blister packaging. In use, a user typically removes the sealing member from the plastic base member, removes the unworn contact lens and discards the empty blister package in the trash where it will not be recycled. Each individual plastic base member is too small to be recycled as plastic at a recycling centre because plastic recycling processes typically require objects to have dimensions greater than specified minimum dimensions. If these requirements are not met, the recycling lines have steps to remove these smaller objects and will not recycle them. This means that small pieces of plastic, such as individual plastic base members, may not be recycled, due to their small size, even if they are made of recyclable plastic. The material that the base members of blister packages are made from is recyclable, and therefore there is a need to address this problem so that contact lens packaging can be recycled in the same way as larger plastic items. The object of this invention is to provide a blister package that has a base member which can be easily recycled by the end user.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides according to a first aspect, a hermetically sealed blister package having the features set out in claim 1 below. Preferred but optional features are set out in dependent claims 2 to 9.

The female connecting feature and the male connecting feature allow multiple base members to be mechanically fastened together to form a base member assembly. A base member assembly can be formed by a user when the user is ready to discard a plurality of blister packs. A base member assembly can be formed that is of the size and weight required to be recycled by recycling centres. This allows the base members to be recycled, which reduces the environmental impact of the blister packs as they will not be discarded and sent to landfill.

The base member has a length from 40.0mm to 50.0mm. The base member may have a length from 43.0mm to 47.0mm. The base member may have a length of 46.0mm. The base member may have a length of 46.31mm. The base member has a width of 25.0mm to 35.0mm. The base member may have a width of 27.0mm to 33.0mm. The base member may have a width of 28.0mm to 30.0mm. The base member may have a width of 29.0mm. The base member may have a weight of 2.25g or less. The base member may have a weight of 1.08 or less. The base member may have a weight of 0.90g or less. The base member may have a weight of 0.80g or less. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.72g. The base member may have a weight from 0.40g to 0.72g. In an example, the base member has a weight of 0.70g. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.70g. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.65g.

The sealing member is hermetically sealed to the base member at the sealing region. The sealing member may be a laminated structure including foil and one or more layers of plastic. The sealing member may be made of plastic. The sealing member may be made of foil. The thickness of the sealing member can be from about 50 micrometers to about 100 micrometers. The sealing member may be printed with words or numbers. The sealing member may have a thickness of 60 to 70 microns. Suitable materials for the sealing member can be obtained from AMCOR (Switzerland). The sealing member may have an area equal to the area of the top surface of the base member. The sealing member may have an area greater than the area of the top surface of the base member. The sealing member may have an area less than the area of the top surface of the base member. The sealing region may have a width from 1.0mm to 4.0mm. The sealing region may have a width from 1.0mm to 2.5mm. The sealing region may have a width of 2.0mm. The sealing region may have a width of 1.7mm. The sealing region may have a width of 1.5mm. The sealing region may have a width of 1.0mm. A reduced width of the sealing region may improve the ease of opening the blister pack whilst maintaining a hermetic seal.

The handle of the base member may include only one female connecting feature. The handle of the base member may include more than one female connecting feature. The female connecting feature is a hole. The hole may be located at a distance of 10.0mm to 30.0mm from the centre of the blister well. The hole may be located at a distance of 20.0mm from the centre of the blister well. The hole is a slot having a width of 0.5mm to 1.5mm. The hole may be a slot having a width of 0.9mm. The hole may be a slot having a width of 1.0mm. The hole may be a slot having a width of 1.1mm. The hole may be a slot having a width of 1.5mm. The hole is a slot with a length of 3.0mm to 13.0mm. The hole may be a slot with a length of 9.0mm to 11.0mm. The hole may be a slot with a length of 9.0mm. The hole may be a slot with a length of 10.0mm. The hole may be a slot with a length of 10.5mm. The hole may be a slot with a length of 11.0mm.

The side of the hole may be parallel to the end of the handle. The length of the hole may be parallel to the end of the handle. The length of the hole may be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the base member. The length of the hole may be perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base member. The length of the hole may be from 5 degrees to 45 degrees from being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base member. The hole may have a notch in the edge of the hole. The notch in the edge of the hole may protrude from the hole by 0.5mm to 5mm. The notch in the edge of the hole may protrude from the hole by 1.1mm. The notch in the edge of the hole may have a length of 2.0mm to 3.0mm. The notch in the edge of the hole may have a length of 2.7mm. The notch may be central along the length of the hole. The notch may be off centre along the length of the hole. The notch may have a square shape. The notch may have a rectangular shape. The notch may have an oval shape. The -4 -notch may have a circular shape. The notch may be curved. The hole may be square shaped. The hole may be oval shaped. The hole may be curved. The hole may be rectangular in shape. The hole may be an irregular shape.

The male connecting feature may include a clip. The male connecting feature may comprise a latch. The male connecting feature may be positioned at a gripping portion end of the base member. The male connecting feature may be configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a second base member such that the base member is interlocked with a second base member. The second base member may be a substantially identical base member.

The male connecting feature may be a protrusion. The male connecting feature may include a key-shaped protrusion. The protrusion may be positioned to fit within the notch in the edge of the hole of a female connecting feature of a second base member. The position of the protrusion and the notch may be configured such that when the protrusion is inserted into the notch of a second base member, the second base member is oriented in a specific manner relative to the base member. The outer edge of the handle may include the protrusion. The protrusion may have a length along the flange of 9.0mm to I 1.0mm. The protrusion may have a length along the flange of 9.8mm. The protrusion may extend out 2.0mm to 3.0mm from the edge of the base member. The protrusion may extend out 2.3mm from the edge of the base member. The male connecting feature may be a protrusion that includes a tab. The male connecting feature may be a rectangular shaped protrusion that has a tab extending from its side such that the protrusion is key-shaped. The male connecting feature may be a rectangular-shaped protrusion that has a tab extending centrally from its side. The tab may be positioned off-centre along the side of the rectangle. The outer edge of the handle that is furthest from the blister well may have a tab extending downwards from the upper surface of the flange. The tab may have a length of 2.0mm to 3.0mm along the flange. The tab may have a length of 2.2mm to 2.4mm along the flange. The tab may have a length of 2.3mm along the flange. The tab may have a height of 1.0mm to 2.0mm. The tab may have a height of 1.75mm. The male connecting feature may extend down along the entire width of the end of the handle.

The tab may be sized and shaped to fit into the notch of the hole in the flange of a second base member. Thus, multiple base members may be attached together, to form -5 -a base member assembly or a base member recycling unit, which may be acceptable for recycling in a recycling centre The male connecting feature may be a barb configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a second base member from a first direction. The female connecting feature of the second base member may be configured to prevent the barb from exiting in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

The male connecting feature may include a first end defining a first barb and a second end defining a second barb. The first barb and the second barb may be configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a second base member from a first direction. The female connecting feature of the second base member may be configured to prevent the first barb and the second barb from exiting in a second direction opposite to the first direction The blister well may be hemispherical or substantially hemispherical in shape.

The blister well may be an irregular shape. The blister well may be cylindrical in shape. The blister well has a wall, referred to herein as a sidevvall. The sidewall may include a flat portion, which may be adjacent to the handle.

The blister package may include a contact lens. The contact lens may be a hydrogel contact lens or a silicone hydrogel contact lens. The base member may be made from a recyclable plastics material. The base member may be made from a polypropylene material. The base member may be made from a thermoplastic material.

The sealing region may be annular when viewed from above. It may be that the sealing region is not annular when viewed from above. It may be that the sealing region has a vertex adjacent to the handle of the base member. As used herein, a vertex is understood to be a portion of a geometric shape having the sharpest turn relative to the rest of the shape. For example, the vertex can be a point where two or more line segments meet. However, if the line segments are curved it can be appreciated that the intersection may be blended in such a way that there is a region having a smaller radius than a portion of the line segments located away from the vertex. A sealing region with a vertex reduces the separation force required to separate the sealing member from the sealing region. If a lower separation force is required to separate the sealing member from the sealing region, the base member can -6 -have a reduced structural integrity, i.e, be less robust (and can therefore be made lighter) without reducing the protection that the blister package provides to a contact lens The blister well may hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution of 0.4mL to 1.6mL. The blister well may hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution of 0.8mL to 1.2mL. The blister well may hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution of 0.6mL. The blister well may hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution of 0.7mL. The blister well may hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution of 0.8mL I 0 The blister well may have a depth at its centre from 5.0mm to 8.0mm. The blister well may have a depth at its centre of 6.0mm to 7.0mm. The blister well may have a depth at its centre of 6.0mm. The blister well may have a depth at its centre of 6.7mm.

The flange may have a thickness of 0.3mm to 1.0mm. The flange may have a 15 thickness of 0.4mm to 0.7mm. The flange may have a thickness of 0.5mm. The flange may have a thickness of 0.55mm.

The flange of the base member may have a thickness that is no greater than the thickness of the sidewall of the blister well. The flange of the base member may have a thickness that is no greater than 95% of the thickness of the sidewall of the blister well The flange of the base member may have a thickness that is no greater than 90% of the thickness of the sidewall of the blister well. The flange of the base member may have a thickness that is no greater than 85% of the thickness of the sidewall of the blister well.

The blister well may have a sidewall thickness of 0.3mm to 1.0mm. The blister well may have a sidewall thickness of 0.5mm to 0.7mm. The blister well may have a sidewall thickness of 0.6mm. If the blister well sidewall were too thin, evaporation might occur through the plastic resulting in changes in the packaging solution. The blister well sidewall thickness may allow a reduction in weight of the blister package whilst still being thick enough to avoid any evaporation of the contact lens packaging solution.

The base member may include three or more stabilising legs The stabilising legs may extend down from the lower surface of the base member. The stabilising -7 -legs may be vertically aligned with the rim of the blister well. The stabilising legs may be distributed around the convex exterior surface of the blister well The stabilising legs may act to provide support points when the base member is placed against a surface. The stabilising legs may act to keep the base member stable when it is placed on a surface. The stabilising legs may provide support points that distribute any force applied by the surface across the base member, rather than the force acting entirely through the blister well. The stabilising legs may allow the thickness of the blister well to be reduced without an increased risk of deformation.

The base member may include two side tabs. The side tabs may extend down from the upper surface of the base member. The side tabs may be positioned on either side of the blister well which may increase the structural integrity of the base member, making the base member less susceptible to deformation. The base member may include side tabs and stabilising legs. The combination of the stabilising legs and the side tabs may allow the base member to provide adequate protection to a contact lens during transportation and storage whilst allowing the thickness of material of the base member to be reduced. These features may allow the weight of the blister package to be reduced, whilst maintaining the functionality of a traditional blister package.

The side tabs may have a height from 2.0mm to 4.0mm and a length along the upper surface of the flange from 6.0mm to 10.0mm. The side tabs may have a height from 2.0mm to 4.0mm. The side tabs may have a height from 3.0mm to 4.0mm. The side tabs may have a height of 3.0mm. The side tabs may have a height of 4.0mm. The side tabs may have a length along the upper surface of the flange of 6.0mm to 10.0mm. The side tabs may have a length along the upper surface of the flange of 7.0mm to 9.00mm. The side tabs may have a length along the upper surface of the flange of 8.0mm. The side tabs may increase the structural integrity of the base member. The side tabs may increase the structural integrity of the base member so that the weight of the blister pack can be reduced whilst maintaining enough structural integrity to adequately protect the contact lens during transportation and storage. The side tabs may increase the structural integrity of the base member so that the weight of the blister pack can be reduced whilst maintaining enough structural integrity to avoid problematic deformation. The side tabs may reduce the likelihood of problematic deformation of the base member. The side tabs may increase the stability of the base -8 -member when it is placed upright on a flat surface. The side tabs may provide a gripping region.

The base member may have three stabilising legs. The base member may have three stabilising legs positioned approximately 120 degrees apart from each other about a vertical axis extending through the centre of the blister well. The base member may have four stabilising legs. The base member may have five stabilising legs. The base member may have four stabilising legs that are positioned approximately 90 degrees apart from each other about a vertical axis extending through the centre of the blister well. The stabilising legs may include a planar lower edge. The stabilising legs may include a rounded lower edge. The stabilising legs may include a curved lower edge.

The stabilising legs may extend down from the lower surface of the base member such that they extend out as far as the furthest extent of the convex exterior surface of the blister well. The stabilising legs may extend down from the lower surface of the base member such that they extend out further than the furthest extent of the convex exterior surface of the blister well. The stabilising legs may extend out far enough to provide stability to the base member when it is placed upright on a flat surface. The stabilising legs may extend down from the lower surface of the base member and may be vertically aligned with the rim of the blister well. The stabilising legs may improve the stability of the base member allowing a reduction in weight of the blister package to be achieved whilst allowing the blister pack to be stable when placed upright on a flat surface. The stabilising legs may improve the structural integrity of the base member, allowing a reduction in weight of the blister package whilst maintaining enough structural integrity to adequately protect the contact lens during transportation and storage. The stabilising legs may improve the structural integrity of the base member allowing a reduction in weight of the blister package whilst maintaining enough structural integrity to avoid problematic deformation.

In addition, or alternatively, the blister well sidewalls may facilitate retention of the base member in a base member carrier of a heat sealing system or machine. It can be understood that slots may be provided in the base member carrier to receive one or more sidewalls to provide a physical fit between the base member and the base member carrier to ensure that the upper surface of the base member remains stable and parallel to a surface of a heat sealing die that is pressed against the sealing -9 -member on top of the upper surface of the base member to seal the sealing member to the base member.

The flange of the base member may have a stiffness from 50,000psi.mm2 to 150,000psi.mm2. The flange of the base member may have a stiffness from 60,000 psi.mm2to 90,000 psi.mm2. The flexural modulus of the base member material may be from 230,000psi to 276,000psi. The stiffness of the present base members is calculated by multiplying the flexural modulus of the base member material by the square of the thickness of the flange in mm. The flexural modulus can be measured using conventional equipment, such as equipment provided by Instron (Norwood, MA, USA) or it can be provided by the plastics manufacturer as part of the plastics technical data. The flexural modulus can be used as determined by the ISO 178 testing method.

The base member can be made by injection molding a plastics material into a suitably shaped base member cavity of a conventional injection molding machine, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.

The present invention provides, according to a second aspect, a base member assembly according to claim 10. Thus, the base member assembly includes a plurality of base members, wherein the base members are made of plastics material and have an upper surface, a lower surface, a blister well, a handle, a male connecting feature and a female connecting feature. The base member has a width from 25.0mm to 35.0mm and a length of 40.0mm to 50.0mm. The blister well has a concave interior surface depending from the upper surface of the base member and a convex exterior surface depending from the lower surface of the base member. The blister well has a rim on the upper surface of the base member enclosed by a sealing region. The sealing region has a width from lmm to 4mm. The handle is formed by a planar flange that extends out from the perimeter of the blister well. The female connecting feature is located closer to an outer edge of the handle than to the centre of the blister well. 'The female connecting feature is a hole. The hole is a slot having a width from 0.5mm to 1.5mm and a length of 3.0mm to 13.0mm. The female connecting feature is configured to be mechanically fastened to a corresponding male connecting feature on a second base member, to form a base member assembly. The second base member may be a substantially identical base member. The base member assembly includes base members which are each mechanically connected to one or more other base -10 -members in the assembly, wherein each mechanical connection is between the female connecting feature on one of the base members, and a corresponding male connecting feature on another of the base members. The base member assembly may comprise at least 14 of the base members. The base member assembly may comprise at least 20, at least 30, at least 50 or at least 100 of the base members. The base member assembly may have a height of at least 15cm. The base member assembly may have a height of at least 10cm, at least 15cm, at least 25cm, or at least 30 cm.

The present invention provides, according to a third aspect, a method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens, the method having the features set out in claim 13 below. The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing region of the base member may be carried out by pressing a foil laminate sealing member against a plastic base member under heat, to melt the layer of plastic of the foil laminate and the sealing region of the base member together. The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing region may be done at a temperature of 210 degrees to 240 degrees Celsius. The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing region may be done for example using a heated die pressing the sealing member against the flange of the base member at a pressure of 25 PSI to 60 PSI. The heated die may for example press the sealing member against the flange for a time of 100ms to 1100ms.

Desirably, the sealing region provides a sufficient seal between the base member and the sealing member to withstand separation forces that occur during a contact lens autoclave sterilization process, and also is relatively easy for a person to peel open using the person's fingers. If a lower separation force is required to separate the sealing member from the sealing region, the base member can have a reduced structural integrity (and can therefore be made lighter) without reducing the protection that the blister package provides to a contact lens For example, the sealing region may be configured to provide an average separation force of less than 15 Newtons (N). In some embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force from about 4 N to about 14 N. In further embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force from about 6 N to about 11 N. In yet further embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force from about 8 N to about 10 N. The peel strength can be measured using an INSTRON Model 5943 machine. For purposes of these measurements, the angle of pull is set at 45 degrees. The load cell of the machine is calibrated prior to testing the peel strength. Generally, the operating instructions are set by the manufacturer.

The sealing configuration can be adjusted by controlling the temperature of a heat sealing head surface that is pressed against the sealing member on the top surface of the thermoplastic base member, controlling the pressure with which the sealing head is applied to the sealing member, or controlling the time for which the sealing head is applied to the sealing member, or combinations thereof, as described above.

The present invention provides, according to a fourth aspect, a method of recycling a sealed blister package, the method having the features set out in claim 14 below. The second base member may be a substantially identical base member. The method may also include the step of mechanically fastening additional base members to the base member assembly to form an assembly comprising at least 14 base members fastened together to form a base member recycling unit. The method may further include the step of mechanically fastening additional base members to the base member assembly to form a base member recycling unit having a height of at least 15cm. The method may also include the step of placing the base member recycling unit in a recycling receptacle. This may allow the base members to be recycled as the base member recycling unit has a large enough volume to be accepted for recycling.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure la shows a perspective view of a contact lens package base member according to a first embodiment of the invention; -12 -Figure lb shows a perspective view of a contact lens package including a base member and a sealing member according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2a shows a top view of the base member of Figure I a, Figure 2b shows a top view of the female connecting feature of the base member of Figure la; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the base member taken along line A-A of Figure la; Figure 4 is an end view of the base member of Figure la; I 0 Figure 5 is a top view of a part of the base member of Figure I a; Figure 6 shows the steps of a method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens according to another embodiment of the invention, Figure 7 shows the steps of a method of recycling a contact lens blister package according to a another embodiment of the invention; Figure 8a shows a top perspective view of a contact lens package base member according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 8b shows a bottom perspective view of the base member of Figure 8a, Figure 8c shows a perspective view of a base member assembly of the base members of Figure 8a; Figure 8d shows a side view of a base member assembly of the base members of Figure 8a; Figure 9 shows a top view of a contact lens package base member according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 10a shows a top perspective view of a contact lens package base member according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 10b shows a bottom perspective view of the base member of Figure 10a, and Figure 10c shows a perspective view of an assembly of the base members of Figure 10a. 1 - -

Detailed Description

In an example embodiment of the invention, the base member is a recyclable plastic material. The base member includes a blister well, a handle, a male connecting feature and a female connecting feature. The base member includes a lower surface designed to face downwards during use and an upper surface designed to face upwards during use, such as when using the blister pack to present a hydrated contact lens to a person to remove from the blister pack. The blister well extends downwards from the upper surface of the base member with a concave interior surface and protrudes downwards from the lower surface of the base member with an opposing convex exterior surface. The blister well has a rim. The rim of the blister well is where the concave interior surface of the blister well meets the planar upper surface of the base member. The rim is enclosed by a sealing region on the upper surface of the base member. This sealing region in use is the region at which the base member of the blister pack is hermetically sealed to a sealing member of the blister pack. A flange extends from a perimeter of the blister well to the edge of the base member. At a first end of the base member the flange extends out to a curved edge at a constant distance from the perimeter of the blister well. At a second end of the base member the flange extends out further than at the first end and forms a handle suitable to be held between the thumb and finger of a user when in use. The flange includes a female connecting feature and a male connecting feature. The female connecting feature is located between a perimeter of the blister well and an edge of the flange. The male connecting feature is located outside of the perimeter of the blister well. The blister well is dimensioned to hold a contact lens and contact lens packaging solution. A plurality of stabilising legs extend down from a lower surface of the flange around the convex exterior surface of the blister well. When in use the stabilising legs allow the base member to be placed with the lower surface of the base member contacting a surface without tipping. A side tab extends down from the edge of the flange on either side of the blister well, symmetrically either side of the line running centrally from the first end of the base member to the second end of the base member. The female connecting -14 -feature is a hole extending through the flange of the base member. The male connecting feature is located at the end of the handle of the base member. The male connecting feature is a protrusion at the end of the handle. The protmsion includes a tab which extends down from the lower surface of the flange of the base member In this example, the contact lens contained in the blister package is a soft contact lens. It is a hydrogel contact lens in that it has an equilibrium water content (EWC) from 10-90%. It is a silicone hydrogel contact lens as it comprises polymeric units derived from at least one silicone-containing chemical.

Another example embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures la to 5. Figure 1 a shows a base member 100 formed from a thermoplastic layer. The base member 100 has a weight of 0.72g. The base member 100 is made of a recyclable plastics material. The base member 100 has a length of 46.31mm at its longest point and a width of 29mm at its widest point. The base member 100 includes a blister well 104 and a handle 106. The blister well 104 is dimensioned to accommodate a contact lens. The blister well 104 has a sidewall 105.

The blister well has a rim 101. The rim 101 is substantially circular apart from a linear portion 154. The handle 106 provides a gripping portion configured to be held between a thumb and finger of a user. The base member has a lower surface 132 (Fig. 3) and an upper surface 130. The lower surface 132 and the upper surface 130 meet at an edge 134, which runs around the boundary of the base member.

The blister well 104 is formed as a well in the upper surface 130 of the thermoplastic layer, which extends down to form a concave interior surface. The thickness of the blister well sidewall 105 is 0.6mm, i.e. the distance between the upper surface 130 of the base member and the lower surface 132 of the base member in the region of the blister well is 0.6mm. The depth of the blister well is 6mm at its maximum point. The blister well 104 is sized to hold a maximum of 1 6mL of contact lens packaging solution Figure lb shows a base member 100 and a sealing member 103. Where the sealing member 103 is joined to the base member 100 at a sealing region 102 which is shown in dotted lines to indicate that it is located between the sealing member 103 and the base member 100 and is not directly visible from above.

-15 -The sealing region 102 is used to hermetically seal the base member 100 of the blister pack to the sealing member 103 to form a blister cavity. The sealing region 102 has a width of 1.5mm. Figure 2a shows a top view of the base member 100. A flange extends out from the outer perimeter of the blister well 104 to the boundary of the base member 100. At a first end 138 of the base member, the flange extends out to form a curved edge at a distance of 5mm from the perimeter of the blister well 104. At a second end 136 of the base member, the flange extends out further to form a substantially planar handle 106 which can be used as a gripping portion. Along the width of the base member 100 the flange extends out from the perimeter of the blister well 104 to form two flat edges 140 at the boundary of the base member 100. The flat edges 140 have a length of 8mm. The distance between the flat edges 140 on either side of the blister well 104 is 29mm.

Two side tabs 122 (one of which is visible in Fig. la) extend downwards from the lower surface 132 of the base member from the area adjacent to the flat edges 140.

The side tabs 122 have a height of 4mm and a length of 8mm. The side tabs 122 increase the structural integrity of the base member 100 and act to provide a grip-able portion for the user to pinch between their finger and thumb when lifting the base member off a surface. The side tabs also act to stabilise the base member when it is placed upright on a flat surface.

The thickness of the handle is 0.55mm.. At a distance of 8mm from the second end 136 of the base member there is a hole 110 extending through the thickness of the flange. The hole 110 is the female connecting feature. Figure 2b shows the shape of the female connecting feature in isolation. The hole is a slot, which is essentially rectangular in shape, with a length 142 of 10.5mm and a width 143 of lmm. The hole has a notch 146 on one side that extends a portion of the long side of the slot facing the second end 136 of the base member. The notch 146 has a length of 2.7mm and protrudes 1.Imm from the slot. At the far end of the handle (at the second end of the base member) the handle includes a protrusion 150 that extends out 2.3mm from the edge of the base member 100. The protrusion 150 is the male connecting feature. The protrusion has a linear outer edge 152 when viewed from above (as in Figure 2a and Figure 5). The linear outer edge 152 has a length of 9.8mm. There is a tab 124 which extends down from the flat outer edge 152 of the protrusion 150 (Figure 4).

-16 -The tab 124 has a length of 2.3mm and extends down 1.75mm away from the upper surface of the base member 100. Three stabilising legs 116a-c extend down from the lower surface 132 of the base member and are vertically aligned with the rim 101 of the blister well on the upper surface 130 of the base member 100. The three legs are arranged around the convex exterior surface of the blister well 104. At the first end 138 of the base member one of the stabilising legs 116a is positioned so that it is in the middle of the width of the base member. The second leg 116b and third leg 116c are shown in Figure 4 and are arranged either side of the central line running along the length of the base member from the first end 138 to the second end 136. The centre points of the three legs are positioned approximately 120 degrees apart around an axis that runs vertically down through the centre of the blister well.

As described herein, base members as illustrated in Figures 1 a to 5 can be coupled together to form an assembly of base members. Such an assembly is configured to be visually similar to the assembly illustrated in Figure 10c. As an example, if the assembly of base members of the example embodiment of Figures 1 a to 5 is formed of at least 14 base members, it will have a similar structure to that illustrated in Figure 10c except the height will be greater since the Figure 10c embodiment has eight base members coupled together. The height of the assembly will increase further if the assembly has at least 28 or at least 30 base members coupled together.

In a method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens according to a second embodiment (Figure 6) a contact lens blister package according to the first aspect of the invention is provided 202. A contact lens is placed into the blister well of the thermoplastic base member of the blister package 204. A volume of liquid contact lens packaging solution is placed into the blister well of the thermoplastic base member 206. A sealing member is sealed to the thermoplastic base member 208. The method optionally includes the step 210 of autoclaving the sealed contact lens blister package to sterilize the contact lens and the packaging solution.

Figure 7 shows the steps of a method 300 of recycling the contact lens blister package of the present invention according to a third embodiment. The steps of the method are as follows. The sealing member is removed from the thermoplastic base member 312. The contact lens is removed from the blister well 314. The liquid contact lens packaging solution is removed from the blister well in the thermoplastic -17 -base member 316. The thermoplastic base member is mechanically fastened to a second thermoplastic base member 318 by interlocking the female connecting feature on the thermoplastic base member with a corresponding male connecting feature on the second thermoplastic base member to form a base member assembly. The thermoplastic base member is interlocked with a second thermoplastic base member by inserting the protrusion 150 of the thermoplastic base member into the hole 110 of a second base member thermoplastic base member so that the tab 124 lines up with the notch in the hole 146. The two base members together form a base member assembly 320.The method optionally includes the step 322 of coupling additional thermoplastic base members to the thermoplastic base member assembly to form an assembly comprising at least 14 thermoplastic base members coupled together to form a thermoplastic base member recycling unit. The method optionally includes the step 324 of placing the thermoplastic base member recycling unit in a recycling receptacle.

Another example embodiment of the invention (Figures 8a to 8d) is similar to the first example embodiment of the invention but has some alternative features. A base member 400 includes a blister well 404 and a handle 406. The blister well 404 has a rim 401. The rim 401 is enclosed by a sealing region 402. A flange extends out from the perimeter of the blister well 404 to the boundary of the base member. At one end of the base member the flange extends out to form a handle 406. The base member 400 has a hole 410 extending through the thickness of the handle 406. The hole 410 is the female connecting feature. The hole is a slot, which is essentially rectangular in shape. The hole 410 has an inner side wall 433. The hole has a length 442 of 10.5mm and a width 440 of 1.0mm. The long side of the hole 410 is parallel to a central line running down the length of the base member. The hole 410 has a notch 446 on one side that extends a portion of one of the long sides of the slot. The notch 446 is off centre along the length of the rectangle, which makes the hole 410 appear key shaped. The notch has a length of 2.7mm and protrudes 1.1mm from the slot. There is a region 431 of the flange adjacent to the hole 410 on the upper surface of the base member. There is a region 429 of the flange adjacent to the hole 410 on the lower surface of the base member (Fig. 8b). The base member 400 has two larger holes 456a and 456b on either side of the female connecting feature (hole 410). The holes 456a and 456b reduce the amount of material needed to make the base member 400 and therefore reduce its weight.

At the end of the handle 406 furthest from the blister well 404, the handle includes a protrusion 425. The protrusion 425 is the male connecting feature. Figure 8b shows this protrusion 425 from a lower surface of the base member 400. The protrusion 425 has a lower surface 437 which is parallel with the lower surface of the base member 400. A lip 441 (shown in Figure 8c and 8d) is parallel with the upper surface of the base member. Between the lower surface 437 of the protrusion 425 and the lip 441 of the protrusion 425 there is a curved portion 439. The protrusion includes a surface 443 which faces away from the base member in the plane of the flange (as shown in Figure Sc). The surface 443 is perpendicular to the lip 441. The protrusion 425 includes a tab 424 which aligns with a notch 446 in a hole 410 on a second substantially identical base member. The tab 424 extends away from the lip 441 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the base member. The protrusion 425 is shaped such that it can be slotted through the female connecting feature (hole 410) of the second base member (Figure 8c). The protrusion 425 is shaped such that a first base member 400a can be placed perpendicular to a second base member 400b with the protrusion 425 sitting in hole 410. In this position, the lip 441 of the first base member 400a is next to the side wall 433 of the hole 410 of the second base member 400b. The tab 424 of first base member 400a is aligned with the notch 446 of the second base member 400b. The surface 443 perpendicular to the lip of first base member 400a is next to the region 431 of the flange adjacent to the hole 410 of the second base member 400b.

Once the protrusion 425 of the first base member 400a is aligned with hole 410 of the second base member 400b, the first base member 400a can be rotated 90 degrees so that the flange of the first base member 400a is parallel to the flange of the second base member 400b as shown in Figure 8d. In this position, the lip 441 of first base member 400a is exerting a pressure on the region 429 of the flange adjacent to the hole 410 on the lower surface of the second base member 400b. The lip 441 of the first base member 400a acts to stop the protrusion 425 of the first base member 400a from coming out of the hole 410 of the second base member 400b. The tab 424 of the first base member 400a is aligned with the notch 446 of the second base member 400b. Thus, the act of rotating the first base member 400a by 90 degrees with respect to the second base member 4006 can lock the two base members together.

-19 -Another example embodiment of the invention (Figure 9) is similar to the first example embodiment of the invention but has some alternative features. A base member 500 includes a blister well 504 and a handle 506. The base member 500 has a hole 510 extending through the thickness of the handle 506. The hole 510 is the female connecting feature. The hole is a slot, which is essentially rectangular in shape.

The hole has a length 542 of 10.5mm and a width of 1.0mm. The long side of the hole 510 is perpendicular to a central line running down the length of the base member. The hole 510 has a notch 546 positioned centrally along the width of the base member that extends a portion of one of the long sides of the slot. The notch has a length of 2.7mm and protrudes 1.1mm from the slot. The handle 506 includes a protrusion 550 which extends out in the plane of the flange. The protrusion 550 is the male connecting feature.

Another example embodiment of the invention (Figures 10a to 10c) is similar to the first example embodiment of the invention but has some alternative features. A base member 600 includes a blister well 604 and a handle 606. Where a concave interior surface of the well 604 meets an upper surface of the base member, the blister well has a rim 601. The rim 601 of the blister well 604 is enclosed by a sealing region 602. A flange extends out from the perimeter of the blister well 604 to the boundary of the base member. At one end of the base member 600 the flange extends out to form a handle 606. The base member 600 has a hole 610 extending through the thickness of the handle 606. The hole 610 is the female connecting feature. The hole is a slot, which is rectangular in shape. The hole has a length 642 of 10.5mm and a width of 1.0mm. The long side of the hole 610 is perpendicular to a central line running down the length of the base member. At the end of the handle 606 furthest from the well 604, the handle includes a protrusion 650 which extends out in the plane of the flange. The protrusion 650 is symmetrical about a central line running down the length of the base member. The protrusion has a pair of hooks 651 positioned on either side of the central line. The hooks 651 have a surface 635 facing towards the blister well in the plane of the flange.

Figure 10b shows the lower surface of the base member 600 The hooks 651 have a diagonal outward facing surface 623 that faces away from the base member in the plane of the flange. There is an indent 625 between the widest point of the hooks 651 and the rest of the flange of the base member. There is a tab 624 that extends -20 -downwards from the lower surface at the end of the protrusion 650 furthest from the well 604. The protrusion 650 and the tab 624 are the male connecting feature. The tab 624 includes the outward end of the protrusion 621 which faces away from the base member in the plane of the flange. The tab 624 includes an inward facing surface 627 which is shown in Figure 10c. The protrusion 650 and the tab 624 are shaped to be able to be slotted through a hole 610 of a second substantially identical base member according to this embodiment. The hole 610 is surrounded by a region 629 of the lower surface of the flange. The hole 610 is surrounded by a region 631 of the upper surface of the flange. The hole 610 is defined by an inner side wall 633 of the flange.

In order to insert the protrusion 650 and the tab 624 into a hole 610 of a second base member, the user must exert a pressure between the diagonal outward facing surface 623 of the hooks and the region 631 surrounding the hole 610 on the upper surface of the flange. This will also exert a pressure between the end of the protrusion 621 and the region 631 surrounding the hole 610 on the upper surface of the flange. The diagonal outward facing surface 623 and the end of the protrusion 621 will flex slightly under the pressure, allowing the surfaces to pass through the hole 610.

Once the protrusion 650 has been slotted through the hole 610 of the other base member, the tab 624 and the hooks 651 act to stop the protrusion 650 from coming out of hole 610. The inward facing surface 627 of the tab 624 rests against the region 629 of the lower surface of the flange surrounding the hole 610, which stops the protrusion 650 from coming out of the hole 610. The indent 625 of the flange of one base member is next to the inner side wall of the hole 633. The surface 635 of the hooks which faces towards the blister well of the first base member presses against the flange surrounding the hole on the lower surface of the base member 629, and stops the protrusion 650 from coming out of the hole 610. Once the male connecting feature (in this embodiment the protrusion 650) of one base member has been mechanically fastened to the female connecting feature (in this embodiment hole 610) of a second base member, the male connecting feature of the second base member can be mechanically fastened to the female connecting feature of a third base member.

This can be done repeatedly to form an assembly of base members. Figure 10c shows how 8 base members 600 according to this embodiment can be joined together by inserting the protrusion 650 of one base member 600 into the hole 610 of another base member 600, with the tab 624 and hooks 651 acting to hold each protrusion inside the hole 610 of each base member. Each base member 600 is joined to at least one other base member 600 at an approximately 90 degree angle. The base members in the assembly are joined in this way so that half the base members are parallel to each other and the other half are joined at a 90 degree angle to the first half As can be appreciated, and as stated above, an assembly of base members of the example embodiment of Figures la to 5, will look visually similar to the base member assembly illustrated in Figure I Oc.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims (17)

1. -22 -Claims 1. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens, the blister package comprising: (a) a plastics base member having an upper surface and a lower surface, a blister well, a handle, a male connecting feature and a female connecting feature; (b) a sealing member joined to the base member to form a blister cavity that includes the blister well; and (c) an unworn contact lens and a contact lens packaging solution contained within the blister cavity; 10 wherein: (i) the base member has a width from 25.0mm to 35.0mm and a length of 40.0mm to 50.0mm, (ii) the blister well has a concave interior surface depending from the upper surface of the base member and a convex exterior surface depending from the lower surface of the base member, the blister well having a rim on the upper surface of the base member enclosed by a sealing region, the sealing region having a width from lmm to 4mm, and the sealing member being hermetically sealed to the sealing region; (iii) the handle is formed by a planar flange that extends out from the perimeter of the blister well; (iv) the female connecting feature is located closer to an outer edge of the handle than to the centre of the blister well, the female connecting feature being a hole, the hole being a slot having a width from 0.5mm to 1 5mm and a length of 3.0mm to 13.0mm, and (v) the female connecting feature being configured to be mechanically fastened to a corresponding male connecting feature on a second base member, to form a base member assembly.
2. 2. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the base member has a weight from 0.40g to 0.72g.
3. 3. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to any preceding claim, wherein the male connecting feature includes a clip, wherein the male connecting feature is configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a -23 -second base member such that the base member is interlocked with a second base member.
4. 4. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the male connecting feature is a barb configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a second base member from a first direction, wherein the female connecting feature of the second base member is configured to prevent the barb from exiting in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
5. 5. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to any preceding claim, wherein the male connecting feature includes a first end defining a first barb and a second end defining a second barb, wherein the first barb and the second barb are configured to be inserted into a female connecting feature of a second base member from a first direction and the female connecting feature of the second base member is configured to prevent the first barb and the second barb from exiting in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
6. 6. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the female connecting feature is a hole including a notch in the edge of the 20 hole.
7. 7. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to claim 6, wherein the male connecting feature includes a key-shaped protrusion, wherein the protrusion is positioned to fit within the notch in the edge of the hole of a female connecting feature of a second base member.
8. 8. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to any preceding claim, wherein the base member includes three or more stabilising legs, wherein the stabilising legs extend down from the lower surface of the base member and are vertically aligned with the rim of the blister well and distributed around the convex exterior surface of the blister well.
9. -24 - 9. A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens according to any preceding claim, wherein the base member includes two side tabs; wherein the side tabs are positioned on either side of the blister well and extend down from the upper surface of the base member.
10. 10. A base member assembly including a plurality of base members from blister packages according to any preceding claim, wherein each base member is mechanically connected to one or more other base members in the assembly, wherein each mechanical connection is between the female connecting feature on one of the base members and a corresponding male connecting feature on another of the base members.
11. 11. A base member assembly according to claim 10, wherein the base member assembly comprises at least 14 of the base members
12. 12. A base member assembly according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the base member assembly has a height of at least 15cm.
13. 13. A method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens, comprising: providing a base member of a blister package for a contact lens according to any preceding claim; placing a contact lens into the blister well of the base member; placing a volume of liquid contact lens packaging solution into the blister well of the base member; sealing a sealing member to the sealing region of the base member; and autoclaving the sealed contact lens blister package to sterilize the contact lens and the packaging solution.
14. 14. A method of recycling the sealed blister package for a contact lens of any one of claims 1-9, comprising: removing the sealing member from the base member; removing the contact lens from the blister well; removing the liquid contact lens packaging solution from the blister well; -25 -mechanically fastening the base member to a second base member by interlocking the female connecting feature on the base member with a corresponding male connecting feature on the second base member to form a base member assembly.
15. 15. The method of claim 14, including the steps of mechanically fastening additional base members to the base member assembly to form an assembly comprising at least 14 base members fastened together to form a base member recycling unit.
16. 16. The method of claim 14 or claim 15, including the steps of mechanically fastening 10 additional base members to the base member assembly to form a base member recycling unit having a height of at least 15cm.
17. 17. The method of claim 15 or claim 16, including the step of placing the base member recycling unit in a recycling receptacle