JP5024702B2 - Wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses and related compositions and methods - Google Patents

Description

[Cross-reference for related applications]
This application includes US Patent Application No. 60 / 804,911 filed on June 15, 2006; US Patent Application No. 60 / 887,513 filed on January 31, 2007; and US Patent Application filed on March 13, 2007 Claim the benefit of 60 / 894,609 priority. The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[Field]
The present invention relates to silicone hydrogel ophthalmic devices and related compositions and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to wettable molded silicone hydrogel contact lenses and related compositions and methods.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses have become popular because wearers can wear them for a longer time than non-silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Depending on the individual lens, for example, one day, one week, two weeks, or one month silicone hydrogel contact lenses can be worn, or one day, one week, two weeks, or one month A silicone hydrogel contact lens can be formulated. The benefits for lens wearers associated with silicone hydrogel contact lenses may be due, at least in part, to the combination of the hydrophilic component and the hydrophobic properties of the silicon-containing polymer material of the contact lens.
Non-silicone hydrogel contact lenses, such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) based hydrogel contact lenses, are often manufactured in non-polar resin contact lens molds, such as polyolefin-based resin contact lens molds. In other words, a lens precursor composition for a non-silicone hydrogel contact lens is polymerized in a non-polar resin contact lens mold to produce a HEMA-based polymer lens product or a polymerized lens product. Due to the hydrophilic nature of the polymer component of HEMA-based contact lenses, HEMA-based contact lenses are compatible with the eye and are acceptable to the eye even though they are produced using a non-polar resin mold Has surface wettability.
In contrast, existing silicone hydrogel contact lenses obtained from non-polar resin molds have a hydrophobic lens surface. In other words, the surface of such a silicone hydrogel contact lens has low wettability and is therefore not compatible or acceptable to the eye. For example, such silicone hydrogel contact lenses may involve increased fat deposition, protein deposition, lens binding to the surface of the eye, and general irritation to lens wearers.

  Efforts to overcome these problems attempt to increase the hydrophilicity and wettability of the lens surface using such surface treatments or surface modifications of silicone hydrogel contact lenses or lens products. Examples of surface treatments for silicone hydrogel lenses include coating the surface of the lens, adsorption of chemical species on the surface of the lens, and altering the chemical nature or electrostatic charge of chemical groups on the surface of the lens. Disclosed is a surface treatment comprising coating a polymerized lens surface with a plasma gas or treating the mold prior to forming a polymerized lens using a plasma gas on the surface of a contact lens mold. Yes. Unfortunately, this approach has several drawbacks. Contact lens surface treatment requires more machinery and time to produce contact lenses than manufacturing methods that do not use surface treatment or modification. Furthermore, surface treated silicone hydrogel contact lenses may exhibit low surface wettability when wearing the lens and / or when handled by a lens wearer. For example, increasing the handling of surface treated lenses can cause the hydrophilic surface to decompose or wear.

  An alternative approach to increasing the wettability and ophthalmic compatibility of silicone hydrogel lenses is to develop a silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition in the presence of a second composition containing a polymer wetting agent such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). It is to polymerize. This type of lens is referred to herein as a “silicone hydrogel contact lens with a polymer internal wetting agent” and typically includes an “interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) comprising a high molecular weight polymer such as PVP. ) ”. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, an IPN represents a combination of two or more different polymers in network form, with at least one polymer in the presence of the other polymer and any covalent bond between the polymers. Without being synthesized and / or cross-linked. An IPN can be composed of two distinct but proximally or nested two types of chains that form a network. Examples of IPN include sequential IPN, simultaneous IPN, semi-IPN and homo-IPN. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses containing the polymeric wetting agent IPN avoid the problems associated with surface treatment, but these lenses cannot retain their ophthalmic compatibility, such as long-term surface wettability. For example, because the internal wetting agent is not covalently bonded to other polymerized lens-forming components, the internal wetting agent leaches out of the lens while worn by the lens wearer, thereby surface wettability over time. Can be reduced and the discomfort of the lens wearer can increase.

As an alternative to the use of surface treatment or polymer wetting agent IPN, as described above, using polar resin molds instead of nonpolar resin molds to produce eye-acceptable surface wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses I know I can. For example, silicone hydrogel contact lenses formed in ethylene-vinyl alcohol or polyvinyl alcohol based molds have desirable surface wettability. An example of a useful polar resin used in the manufacture of contact lens molds for the production of non-surface treated silicone hydrogel contact lenses without the IPN polymer wetting agent is sold by Nippon Gosei Co., Ltd. under the trade name SOARLITE ^TM An ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin such as an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin. In addition to its polarity, SOARLITE ^TM has been described as having the following properties: extremely high mechanical strength, antistatic properties, low shrinkage when used in the molding process, excellent oil and solvent resistance, Small coefficient of thermal expansion and good friction resistance.
While SOARLITE ^™ based molds provide a desirable alternative for producing silicone hydrogel contact lenses that can be adapted to the eye without the use of surface treatments or polymer wetting agents IPN, SOARLITE ^™ molds are polypropylene molds It is more difficult to deform than a non-polar resin mold or is not flexible, and is relatively difficult to process as compared to a non-polar resin mold.
In view of the above, it is easier to manufacture than silicone hydrogel lenses obtained from SOARLITE ^TM contact lens molds and requires the use of a polymer wetting agent IPN such as surface treatment or PVP IPN to achieve ophthalmic compatibility. It can be seen that there is a need for an eye compatible silicone hydrogel contact lens. Furthermore, the production of eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses, such as silicone hydrogel contact lenses with eye-compatible surface wettability, from nonpolar resin or polyolefin-based contact lens mold members that overcome the drawbacks of existing approaches It would be highly desirable to provide a method. That is, the surface treatment of the resulting contact lens product and the use of a polymer wetting agent IPN as part of the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition does not require an eye compatible silicone hydrogel contact lens. There is a need for improved methods for manufacturing. The present invention satisfies these needs.

〔Overview〕
The contact lenses, lens products, compositions, and methods of the present invention focus on the needs and problems associated with existing silicone hydrogel contact lenses and their current manufacturing methods. Surprisingly, a relatively large amount of removable material is supplied to the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction, then extracted to remove the removable material and hydrated to provide silicone. It has been discovered that making a hydrogel contact lens results in a silicone hydrogel contact lens that is compatible with the eye. A pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product having one or more removable materials, such as removable components, ie extractable materials, typically contains at least about 10% by weight of removable components. The pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product is then extracted (thus removing the extractable components) and hydrated to provide an ophthalmically acceptable surface wettability as described herein. A silicone hydrogel contact lens is formed. The silicone hydrogel contact lens of the present invention is comfortably worn over a long period of time, for example, at least one day, at least one week, at least two weeks, or about one month without the need to remove the lens from the eye It has oxygen permeability, surface wettability, modulus, moisture content, ionoflux, and design to allow.

  In one aspect, the present invention relates to a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition. Such precursor compositions are effective for forming silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Polymerization results in the formation of a hydratable contact lens pre-product from which the precursor composition can be extracted. The precursor composition comprises the following components: (i) at least about 20% by weight of a reactive fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer, (ii) at least 45 comprising a hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomer, an acrylic monomer, and an acrylate-functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer. % By weight of a non-silicon-containing monomer composition, and (iii) a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component.

In one embodiment, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprises at least 25%, preferably from about 25% to about 35% by weight of a reactive fluoro-containing dimethylacryloyl silicone macromer. A typical reactive fluoro-containing dimethylacryloyl silicone macromer of the present invention is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω -Methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) (also referred to herein as M3U and having CAS registry number 697234-74-5).
In yet another embodiment, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of the present invention comprises about 45-55 wt% non-silicon containing monomer composition. Particularly preferred are non-silicon-containing hydrophilic components including N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
In yet another embodiment, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprises from about 10% to about 30% polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component. In an even more particularly preferred embodiment, the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component optionally comprises about 0.1 to 6 parts chain transfer agent and about 99.9 to 94 parts polyalkylene oxide silicone. Exemplary polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable components include dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymers, such as dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymers containing about 75% by weight ethylene oxide. One of the dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymers is DBE 712 (Gelest, Morrisville, PA).
Chain transfer agents for use in the compositions, lenses and methods described herein include thiols, disulfides, organic halides, allyloxy ethers, and allyloxy alcohols. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the chain transfer agent is allyloxyethanol.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition may also have one or more of the following components: a UV absorber, a colorant, or an initiator. The ultraviolet absorber may be, for example, photopolymerizable hydroxybenzophenone such as 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone. The colorant used in the present invention may be, for example, a phthalocyanine pigment such as phthalocyanine blue. Furthermore, the initiator included in the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor formulation may be a thermal initiator such as 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile) (VAZO-52).
In yet a more specific embodiment, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of the present invention comprises α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropyl). Methylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
In a preferred embodiment, the precursor composition of the present invention comprises α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy- Poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer extractable components.
In yet a further embodiment, the extractable component comprises DBE 712, which may optionally contain allyloxyethanol.
In yet a more specific embodiment of the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition, α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethylimino for the combination of N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate Carboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) mass-to-mass ratio is from about 0.50 to about 0.65 It is a range.
In a preferred embodiment, the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω -Methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone, phthalocyanine blue, 2,2'- Includes azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), and optionally DBE 712, optionally in combination with allyloxyethanol.
A particularly preferred weight / weight percent of the above components in a typical polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition is about 28% (w / w) α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl). -Poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), about 37% (w / w) N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, About 13.5% (w / w) methyl methacrylate, about 0.16% (w / w) triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, about 0.7% (w / w) 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone, about 0.1% (w / w) phthalocyanine blue, about 0.4% (w / w) 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), and optionally about 20% DBE, optionally in combination with allyloxyethanol 712.

According to yet another aspect, the present invention provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens made with any one of the polymerizable lens precursor compositions described above.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens free of extractable components that results from the reaction of a polymerizable lens precursor composition as described herein.
According to another aspect, the present invention polymerizes a polymerizable precursor composition as described herein to form a polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens prior to extraction, prior to this extraction. Manufactured by extracting an extractable component from a contact lens to form an extracted polymerized lens product and hydrating the extracted polymerized lens product to produce a silicone hydrogel contact lens The present invention relates to a silicone hydrogel contact lens. The resulting extracted hydrated contact lens product typically has an equilibrium water content in the range of about 40% to about 48% by weight, and about 7.5005 to 8.625575 × 10 ⁻¹⁶ m ² · s ⁻¹ · It has an oxygen transmission rate (D _k × 10 ^-11 ) in the range of Pa ^-1 ( 100 to 115 barrels ) .
In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a silicone hydrogel contact lens is produced according to the method described above, the polymerizable lens precursor composition includes a thermal initiator, and the polymerization step further comprises the polymerizable precursor composition. Heating the article to a temperature greater than about 50 ° C.
In another embodiment, the silicone hydrogel contact lens is polymerized with a polymerizable lens precursor composition as described above (where DBE is used in combination with allyloxyethanol), and the polymerized silicone prior to extraction. Forming a hydrogel contact lens product, extracting a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component from the pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product to form an extracted polymerized lens product; and Produced by hydrating the extracted polymerized lens product to form a batch of silicone hydrogel contact lenses with low variability in one or more of the following characteristics: equilibrium water content, oxygen permeability , Static contact angle, dynamic contact angle, hysteresis, refractive index, ionoflux, Jurasu, and tensile strength. For example, the variability of any one or more of the lens characteristics depends on individual characteristics of the lens product, but is typically less than about 20%, preferably less than about 10%. In one or more embodiments, the variability of any one or more of the lens diameter, equilibrium water content, and / or ion flux is about 5% or less, more preferably about 3% or less, even more preferably about 2% or less. It is.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a water content of at least 40%, an oxygen transmission rate (D _k × 10 ) of about 6.75045 to 9.0006 × 10 ⁻¹⁶ m ² · s ⁻¹ · Pa ⁻¹ ( 90 to 120 barrels ). ^-11 ). A silicone hydrogel contact lens is provided.
In the above embodiment, the lens surface is selected from the group consisting of an advancing contact angle of about 70-75 degrees, a tensile modulus of less than about 0.7 MPa, and an ion flux of about 1.5 to about 5 (× 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min). There is provided a silicone hydrogel contact lens further comprising one or more of the following features:
In certain embodiments, the silicone hydrogel contact lens of the present invention also has a rounded periphery, or may be any one of the following: spherical lens, aspheric lens, single focus lens, multifocal lens, or rotational Toric contact lenses that are rotationally stabilized.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens as described herein in a sealed package.
In still further embodiments, the silicone hydrogel contact lenses of the present invention are not surface treated.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for making a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition. The method comprises (i) at least about 25% by weight of a reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer, (ii) at least about 45% by weight of a non-silicon-containing macromer composition, and (iii) a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component. To produce a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact precursor composition. Here, the non-silicon containing macromer composition comprises a hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomer, an acrylic monomer, and an acrylate functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer.
In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the step of combining the macromer, the non-silicon-containing monomer composition and the extractable component with a UV absorber and a colorant. Typical colorants include talocyanine pigments such as phthalocyanine blue. A preferred UV absorber is a photopolymerizable hydroxybenzophenone such as 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone.
In one particular embodiment of the method, the amount of reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer ranges from about 25% to about 35% by weight.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the amount of the non-silicon containing monomer composition ranges from about 45 to about 55% by weight.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the amount of the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component ranges from about 10% to about 30% by weight.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, the reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) (M3U).
In yet another embodiment of the method, the non-silicon-containing monomer component comprises N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
In another embodiment of the method, the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component further comprises a chain transfer agent, such as a thiol, disulfide, organic halide, or allyloxy alcohol. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the chain transfer agent is allyloxyethanol.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component comprises about 0.05% to about 7% by weight of allyloxyethanol. An example of a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component is a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer, such as a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer containing 75% by weight ethylene oxide. DBE 712 is particularly preferred for use as a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the blending step further comprises blending an initiator with other ingredients. A thermal initiator such as 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile) (VAZO-52) is preferable.

In yet another aspect, provided herein is a method of making a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition. This method involves α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) And N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate to produce a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact precursor composition.
In one embodiment of the above method, the blending step further comprises blending a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer extractable component, such as DBE 712, with the other components.
In one embodiment of the method, the relative amount of allyloxyethanol to DBE712 is from about 0.1 part to about 5 parts allyloxyethanol to about 99.9 parts to about 95 parts DBE712.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the blending step further comprises blending phthalocyanine blue with the other ingredients.
In a further alternative embodiment, the blending step further includes the step of blending 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone with other ingredients.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the blending step further comprises adding 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile) to the blend.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) Propylmethylsiloxane) to a combination of N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on a mass-to-mass basis ratio ranging from about 0.50 to about 0.65.

In yet another aspect, the present specification provides a method for producing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprising α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane)- Poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxy-4-acrylic Silicone hydrogel contact precursor composition polymerizable by formulating DBE 712 which may contain oxyethoxybenzophenone, phthalocyanine blue, 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), and optionally allyloxyethanol A method comprising the step of generating It is subjected.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the following relative amounts of components: about 28% (w / w) α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (Trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), about 37% (w / w) N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, about 13.5% (w / w) Methyl methacrylate, about 0.16% (w / w) triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, about 0.7% (w / w) 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone, about 0.1% (w / w) phthalocyanine blue About 20% DBE 712, which may comprise about 0.4% (w / w) 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), and optionally allyloxyethanol.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the blending step results in the formation of a combination of ingredients, and the invention further includes the step of mixing the combination to form a mixture.
In still further embodiments, the method further comprises filtering the mixture.
In a further embodiment, the method includes polymerizing a polymerizable lens precursor composition to form a polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens prior to extraction.
In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises the step of placing the polymerizable lens precursor composition in a non-polar resin contact lens mold prior to the polymerization step.
In still further embodiments, the method extracts the pre-extracted polymerized contact lens to form an extracted polymerized lens product free of extractable components, the extracted polymerized lens. Forming the product into a silicone hydrogel contact lens.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for improving the efficacy of a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer for use in silicone hydrogel contact lens preparation. This method adds about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of allyloxyethanol to a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer to provide an allyloxyethanol-dimethylsiloxane ethylene oxide block copolymer for use in preparing a silicone hydrogel contact lens product. The process of carrying out is included.
Preferably, the amount of allyloxyethanol used in the addition step is to provide an extracted hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens product having an expansion coefficient in the range of about 0.90 to about 1.10, such as about 0.95 to about 1.05. Effective amount. In at least one embodiment, the expansion coefficient is from about 0.98 to about 1.02.
Further embodiments of the lens, lens product, composition and method will be apparent from the following description, drawings, examples and claims. As will be apparent from the foregoing description and the following description, each feature and every feature disclosed in this specification, and every combination and every combination of features, is characterized by the fact that the features included in the combination are consistent with each other. The conditions are included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, any feature or combination may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the present invention. Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying examples and drawings.

[Detailed explanation]
The present invention will now be described more fully. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, by providing these embodiments, this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[Definition]
As used in this specification, the singular forms include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a “contact lens” includes not only a single lens but also two or more identical or different lenses, and a “precursor composition” includes not only a single composition but also two or more identical or different compositions. It means things.
In disclosing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology is used in accordance with the definitions set forth below.
As used herein, the term “hydrogel” refers to a polymeric material, typically a network or matrix of polymer chains, that can swell or become swollen in water. The network or matrix may or may not be cross-linked. A hydrogel represents a polymeric material, such as a contact lens, that is water swellable or water swellable. Thus, the hydrogel is (i) not hydrated and water swellable, or (ii) partially hydrated and swelled with water, or (iii) fully hydrated and water swelled. It may be swollen with.
For example, the term “substituted” as in “substituted alkyl” refers to a component (eg, an alkyl group) that is substituted with one or more non-interfering substituents, including, but not limited to, C ₃ -C ₈ cycloalkyl, such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl and the like; halo, such as fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo; cyano; alkoxy, lower phenyl; substituted phenyl and the like. For substituents on the phenyl ring, the substituent can be in any orientation (ie, ortho, meta, or para).
The term “silicone hydrogel” or “silicone hydrogel material” refers to a specific hydrogel comprising a silicon (Si) component or a silicone component. For example, silicone hydrogels are typically prepared by blending a silicon-containing material with a conventional hydrophilic hydrogel precursor. A silicone hydrogel contact lens is a contact lens, such as a vision correction contact lens, comprising a silicone hydrogel material. The properties of silicone hydrogel contact lenses are different from conventional hydrogel-based lenses.
A “silicone-containing component” is a component that contains at least one [—Si—O—Si] linkage in a monomer, macromer, or prepolymer, each silicon atom optionally having one or more identical or different organic free substitutions. It may have a group (R ₁ , R ₂ ) or a substituted organic free substituent, for example —SiR ₁ R ₂ O—.
As used herein, the term “linker” is used to denote an atom or group of atoms used to connect components that are linked together, such as polymer ends and blocks of repeating units. The linker component may be hydrolytically stable or may include a physiologically hydrolyzable chain or an enzymatically degradable chain. Preferred linkers are stable to hydrolysis.
“Any” or “arbitrarily” means that a situation described subsequently may or may not occur, so that the description includes when the situation occurs and when it does not occur.
For example, the term “length” for a group of atoms in a particular atom length, such as a linker having a length in the range of 2-50 atoms, etc., refers to the atoms in the longest chain of the group of atoms, regardless of substituents. Based on the number of For example, -C H ₂ C H ₂ -is not considered when estimating the total length of the chain, even though each methylene group itself contains a total of 3 atoms, the hydrogen atom is a substituent on carbon. So it is considered to have a length of 2 carbon atoms. Linker, - O - C (O) - C H 2 C H 2 C (O) N H- , likewise are considered to have a chain length of which 6 atoms which shows underlined.
“Molecular weight” in the context of the polymer of the present invention represents the nominal average molecular weight of the polymer, typically by size exclusion chromatography, light scattering techniques, or intrinsic rate determination methods in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene. It is determined. The molecular weight in the polymer context is expressed as a number average molecular weight or a weight average molecular weight, and in the case of vendor feed, will depend on the supplier. Typically, the basis for any such molecular weight determination is readily provided by the supplier, even if not provided for the packaging material. Typically, references herein to macromer or polymer molecular weights represent weight average molecular weights. Both number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight can be measured using gel permeation chromatography or other liquid chromatography techniques. The number average molecular weight can also be determined using other methods for measuring molecular weight values, such as the use of end group analysis or measurement of coherent properties (eg, freezing point depression, boiling point rise, or osmotic pressure), Alternatively, the weight average molecular weight can be determined using light scattering techniques, ultracentrifugation or viscometry.

A “network” or “matrix” of hydrophilic polymer typically means that crosslinks are formed between the polymer chains by covalent or physical bonds, such as hydrogen bonds.
A “non-interfering substituent” is a group that, when present in a molecule, is typically non-reactive with other functional groups contained within the same molecule.
A “hydrophilic” substance is a substance that prefers water. Such components have an affinity for water, usually charged or have polar side groups that attack water.
A “hydrophilic polymer” herein is defined as a polymer that can swell in water, but is not necessarily soluble in water.
A “hydrophilic component” herein is a hydrophilic material that may or may not be a polymer. Hydrophilic components include those components that, when combined with the remaining reactive components, can give the resulting hydrated lens a moisture content of at least about 20%, such as at least about 25%.
As used herein, “eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lens” refers to a silicone hydrogel contact lens that can be worn by a person without experiencing or reporting substantial discomfort such as eye irritation. To express. Eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses have eye-acceptable surface wettability and typically have significant corneal swelling, corneal dehydration ("dry eye"), epithelial arcuate lesions (superior- Does not cause or accompany epithelial arcuate lesions (“SEAL”), or other significant discomfort.

“Substantially” or “essentially” or “about” means almost entirely or completely, eg, 95% or more of a given amount.
“Alkyl” refers to a hydrocarbon chain, typically ranging from about 1 to 20 atoms in length. Such hydrocarbon chains are preferably, though not necessarily, saturated and may be branched or straight chain, but typically straight chains are preferred. Typical alkyl groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, 1-methylbutyl, 1-ethylpropyl, 3-methylpentyl and the like. As used herein, “alkyl” includes cycloalkyl when 3 or more carbon atoms are referred to.
An “oligomer” is a molecule consisting of a finite number of monomer subunits, typically consisting of about 2 to about 8 monomer subunits.
“Lower alkyl” refers to an alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may be linear or branched and includes methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, t-butyl.
As used herein, the “efficacy” of a particular batch of polyalkylene oxide silicone, eg, silicone oil, is 0.98 to 1.02 times the diameter of the contact lens mold utilized at a given concentration (and all other factors being equal). Its ability to give a final extracted hydrated lens product with a range of diameters. As the lens diameter reduction of the final lens product increases, the “efficacy” of the polyalkylene oxide silicone increases.
As used herein, the term “expansion coefficient” is the ratio of the outer diameter of the hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens to the outer diameter of the contact lens mold insert portion used to form the lens forming surface of the contact lens mold. Point to. Thus, if the contact lens insert has an outer diameter of 14.2 mm and the hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens has an outer diameter of 14.2 mm, the contact lens has an expansion coefficient of 1.00.
More definitions may be found in the following sections.

[Summary of the Invention]
As already mentioned, the invention provided herein avoids, at least in part, the problems associated with polar resin molds, avoids the need for elaborate and expensive post-polymerization procedures, and polymer wetting agents. Based on the discovery of eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses that can be prepared using methods that avoid the problems associated with IPN. Surprisingly, certain components are incorporated into the formulation used to make the silicone hydrogel contact lens, and then the same component (along with other unreacted components) from the resulting molded contact lens product. It has been discovered that contact lens products that are compatible with the eye can be produced.
Specifically, the inventors provide eye compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses by incorporating a relatively large amount of one or more removable materials into a polymerizable silicone contact lens precursor composition. I found a way. These materials give the desired characteristics to the resulting final contact lens product, but in practice are removed from the product, for example by extraction, to give an extracted contact lens product, which is hydrated. Resulting in a final silicone hydrogel contact lens product that has not only eye-acceptable surface wettability, but also other beneficial characteristics as described herein.
In a related aspect, provided herein is a method for improving the efficacy of a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer for use in preparing a silicone hydrogel contact lens, the method comprising from about 0.1 wt% to about 10 wt% allyloxyethanol in dimethyl Adding to the siloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer to provide an allyloxyethanol-dimethylsiloxane ethylene oxide block copolymer for use in preparing a silicone hydrogel contact lens product. Advantageously, when allyloxyethanol is added to the dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer prior to mixing with the other components of the polymerizable contact lens precursor composition, for example, individual batches or lots such as dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer To provide a final lens product in which one or more changes in lens dimensions or various physical properties are acceptable by “normalizing” any possible undesirable effects resulting from the use of I found it effective.
These and other noteworthy aspects of the invention are described and illustrated in detail in the following sections.

[Components of polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition]
The silicone hydrogel contact lenses of the present invention are typically made from what is referred to herein as a “polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition” or “precursor composition”. The precursor composition is a mixture of various reagents used to make a silicone hydrogel contact lens, ie a reaction mixture prior to reaction (in this case polymerization).
The precursor compositions herein typically include at least the following components: at least about 25% by weight of a reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer, preferably from about 25% to about 35% by weight of the reactive. A fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer, (ii) at least about 45% by weight of a non-silicon-containing monomer composition, and (iii) a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component. The non-silicon-containing monomer composition includes a hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomer, an acrylic monomer, and an acrylate functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer.
[Reactive fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer]
As described above, the silicone contact lenses of the present invention are prepared from a precursor composition comprising a reactive fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer. Macromers are typically, but not necessarily, composed of siloxane block-copolymers or triblock polymers, i.e. two or three different siloxane polymer "blocks" or segments, and contain at least one reactive acryloyl group. It is characterized as a macromer at one end, and preferably has a reactive acryloyl group at both ends of the linear macromer.
The fluoro-containing silicone macromer used in the present invention typically has at least one fluoro substituent. Preferably, the fluoro substituent is present in one of the repeat units of the block polymer so that the macromer has more than one fluorine atom. Preferred fluoro-containing macromers are those macromers having from about 1% to about 10% fluorine, preferably from about 1% to about 5% fluorine.
Generally, at least one block of the copolymer or triblock polymer has a repeating unit, — [Si (CH ₃ ) ₂ O] —, and at least one other block is a fluorine-containing substituent, preferably a fluoroalkyl Substituents, most preferably the alkyl contains a silicon atom with a fluoroalkyl substituent, which is a lower alkyl. When the macromer is a triblock polymer, preferably one block has a repeating unit, — [Si (CH ₃ ) ₂ O] —, and the second block has the silicon atom as a fluoroalkyl substituent, most preferably Is a block having a fluoroalkyl substituent wherein the alkyl is a lower alkyl, and the third block is an alkyl group comprising a hydrophilic component such as a short polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain, (CH ₂ CH ₂ O) _p Having a silicon atom substituted with Preferably, the third block comprises a silicon atom substituted with an alkylene linker covalently bonded to polyethylene glycol, wherein the PEG is optionally an end-capping group such as lower alkyl or benzyl. It may be end-capped and the alkylene linker moiety is proximal to the silicon atom. The polyethylene glycol segment typically has about 1 to about 25 subunits, more preferably about 2 to about 12 subunits. Most preferably, the PEG segment has about 4 to about 10 subunits. The three siloxane blocks may be in any order.
Such exemplary silicone macromers are described in US Pat. No. 6,867,245 and International Patent Publication No. WO 2006/026474, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Any one or more silicone macromers described herein are suitable for use in the compositions and contact lenses of the present invention, particularly those silicone macromers containing (-SiO-) blocks, wherein the Suitably the silicon atom has a substituent which is an alkylene or other hydrocarbon chain substituted with one or more fluorine atoms.
For example, a typical silicone macromer includes the following three repeating units:

(Wherein R ₁ , R ₂ , R ₃ , R ₄ , R ₅ and R ₆ are —H, lower alkyl, fluoroalkyl, and (—CH ₂ ) _o (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _p OY (wherein , O ranges from 1 to 10, p (number of ethylene oxide repeat units) ranges from about 1 to about 25, and Y is H, lower alkyl, or benzyl. .) Variables n, m, and h correspond to the number of repeating units in each block, and each independently range from about 3 to about 200. Preferably, at least one R group covalently bonded to Si—O of each block n, m, and h is a lower alkyl group, still more preferably a methyl group. That is, preferably, in block n, at least one of R ₁ or R ₂ is methyl; in block m, at least one of R ₃ or R ₄ is methyl, and in block h, R ₅ or R ₆ At least one is methyl. Preferably, at least one of the blocks n, m, and h has the repeating unit —Si (CH ₃ ) ₂ O—, where both R groups covalently bonded to silicon are methyl. By way of example, a preferred macromer comprises the following polymer 3 blocks:

Wherein R ₁ , R ₃ , and R ₅ are —H, lower alkyl, fluoroalkyl (including difluoroalkyl and trifluoroalkyl), and (—CH ₂ ) _o (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _p OY Each independently from (wherein o ranges from 1 to 10, p (number of ethylene oxide repeat units) ranges from about 2 to about 12, and Y is H, lower alkyl, or benzyl). Provided that (i) at least one of R ₁ , R ₃ , and R ₅ is —H or lower alkyl, and (ii) at least one of R ₁ , R ₃ , and R ₅ is fluoroalkyl. And (iii) at least one of R ₁ , R ₃ , and R ₅ is (-CH ₂ ) _o (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _p OY (wherein the values of the individual variables are described above) a condition.) one particularly preferred macromer for use in the present invention are the triblock polymer structure (in this case, R ₁ is methyl, R ₃ is fluoroalkyl and R _{5, (-CH 2) o (OCH 2} CH 2) a _p OY, and n is the range of 50 to 200, m is in the range of 2 to 50, h is a macromer comprising at which) the range of 1-15.
For fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromers, the Si—O—Si portion of the macromer typically reaches about 20%, for example, over 30% by weight of the total molecular weight of the silicone macromer component. The silicone macromer of the present invention comprises an acryloyl group, preferably two acryloyl groups at one of each end, and one or more olefinic carbons of the acryloyl component are optionally organic groups such as alkyl groups. May be substituted.
The acryloyl component is a component derived from acrylic acid having the following formula, for example.

Here, in acrylic acid, R ₇ , R ₈ , and R ₉ are each H. However, according to the present invention, acryloyl has the structure in which R ₉ is H or an alkyl group, preferably a lower alkyl group, and R ₇ and R ₈ are each independently H, alkyl, or carboxyl ( However, only one of R ₇ or R ₈ can be carboxyl). W is hydrogen or nitrogen. When W is nitrogen, the corresponding acryloyl component is called acrylamide. In preferred embodiments, R ₇ and R ₈ are each hydrogen and R ₉ is lower alkyl, eg, methyl, ethyl, or propyl. Preferably, R ₉ is methyl and the acryloyl moiety is present at both ends of the linear macromer. The values of R ₇ , R ₈ , and R ₉ are independent of each other among the acryloyl groups contained in the macromer. That is, for macromers having more than one acryloyl group, the values of R ₇ , R ₈ , and R ₉ for each acryloyl component are independently selected. However, in a preferred embodiment, the values for each R ₇ , R ₈ , and R ₉ are each acryloyl groups so that the macromer is considered homo-functional (meaning that the terminal reactive groups are identical). Are the same. If the terminal reactive groups are not identical, the macromer is considered heterobifunctional. Examples of acryloyl polymerizable functional groups that may be present at the end of the silicone macromer include methacrylate, acrylamide, and methacrylamide.
Additional examples of suitable silicone-containing monomers are polysiloxanylalkyl (meth) acrylic monomers, including but not limited to fluoro-substituted methacryloxypropyltris (trimethylsiloxy) silane, pentamethyldisiloxanylmethyl Examples include methacrylate, and methyldi (trimethylsiloxy) methacryloxymethylsilane.
One useful class of silicone-containing components is poly (organosiloxane) prepolymers, such as fluoro-substituted α, ω-bismethacryloxy-propyl polydimethylsiloxane. Another example is mPDMS (monomethacryloxypropyl-terminated mono-n-butyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane) that is fluoro-substituted.
Typically, the siloxane polymer portion of the macromer, ie, one or more siloxane polymer blocks, is linked to the acryloyl terminus via a linker. Each linker typically has a length of about 4 atoms to about 20 atoms, and examples of linkers include one or more of the following: -OC (O)-, -C (O) -O-, -C (O) -NH-, -OC (O) -NH-, -C (O) -O- (CH ₂ ) _a , -C (O) -O- (CH ₂ ) _a NH-C (O ) (O)-(CH ₂ ) _b -O- (CH ₂ ) _c- , -OC (O) -O- (CH ₂ ) _a- , -OC (O) -O- (CH ₂ ) _a NH- C (O) (O) — (CH ₂ ) _{b and the} like (wherein a, b, and c each independently range from 1 to about 10). That is, each a, b, and c is independently selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Preferably, the linker is straight rather than branched and may optionally contain one or more heteroatoms that are either O or N. Thus, when further comprising one or more alkylene chain segments, the linker can optionally comprise one or more functional groups selected from, for example, carboxyl, amide, carbamate, and carbonate.
The molecular weight of the silicone macromer component is typically in the range of about 8,000 daltons to about 25,000 daltons, preferably in the range of about 10,000 daltons to about 20,000 daltons. One particularly preferred siloxane macromer for use in the present invention has a molecular weight of about 16,000 daltons.
One particularly preferred class of siloxane macromers are triblock polymers having the general formula:

In the formula, values of n, m, h, and p are as described above. The macromer is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) Or called M3U. In a particularly preferred embodiment, n is about 121, m is about 7.6, h is about 4.4, and p is about 7.4. M3U is readily synthesized according to the procedure shown in Example 1 of International Patent Publication No. WO 2006/026474.
The polymerizable silicone hydrogel precursor compositions provided herein typically comprise at least about 20% by weight of a fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer, preferably at least about 25% by weight of a fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer. . Preferably, the composition of the present invention comprises from about 25% to about 40% by weight of a fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer, more preferably from about 25% to about 35% by weight of the macromer.

[Silicon-free monomer composition]
In addition to the silicone macromer, the present lenses, lens products, and compositions further comprise a silicon free monomer component or composition comprised of several additives. This non-silicon-containing monomer composition typically includes more than one hydrophilic compound. Hydrophilic components include those components that, when combined with other precursor components, can give the resulting hydrated lens a water content of at least about 20%, and even at least about 25%. The silicon-free monomer composition (meaning each compound comprising the monomer composition) generally constitutes at least about 45% by weight of the lens precursor composition, based on the molecular weight of each precursor composition component. Yes. Preferably, the silicon free monomer composition accounts for about 45% to 55% by weight of the composition. The silicon-free monomer composition of the present invention excludes hydrophilic compounds containing one or more silicon atoms. Accordingly, the monomer composition of the present invention is referred to as a “non-silicon-containing composition”.
The monomer that can be included in the silicon-free monomer composition has at least one polymerizable double bond and at least one hydrophilic functional group. Examples of polymerizable double bonds include acrylic, methacrylic, vinyl, O-vinylacetyl and N-vinyl lactam, N-vinylamide double bonds, and the like. Such a hydrophilic monomer is not necessarily a cross-linking agent. “Acrylic-type” or “acrylic-containing” or acrylate-containing monomers considered as a subset of the acryloyl component as described above are acrylic groups (CR′H═CRCOW) where R is H or CH ₃ and R ′ Is H, alkyl, or carbonyl r, and W is O or N).
The hydrophilic component of the present invention generally includes each of the following non-silicon-containing components, one or more of which are hydrophilic: hydrophilic vinyl-containing (CH ₂ = CH-) monomers, acrylic monomers, and acrylates Functionalized ethylene oxide- (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _n oligomers.
Examples of acrylic monomers include N, N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, glycerol methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate (MMA), and mixtures thereof.
As noted above, the monomer composition, including its individual hydrophilic and non-hydrophilic components, constitutes at least about 45% by weight of the precursor composition. Therefore, the mass percentage of each component constituting the monomer composition varies within this range. Preferably, the monomer composition comprises about 45% to about 55% by weight of the precursor composition, so that the weight percent of each component thereof is about 0.05% to about 40% by weight of the precursor composition, or It varies from about 0.05% to about 50% by weight to reach the desired total weight percent of the precursor composition. Preferably, the acrylic monomer component is present in an amount ranging from about 7% to about 20% by weight of the precursor composition used to prepare the silicone lens product, and even more preferably about 10% of the precursor composition. It is present in an amount of from mass% to about 18 mass%. Examples of weight percentages of acrylic monomers include the following based on the total precursor formulation: about 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, or 18% .
As described above, the monomer composition also includes a hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomer. Hydrophilic vinyl-containing monomers that can be incorporated into the material of the lens include: N-vinyl lactams (eg, N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP)), N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide (VMA), N- Vinyl-N-ethylacetamide, N-vinyl-N-ethylformamide, N-vinylformamide, N-2-hydroxyethylvinylcarbamate, N-carboxy-β-alanine N-vinyl ester. One particularly preferred vinyl-containing monomer is N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide (VMA). The structure of VMA corresponds to CH ₃ C (O) N (CH ₃ ) —CH═CH ₂ .
Preferably, the vinyl-containing monomer component of the monomer composition is present in an amount of about 20% to about 50% by weight of the precursor composition used to prepare the silicone lens product, and still more preferably the precursor composition. Present in an amount of from about 25% to about 42% by weight. Typical amounts of the vinyl-containing monomer are about 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35% of the weight of the precursor composition. 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, or 42%.
Monomer composition further acrylate-functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer, i.e., having from about 2 to about 8 contiguous ethylene oxide (CH ₂ CH ₂ O-) monomer subunits, and end-functionalized with reactive groups of acrylate Also included are ethylene oxide oligomers. One or both ends of the oligomer can be functionalized with acrylate groups. As an example, one or more equimolar amounts of a reagent capable of introducing one or more reactive acrylate groups at one or both ends of the oligomer to produce an ethylene oxide oligomer having an acrylic group at one or both ends, for example, isocyanatoethyl methacrylate ( "IEM"), methacrylic anhydride, methacryloyl chloride and the like, and ethylene oxide oligomers. A typical oligomer is represented by the following general formula.

Wherein s ranges from 2 to about 8, preferably 2 to about 4, R ₉ is H or an alkyl group, preferably a lower alkyl group, R ₇ and R ₈ are each independently H, alkyl, Or carboxyl (provided that only one of R ₇ or R ₈ can be carboxyl). Preferably R ₉ is a lower alkyl group such as methyl and R ₇ and R ₈ are each H. The variable F is selected from end-capping groups such as —OH and alkoxy, or is an acrylate as shown below. The following structure shows a homobifunctional ethylene oxide oligomer having the same acrylate group at each end. However, theoretically, the acrylate component at each end may be the same or different.

Preferred acrylate functionalized ethylene oxide oligomers for use in the present invention include oligo-ethylene oxide monomethacrylate and oligo-ethylene oxide dimethacrylate. A preferred acrylate functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer for use in the present invention is trimethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
Typically, the acrylate functionalized ethylene oxide oligomer is present in a relatively small amount in the precursor composition. For example, the oligomer is present in the precursor composition in an amount ranging from about 0.05% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.075% to about 5%. Typical amounts of oligomeric components include the following amounts relative to the weight of the precursor composition: about 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1%, 2 %, 3%, 4%, or 5%.

[Polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component]
As already mentioned, the precursor composition of the present invention comprises in particular a polyalkylene oxide silicone (PAOS) removable or extractable component (the two terms “removable” and “extractable” Used interchangeably and refers to the component removed after polymerization of the lens precursor composition). The PAOS extractable component of the present invention comprises polyalkylene oxide silicone (polyalkylene oxide is polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, copolymer of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, terpolymer of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol (block copolymer and tri-block polymer) May be included). As used herein, the polyalkylene oxide silicone may be referred to as a silicone oil; the term “silicone oil” is intended to encompass any such polyalkylene oxide silicone herein.
In general, polyalkylene oxide silicones are characterized as having a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) backbone, with a certain percentage of the methyl groups replacing polyalkyleneoxy groups as described above. In a preferred embodiment, the polyalkyleneoxy group is covalently bonded to the siloxane backbone via a spacer. The spacer is generally about 2 to about 12 atoms long and is typically utilized to facilitate attachment of the polyalkylene oxide chain to the siloxane backbone. Typical spacers include alkylene chains, substituted alkylene chains, amino acids, and the like. Preferred spacers are lower alkyl groups such as ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl and the like. Alternatively, the polyalkylene oxide silicone used herein may be a dimethylsiloxane ethylene oxide block copolymer, such as that available from Gelest (Morrisville, PA). Generally, the polyalkylene oxide silicones of the present invention will comprise at least about 25% by weight polyalkylene oxide, more preferably from about 30% to about 90% by weight polyalkylene oxide. Preferred polyalkylene oxide silicones contain about 50% or more polyalkylene oxide. Exemplary polyalkylene oxide silicones comprise about 25% (wt) polyalkylene oxide, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, or 85% (wt) polyalkylene oxide. . Generally, materials having greater than about 55% by weight ethylene oxide are water soluble. Particularly preferred for use in the present invention is a polyalkylene oxide silicone, wherein the polyalkylene oxide is a polyethylene glycol or a propylene oxide-ethylene oxide block copolymer.
Typical polyalkylene oxide silicones are available from Gelest (PA, USA). Representative polyalkylene oxide silicones include dimethylsiloxane (75% ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PDMS-co-PEG); dimethylsiloxane [(65-70% (60% propylene oxide / 40% ethylene oxide)] block copolymer (PDMS- co-PPO-PEG); dimethylsiloxane (25-30% ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PDMS-co-PEG); dimethylsiloxane [(50-55% (60% propylene oxide / 40% ethylene oxide)] block copolymer (PDMS- dimethylsiloxane (50-55% ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PDMS-co-PEG); dimethylsiloxane (80-85% ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PDMS-co-PPO-PEG); and dimethylsiloxane (80% ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PDMS-co-PEG), each of which has the following acrylione (ac ryonyms) (Gelest) corresponds to DBE-712, DBP-732, DBE-224, DBP-534, DBE-621, DBE-821, and DBE-814. The preferred polyalkylene oxide silicone is dimethylsiloxane (75% ethylene oxide) Block copolymer (DBE-712).
The PAOS extractable component can be present in any amount in the precursor composition, but preferably the extractable component ranges from about 2% to about 30%, preferably from about 10% to about 30% by weight. Present in the amount of. More preferably, the extractable component is present in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 28%. Typical amounts of extractable ingredients in the precursor composition include the following mass percentages: about 10%, about 12%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 29%, or about 30 %.
In particular examples, the PAOS removable component includes a chain transfer reagent in addition to the polyalkylene oxide silicone. Chain transfer reagents are reagents that promote the reaction between radical and non-radical species. Typical chain transfer reagents used in the present invention include thiols, disulfides, organic halides, and allyloxy compounds. Some examples of chain transfer reagents include thiols such as butyl mercaptan, lauryl mercaptan, octyl thioglycolate, ethylene glycol bis (thioglycolate), 1,4-butanediol bis (thiopropionate), trimethylolpropane. Tris (thioglycolate), trimethylolpropane tris (β-thiopropionate), pentaerythritol tetrakis (β-thiopropionate), etc., disulfides such as diphenyl disulfide, halides such as carbon tetrachloride, tetrabromide Examples include carbon, chloroform, dichlorobenzene, and the like, and allyloxy compounds such as allyloxy alcohol. These chain transfer agents may be used individually or as a mixture of any of the foregoing. Preferred for use in the present invention are allyloxy compounds, ie compounds containing one or more allyloxy components.
The compound containing at least one allyloxy component has the general formula:

In the formula, the portion enclosed by a square corresponds to the allyloxy component, and Q is any organic small molecule that can act as a chain transfer agent when considered together with the remainder or residue of the parent molecule, such as alcohol or the allyloxy component. Also represents a molecule. Preferably, Q is derived from alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, or substituted variants thereof. Preferably, Q is the residue of ethanol and has the structure (—CH ₂ CH ₂ OH) such that the chain transfer reagent corresponds to 2-allyloxyethanol.
The inventors have found that the addition of an optional chain transfer reagent to the extractable component as described herein is an extracted hydrated silicone contact that has low variability in both dimensions and physical properties. It has been found effective to provide a lens body. Thus, the addition of a chain transfer agent functions to “normalize” or “fine-tune” the precursor lens composition so that the resulting extracted hydrated contact lens population typically has the following Any one or more variability in properties can be less than 20%: equilibrium water content, oxygen permeability, static contact angle, dynamic contact angle (advanced contact angle or receding contact angle), hysteresis, refractive index, iono Flux, modulus, tensile strength, etc. For example, the variability of any one or more of the lens characteristics described above depends on the individual characteristics of the lens product, but is typically less than about 20%, preferably less than about 10%. In one or more embodiments, the variability of any one or more of lens diameter, equilibrium water content, and / or ion flux is about 5% or less, more preferably about 3% or less, even more preferably about 2% or less. is there. Preferably, the lens diameter of the lens population has a variability of less than about 1.5%.
As used herein, a batch or population represents a plurality of contact lenses. It can be seen that improved statistics are achieved when the number of contact lenses in a batch or population of contact lenses is sufficient to give a meaningful standard error. Under certain conditions, a batch of contact lenses refers to at least 10 contact lenses, at least 100 contact lenses, at least 1000 contact lenses, or more contact lenses.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens production by adding from about 0.1 wt% to about 10 wt% chain transfer agent, preferably an allyloxy compound, more preferably allyloxy alcohol, to a polyalkylene oxide silicone. Methods for improving the efficacy of polyalkylene oxide silicones are provided by providing a chain transfer reagent polyalkylene oxide silicone for use in the preparation of the product. Preferably, the chain transfer agent is added in an amount of about 0.1% to about 6% by weight. As used herein, the “efficacy” of a particular batch of polyalkylene oxide silicone, eg, silicone oil, refers to the contact lens type lens forming surface, or contact lens type insert, at a given concentration (and all other factors are the same). Is regarded as its ability to provide a final extracted hydrated lens product having an outer diameter in the range of about 0.90 to about 1.10, such as about 0.95 to about 1.05 times the outer diameter of the mold forming surface. In at least one embodiment, the hydrated lens product has an outer diameter in the range of about 0.98 to 1.02 times the outer diameter of the contact lens mold used or the mold insert used to form the contact lens mold. Have. The greater the reduction in lens diameter of the final lens product, the greater the “efficacy” of the polyalkylene oxide silicone. The final lens diameter is a measure of the ability of the chain transfer agent to provide a silicone contact lens product with desirable properties within the clinically acceptable range, as described above, but the precursor composition Adding a chain transfer agent to the polyalkylene oxide silicone prior to mixing with other ingredients to provide greater stability (i.e., reduced variability) in some of the measurable properties of the final contact lens product It is even more effective.
Preferably, the resulting chain transfer agent and polyalkylene oxide silicone mixture will comprise from about 0.1 to about 5 parts chain transfer agent and from about 99.9 to 95 parts polyalkylene oxide silicone. That is, the chain transfer agent-polyalkylene oxide silicone mixture comprises any one of the following typical amounts of chain transfer reagents: 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 parts (polyalkylene oxide silicones, for example, 99.9, 99.8, 99.7, 99.6, 99.5, 99.4, 99.3, 99.2, 99.1, 99, 98.5, 98, respectively) , 97.5, 97, 96.5, 96, 95.5, or 95 parts).

[Additional components of silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition]
The lens precursor composition of the present invention may comprise additional components such as ultraviolet (UV) absorbers, ie UV radiation or energy absorbers, and / or colorants. The UV absorber may be a strong UV absorber that exhibits a relatively high absorption value, for example in the UV-A range of about 320-380 nm, but is relatively transparent above about 380 nm. Examples include photopolymerizable hydroxybenzophenones and photopolymerizable benzotriazoles such as 2-hydroxy-4-acryloyloxyethoxybenzophenone (commercially available from Cytec Industries as CYASORB® UV416), 2-hydroxy- 4- (2-hydroxy-3-methacrylyloxy) propoxybenzophenone and photopolymerizable benzotriazole commercially available from Noramco as NORBLOC® 7966. Other photopolymerizable UV absorbers suitable for use in the present invention include polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated triazines, salicylates, aryl substituted acrylates, and mixtures thereof. Generally, when a UV absorber is present, the UV absorber is present in an amount corresponding to about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight of the precursor composition. Particularly preferred is a precursor composition comprising about 0.6% to about 1.0% by weight of a UV absorber.
The precursor composition of the present invention may include a colorant, but colored lens products and transparent lens products are contemplated. Preferably, the colorant is a reactive dye or pigment effective to impart color to the resulting lens product. A reactive dye is one that binds to the silicone hydrogel lens material and does not bleed. Typical colorants include: benzenesulfonic acid, 4- (4,5-dihydro-4-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-((2- (sulfooxy) ethyl) sulfonyl) ) Phenyl) azo-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-pyrazolyl-1-yl); [2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 7- (acetylamino) -4-hydroxyl-3-((4-((sulfooxy Ethyl) sulfonyl) phenyl) azo)-]; [5-((4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl) amino-4-hydroxy-3-((1-sulfo-2- Naphthalenyl) azo-2,7-naphthalene-disulfonic acid, trisodium salt]; [copper, 29H, 31H-phthalocyaninato (2-)-N ₂₉ , N ₃₀ , N ₃₁ , N ₃₂ )-, sulfo (( 4 ((2-sulfooxy) ethyl) sulfonyl) phenyl) amino) sulfonyl derivatives]; and [2,7-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 4-amino-5-hydroxy-3,6-bis ((4-((2- (Sulfooxy) ethyl) sulfonyl) phenyl) azo) -tetrasodium salt].
Particularly preferred colorants for use in the present invention are phthalocyanine pigments such as phthalocyanine blue and phthalocyanine green, chromium-alumina-cobalt (II) oxide, chromium oxide, and various iron oxides for red, yellow, brown and black. An opaquing agent such as titanium dioxide may be incorporated. In certain applications, color mixing may be utilized for better simulation of the natural iris appearance.
Furthermore, the precursor composition may comprise one or more starting compounds, ie compounds capable of initiating polymerization of the precursor composition. Preference is given to thermal initiators, ie initiators having a “kick-off” temperature. By selecting a high kickoff temperature thermal initiator and using a relatively low amount of initiator to reduce the ionoflux of the lens, the removal material that is removed or extracted in the extraction process. Can affect the quantity. For example, one thermal initiator utilized in the precursor composition of the present invention is 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile) (VAZO®-52). VAZO®-52 has a kick-off temperature of about 50 ° C., that is, a temperature at which reactive components in the precursor composition begin to polymerize. Another thermal initiator suitable for use in the precursor composition of the present invention is azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (VAZO®-88), which has a kick-off temperature of about 90 ° C. A suitable initiator is also VAZO®-64, 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile. All VASO thermal initiators disclosed herein are available from DuPont (Wilmington, DE). Additional thermal initiators such as 1,1′-azobis (cyclohexanecarbonitrile) and nitriles such as 2,2′-azobis (2-methylpropionitrile), as well as other types of initiators, such as SigmaAldrich Initiators are mentioned. Eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses can have about 0.2 to 0.7 parts VAZO-52 (or about 0.1 to about 0.8 weight percent), or about 0.1 to about 0.6 parts VAZO-88 (about 0.05 to about 0.5 weight). %) From a precursor composition.
The precursor composition of the present invention may also include a mold release aid, i.e., one or more components effective to facilitate removal of the cured contact lens from the mold. Typical mold release aids include hydrophilic silicones, polyalkylene oxides, and combinations thereof.
The precursor composition may further comprise a diluent selected from the group consisting of hexanol, ethoxyethanol, isopropanol (IPA), propanol, decanol and combinations thereof. When utilized, the diluent is typically present in an amount ranging from about 10% to about 30% (w / w). Compositions having a relatively high concentration of diluent tend to have low but no ion flux values, low modulus, and high elongation, and a BUT of water for more than 20 seconds.
Additional materials suitable for use in the manufacture of silicone hydrogel contact lenses are described in US Pat. No. 6,867,245.
The term “additive” in the context of this application is supplied in the present polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition or the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction, but the production of silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Means a compound or some chemical agent that is not necessary for Although not presumably essential for preparing silicone hydrogel contact lenses, this can be attributed to the precursor composition or the resulting lens product as a result of including one or more additives in the precursor composition of the present invention. It does not mean that it will not give more than one benefit. For example, the inclusion of removable additives facilitates contact lens processing during contact lens manufacture, for example, compared to silicone hydrogel contact lenses obtained from the same precursor composition without the additives or combinations thereof. And may improve one or more properties of the silicone hydrogel contact lens. As used herein, an additive is an additive that can be removed from the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction. For example, the additive is substantially non-reactive or non-reactive with the other components of the polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition, so that the additive is substantially the resulting polymerized lens. It is not an integral and integral part of the product. Depending on their molecular weight and shape, most if not all additives can be extracted from the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product. Accordingly, the additives in the composition are extracted from the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product during the extraction procedure. Thus, polyalkylene oxide silicones already mentioned as removable or extractable components are also considered “additives” herein.
In addition to the PAOS extractable component, examples of additives include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol stearate, diethylene glycol monolaurate, C ₂ -C ₂₄ alcohol and / or C ₂ -C ₂₄ amine. The additive includes one or more polar or hydrophilic end groups such as, but not limited to, hydroxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, phosphate and carboxyl groups, and other materials present in the composition and Miscibility with additives can also be promoted.
Additives may be in liquid or solid form and may include hydrophobic or amphiphilic components or drugs.
In certain embodiments, the additive may be referred to as a diluent, an agent that does not substantially react, or an extractable. In addition to the PAOS extractable components described above, the precursor composition of the present invention may also contain an alcoholic or non-alcoholic diluent. When utilizing such other diluents, the diluent is typically present in an amount of less than about 10% (w / w). Additives supplied in the present compositions are polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor compositions by, for example, promoting the formation of the following functions: (i) for example, the formation of a homogeneous composition or a composition that does not phase separate. (Ii) e.g. by encouraging the release of the contact lens mold containing the contact lens product and / or by encouraging the delensing of the contact lens product from the contact lens mold Improve processability of polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens products prior to extraction; (iii) variability of physical parameters of contact lenses, for example in a population of contact lenses, for example in different batches of contact lenses Improve the adjustment of physical parameters of contact lenses by reducing (iv) e.g. Improving the wettability of the contact lens by improving the wettability of the surface of the contact lens; (v) positively affecting the modulus of the contact lens, for example by reducing the modulus or increasing the modulus as desired. And (vi) any of the functions that can positively affect the ionoflux of the contact lens by reducing the ionoflux of the contact lens compared to, for example, a contact lens obtained from a lens product that does not contain additives. Or more. Therefore, the additives supplied in the composition include compatibilizers, mold release aids, de-lens aids, physical parameter modifiers, wettability enhancers, influencing agents, ionophores. It can act as a flux reducer, or any one or more combination thereof.
The compatibilizer can improve or enhance the miscibility of the components of the precursor composition. For example, compatibilizers can reduce the phase separation associated with silicon-containing polymers and other lens-forming components as compared to formulations without compatibilizers.
Preferably, the additive is homogeneously distributed throughout the polymerization composition and is substantially removed, if not completely, from the polymerized product during the extraction procedure. As a result, the contact lenses are preferably produced with little physical or dimensional variability between batches, resulting in the yield of clinically acceptable, eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Improve.
Examples 1, 3, and 4 provide exemplary precursor compositions of the present invention.
Specific embodiments of the precursor composition include polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor compositions supplied in non-polar resin contact lens molds. Other embodiments include the composition in a storage container such as a bottle, or a dispensing device such as a manual or automatic pipetting device.

[Method of forming silicone hydrogel contact lens]
In general, in the production of silicone hydrogel contact lenses, the components of the silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition are weighed and blended. The resulting precursor composition is then mixed, for example by magnetic or mechanical mixing, and optionally filtered to remove particles.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the lens of the present invention can be manufactured. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a method for producing a silicone hydrogel contact lens. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a cast molding method for silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Cast molded contact lenses do not need to be further machined and modified to adapt the lens for use on the eye, but in a form suitable for placement directly on the human eye. Manufactured. A silicone hydrogel contact lens of the present invention produced using a cast molding procedure as shown in FIG. 1 is considered herein as a “cast silicone hydrogel contact lens”. The lens is interpreted as a “fully molded silicone hydrogel contact lens” if the lens product is not changed using machining after removing the lens product from the mold member.
Illustrative methods of making contact lenses, such as silicone hydrogel contact lenses, are described in the following documents: US Pat. Nos. 4,121,896; 4,495,313; 4,565,348; 4,640,489; 4,889,664; 4,985,186; 5,039,459; 5,080,839; 5,094,609; 5,260,000; 5,607,518; 5,760,100; 5,850,107; 5,935,492; 6,099,852; 6,367,929; 6,822,869; No. 6,939,487; and US Patent Publication Nos. 20030125498; 20050154080; and 20050191335.
Returning to FIG. 1, the method outlined in the block diagram will be briefly described. The illustrated method includes the step 102 of placing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition (202 shown in FIG. 2) on or in a contact lens mold member. A polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition refers to a composition prior to or prior to curing that is suitable for polymerization. As used herein, the polymerizable composition may refer to a “monomer mix” or “reaction mixture”. Preferably, the polymerizable composition or lens precursor composition does not polymerize to any significant extent prior to curing or polymerization of the composition. However, in certain instances, the polymerizable composition or lens precursor composition may be partially polymerized prior to undergoing curing.
The lens precursor composition is supplied to a container, dispensing device, or contact lens mold prior to the curing or polymerization procedure.
Returning to FIG. 1, in step 102, the lens precursor composition is placed on the lens forming surface of the female contact lens mold member. A female contact lens mold member generally refers to a first contact lens mold member or a front contact lens mold member. For example, a female contact lens mold member has a lens forming surface that defines a front or front surface of a contact lens manufactured from the contact lens mold.
The first contact lens mold member is placed in contact with the second contact lens mold member to form a contact lens mold having a contact lens shaped cavity. Accordingly, the method shown in FIG. 1 includes the step 104 of closing the contact lens mold by placing two contact lens mold members in contact to form a contact lens shaped cavity. A polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition 202 is in the contact lens shaped cavity. The second contact lens mold member means a male contact lens mold member or a rear contact lens mold member. For example, the second contact lens mold member includes a lens forming surface that defines a rear surface of a contact lens manufactured in the contact lens mold.
In this specification, “a non-polar resin contact lens mold” or “a hydrophobic resin contact lens mold” refers to a contact lens mold formed or manufactured from a non-polar resin or a hydrophobic resin. Thus, nonpolar resin-based contact lens molds can include nonpolar or hydrophobic resins. For example, such contact lens molds may include one or more polyolefins or may be formed from a polyolefin resin material. Examples of nonpolar resin contact lens molds used in the context of this application include polyethylene contact lens molds, polypropylene contact lens molds, and polystyrene contact lens molds. Nonpolar resin-based contact lens molds typically have a hydrophobic surface. For example, a nonpolar resin mold or a hydrophobic resin mold may have a static contact angle of about 90 degrees or greater as determined by a captive bubble method. With such a contact angle, normal silicone hydrogel contact lenses made from the mold have surface wettability that is clinically unacceptable. The method further includes the step 106 of curing the polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition to form a polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product 204 prior to extraction, as shown in FIG. During curing, the lens forming component of the polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition polymerizes to form a polymerized lens product. Therefore, the curing process can be interpreted as a polymerization process. Curing step 106 may include subjecting the polymerizable lens precursor composition to radiation, such as heat, or any other means effective to polymerize the components of the lens precursor composition. For example, the curing step 106 may include exposing the polymerizable lens precursor composition to, for example, a polymerizing amount of heat or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Optionally, the curing step may be performed in an oxygen free environment. For example, the curing step can be performed under an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen, argon, or other inert gas.

Polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product 204 prior to extraction refers to the polymerized product prior to undergoing an extraction procedure that removes substantially all removable / extractable components from the polymerized product. Prior to contact with the extraction composition, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction can be provided on or in a contact lens mold, extraction tray, or other device. For example, in the lens cavity of the contact lens mold after the curing procedure, or on or in one contact lens mold member after the release of the contact lens mold, or the extraction tray or other after the de-lensing procedure and before the extraction procedure The polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction can be provided on or in the device. The polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction includes a lens-forming component, such as a lens-shaped silicon-containing polymer network or matrix, and a removable component that can be removed from the lens-forming component. Removable components include, in addition to PAOS extractable components, unreacted monomers, oligomers, partially reacted monomers, or other substances that are no longer covalently bonded or otherwise immobilized with respect to the lens-forming component Is included. The removable component may also include one or more additives such as organic additives including diluents that can be extracted from the polymerized lens product during the extraction procedure, as described above. Thus, the material that can constitute the removable component is not only a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component, but also a linear of extractable material that is not cross-linked to or fixed with respect to the polymer backbone, network, or matrix of the lens body. May also include uncrosslinked, crosslinked and / or branched polymers.
Further, the removable component may include other materials such as volatile materials that can be passively or actively removed from the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction prior to extraction. For example, some of the removable components may evaporate between the delensing process and the extraction process.
After curing the polymerizable lens precursor composition, the contact lens mold release step 108 is performed. The mold release process refers to the process of separating two mold parts of the mold containing the polymerized contact lens product or polymerized device before being extracted, for example a male mold and a female mold. The polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction is on one of the released mold members. For example, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product can be on a male mold member or a female mold member.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, during the delensing step 110, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product 204 prior to extraction on the contact lens mold member is separated from the contact lens mold member. The Depending on which mold member the polymerized contact lens product remains attached during the release of the contact lens mold, it is polymerized before being extracted from the male mold member or the female mold member. The contact lens product is delensed.
After delensing the silicone hydrogel contact lens product before extraction, the method includes a step 112 of extracting extractable material from the silicone hydrogel contact lens product before extraction. The extraction step 112 results in an extracted silicone hydrogel contact lens product 206, as shown in FIG. Extraction step 112 refers to the procedure of contacting the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction with one or more extraction compositions and may include a single extraction step or several sequential extractions. For example, a polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product or a batch of polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens products is contacted with one or more volumes of liquid extraction medium. The extraction medium typically includes one or more solvents. For example, the extraction medium includes ethanol, methanol, propanol, and other alcohols. As extraction medium, a mixture of alcohol and water, for example a mixture of 50% ethanol and 50% deionized water, or a mixture of 70% ethanol and 30% deionized water, or 90% ethanol and 10% deionized water. Also included is a mixture of ionic water. Alternatively, the extraction medium may be substantially or completely alcohol free and may include one or more agents that facilitate removal of hydrophobic unreacted components from the polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product. For example, the extraction medium may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist entirely of water, buffer, and the like. Extraction 112 can be performed at various temperatures, including room temperature. For example, extraction can occur at room temperature (eg, about 20 ° C.), or extraction can occur at elevated temperatures (eg, about 25 ° C. to about 100 ° C.). Further, in certain embodiments, the extraction step 112 includes contacting the lens product with a mixture of alcohol and water, and in certain examples, this step may constitute the last step of a multi-step extraction procedure.
After extracting the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction to provide an extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product, the method includes the extraction of the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product. Hydrating step 114. Hydration step 114 may be performed by contacting the extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product or one or more batches of the product with water or an aqueous solution, for example, as shown in FIG. Forming contact lens 208 may be included. As an example, the extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product can be hydrated by placing it in two or more separate volumes of water, or deionized water. In certain embodiments, the hydration step 114 is combined with the extraction step 112 so that both steps are performed at a single station on the contact lens production line. The hydration step 114 is performed in a container at room temperature or at a high temperature, and may be performed at high pressure if desired. For example, hydration can occur in water at a temperature of about 120 ° C. (eg, 121 ° C.) and a pressure of 103 kPa (15 psi).
Thus, as is apparent from the above, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product before extraction and the extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product are considered to be water swellable products or elements, and Hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lenses are considered to be products or elements that are swollen with water. As used herein, a silicone hydrogel contact lens refers to a silicone hydrogel element that has undergone a hydration process. Accordingly, the silicone hydrogel contact lens may be a fully hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens, a partially hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens, or a dehydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens. A dehydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens refers to a contact lens that has undergone a hydration procedure and subsequently dehydrated to remove water from the lens.
After hydrating the extracted silicone hydrogel contact lens product to produce the silicone hydrogel contact lens, the method includes packaging 116 the silicone hydrogel contact lens 208. For example, the silicone hydrogel contact lens 208 can be placed in a blister pack or other suitable container containing a volume of liquid, such as saline, such as buffered saline. Examples of liquids suitable for the lens include phosphate buffered saline and borate buffered saline. Next, as shown in step 118, the blister pack or container is sealed and subsequently sterilized. For example, the packaged silicone hydrogel contact lens can be exposed to sterilizing amounts of radiation or heat, such as by autoclaving, gamma radiation, e-beam radiation, or ultraviolet light.

[Characteristics of silicone hydrogel lens]
As described above, the compositions and methods provided herein provide silicone hydrogel contact lenses that are compatible with the eye. A pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel lens product with removable components as described herein is extracted and hydrated to form a silicone hydrogel contact lens with ophthalmically acceptable surface wettability. To do. The lens allows the lens to be comfortably worn for a long period of time, for example at least 1 day, at least 1 week, at least 2 weeks, or about 1 month without having to remove the lens from the eye. Oxygen permeability, surface wettability, modulus, moisture content, ionoflux, design, and combinations thereof.
As used herein, “eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lens” refers to a silicone hydrogel contact lens that can be worn by the human eye without substantial human experience or report such as eye irritation. . Eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses have eye-acceptable surface wettability and typically have significant corneal swelling, corneal dehydration (“dry eye”), epithelial arcuate lesions (“SEAL”). ") Or other significant discomfort is not caused or accompanied by said discomfort. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses with ophthalmically acceptable surface wettability are such that the lens wearer will experience or report discomfort associated with placing or wearing the silicone hydrogel contact lens in the eye, It means a silicone hydrogel contact lens that does not adversely affect the tear film of the lens wearer's eye. Eye-compatible silicone hydrogel contact lenses meet the clinical acceptance requirements of daily or long-wearing contact lenses.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens includes a lens body having an ophthalmically acceptable surface wettabilities (OASW) surface, eg, an anterior surface and a posterior surface. Wettability represents the hydrophilicity of one or more surfaces of a contact lens. On one scale, if a lens receives a score of 3 or higher in a wettability assay performed as follows, the surface of the lens is considered wettable or considered to have acceptable wettability to the eye. Immerse the contact lens in distilled water and remove it from the water to determine the length of time it takes for the water film to retract from the lens surface (e.g. water break up time (water BUT or WBUT)). This assay gives a lens grade with a linear score of 1-10, with a score of 10 pointing to the lens where the drop retracts from the lens over 20 seconds. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a BUT of water of more than 5 seconds, such as at least 10 seconds, more desirably at least 15 seconds, are considered to have an eye-acceptable surface wettability, but the in vitro evaluation of WBUT is OASW Is only one measure or indicator of Alternatively, OASW can be assessed in vivo. A lens is considered to have OASW if the patient can wear the lens in the patient's eye without reporting at least 6 hours of discomfort or irritation.
Wettability can also be determined by measuring the contact angle on one or both sides of the lens. The contact angle may be a dynamic contact and a static contact angle. A smaller contact angle generally means that the wettability of the contact lens surface is high. For example, the wettable surface of a silicone hydrogel contact lens can have a contact angle of less than about 120 degrees. However, in certain embodiments of the lens, the lens has a contact angle that does not exceed 90 degrees, and in further embodiments, the silicone hydrogel contact lens is less than about 80 degrees, and even more preferably less than about 75 degrees. Advancing contact angle.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens includes a lens body having an eye-acceptable surface wettability. For example, the lens body of the present silicone hydrogel contact lens typically has an anterior surface and a posterior surface, each surface having surface wettability acceptable to the eye.
In one embodiment, the lens body of the silicone hydrogel contact lens comprises a silicone hydrogel material. The lens body has a dry mass that does not exceed 90% of the dry mass of the lens body before extraction. For example, the lens body of the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction has a dry mass of X. After the extraction procedure, the lens body of the extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product has a dry mass of 0.9X or less. As described above, during the extraction process, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product before being extracted can be contacted with several volumes of a plurality of organic solvents, followed by a hydration process to produce a silicone hydrogel contact lens. . Next, the hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens is dehydrated and weighed to determine the dry mass of the lens body of the silicone hydrogel contact lens.
For example, in one method, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction is delensed from the contact lens mold member and weighed to dry the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction. give. The unextracted lens product is then contacted with alcohol for about 6 hours and then hydrated with water. The hydrated lens is then dried at about 80 ° C. for about 1 hour, and then dried under vacuum at about 80 ° C. for about 2 hours. The dried lens is weighed to determine the dry mass of the lens body of the silicone hydrogel contact lens. The dry mass is then compared to determine the amount of extractable material present in the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction. A pre-extracted polymerized lens product having an extractable component content of about 40% comprises a silicone hydrogel contact lens lens body having a dry mass that is about 60% of the pre-extracted lens product. Generate. The pre-extracted polymerized lens product having an extractable component content of about 70% is a lens body of a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a dry mass that is about 30% of the pre-extracted lens product. And so on.
The following equation can be used to determine the amount of extractables present in the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction, ie the extractable component content.
E = ((dry weight of lens product before extraction−dry weight of extracted and hydrated contact lens) / dry weight of lens product before extraction) × 100.
E is the percentage of extractables present in the lens product before being extracted.
For example, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction can have a dry mass of about 20 mg. When the silicone hydrogel contact lens obtained from the product has a dry mass of about 17 mg, the silicone hydrogel contact lens has a dry mass that is 85% of the dry mass of the lens product before extraction. including. The pre-extracted lens product can be interpreted as having an extractable component content of about 15% (w / w). As another example, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product before extraction has a dry mass of about 18 mg, and the dehydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens obtained from the lens product has a dry mass of about 13 mg. If so, the silicone hydrogel contact lens comprises a lens body having a dry mass that is about 72% of the lens product prior to extraction. The pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product has an extractable component content of about 28% (w / w).
In certain embodiments, the dry mass of a silicone hydrogel contact lens (ie, a silicone hydrogel contact lens that has undergone extraction and hydration procedures) is greater than 40% of the dry mass of the lens body prior to extraction. For example, the dry weight of the lens body after extraction may be about 40% to about 90% of the dry weight of the lens body before extraction. The lens of some embodiments includes a lens body having a dry weight of about 50% to about 80% of the dry weight of the lens body prior to extraction.
As discussed herein, a lens precursor composition without a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component or a silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction (eg, a lens obtained from a “bulk formulations”) The silicone hydrogel contact lens obtained from the product does not crosslink, or otherwise, the extractable component content (e.g., the polymer backbone, network, or matrix of the lens body) in the lens product prior to extraction. More than 10%, e.g. at least 15%, at least 15%, unreacted reagents such as linear uncrosslinked, crosslinked or branched polymers of extractable materials If it is 20%, at least 25% or more, it may have ocular acceptable surface wettability. Applicants have included one or more removable / extractable additives in the precursor composition or polymerized pre-extracted lens product to increase the extractable component content relative to the bulk product lens product, And it has been found that the result is a silicone hydrogel contact lens with eye-acceptable surface wettability.
While the pre-extracted polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product of the present invention has a relatively large amount of extractable material, the extracted form of the silicone hydrogel contact lens is almost extracted into the resulting lens body. There is no possible material. In certain embodiments, the amount of extractable material remaining in the extracted lens is from about 0.1% to about 4%, such as from about 0.4% to about 2% (w / w). These additional extractable materials can be determined by contacting the extracted contact lens with an additional amount of a powerful solvent, such as chloroform.
In addition, the extractable component is present in the polymerizable silicone hydrogel lens precursor composition and the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction and distributed throughout them, so that the surface treated silicone From the hydrogel contact lens, the lens product and the contact lens can be distinguished. Distinguish the lens product and the contact lens from the silicone hydrogel contact lens with the polymer wetting agent IPN because the extractable component is extractable from the lens product and is substantially absent from the hydrated contact lens be able to.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens may comprise a lens body obtained from a non-polar resin contact lens mold. This lens body has substantially the same surface morphology when examined in a hydrated and dehydrated state. Furthermore, such a hydrated lens body may have a surface roughness that is slightly lower than the surface roughness of the dehydrated lens body. For example, the lens body of the present lens may have a surface that includes a nanometer-sized peak that is evident when analyzing the root mean square (RMS) roughness data of the lens surface. The lens body may include regions between peaks that provide reduced roughness but swell differentially as compared to peaks to provide a substantially similar surface morphology. For example, when the lens body hydrates, the peak height may decrease, but the peak shape remains substantially the same.
Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the silicone hydrogel contact lens molded from the non-polar resin mold of the present invention can be used in electronic scanning electron microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, or scanning transmission electron microscopes. When examined under a microscope, it may include a lens body having a silicon rich domain and a silicon poor domain that can be visually identified. A silicon poor domain is interpreted as a region in the lens that is substantially or completely free of silicon based on chemical analysis. The silicon poor domain may be larger than that in a surface treated silicone hydrogel contact lens or a silicone hydrogel contact lens comprising a polymer wetting agent IPN. The size of the silicon rich domain, the silicon poor domain, or both domains can be determined using conventional image analysis software and devices, such as an image analysis system available from Bioquant (Tennessee). An image analysis software system can be used to define the boundary between the silicon rich domain and the silicon poor domain and determine the cross-sectional area, diameter, volume, etc. of the domain. In certain embodiments, the silicon poor domain has a cross-sectional area that is at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% greater than the silicon pore domain of other silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
Typically, the lens body has no surface treatment that provides eye-acceptable surface wettability. In other words, in some embodiments, the lens body of the silicone hydrogel contact lens is a non-surface treated lens body. That is, the lens body is manufactured without subjecting the lens body to surface treatment in order to provide acceptable surface wettability to the eye. For example, the illustrated lens body does not include a plasma treatment or additional coating provided to make the surface of the lens body more acceptable to the eye. However, the lens has surface wettability that is acceptable to the eye, depending on the amount of removable material present in the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction, so that it may optionally include a surface treatment. There may also be embodiments.
A particular embodiment of the lens includes a lens body that is a cast molded element obtained from a non-polar resin contact lens mold. By polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product is meant a product that has been polymerized or cured in a non-polar resin contact lens mold. Alternatively, the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product is produced in a non-polar resin contact lens mold. As discussed herein, such contact lens molds are molds that are manufactured using or based on nonpolar or hydrophobic resin materials. Such materials typically have a relatively large contact angle on their lens forming surface.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens has one or more comfort enhancers that enhance the comfort of the contact lens perceived by the lens wearer or group of lens wearers (enhancing comfort compared to silicone hydrogel contact lenses without the enhancer) Can also be included. Examples of comfort enhancers include dehydration reducers, tear film stabilizers, or drugs that reduce dehydration and stabilize the tear film of the eye on which the contact lens is placed. Such comfort enhancers include polymeric materials that have an affinity for water. In certain embodiments, the polymeric material includes one or more amphiphilic groups. Examples of materials suitable for use as comfort enhancers include materials that contain polymerizable phospholipids, such as a phosphorylcholine component. In one embodiment, the precursor composition comprises a methacrylate phosphorylcholine monomer, where the amphiphilic material phosphorylcholine is included in the resulting cross-linked network.
As discussed herein, the comfort of the silicone hydrogel lens is enhanced by including one or more removable comfort enhancers in the lens precursor composition and the silicone hydrogel contact lens product prior to extraction. You can also. For example, some of the removable materials described herein include agents that reduce the ionoflux of the lens compared to lenses obtained from the same composition without the removable material. Reducing the ionoflux of the lens can help reduce lens wearer's cornea dehydration and reduce corneal staining caused by lens wear.
As discussed herein, the lens has features and characteristics that allow the wearer to wear the lens for extended periods of time. For example, this lens can be worn as a daily wear lens, a 1 week wear lens, a 2 week wear lens, or a 1 month wear lens. The lens includes a hydrated lens body having surface wettability, modulus, ionoflux, oxygen permeability, and moisture content that contributes to the comfort and usefulness of the lens. In certain embodiments, the lens has an advancing contact angle less than about 95 degrees, a tensile modulus less than about 1.6 MPa, an ionoflux less than about 7 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min, at least about 5.25035 × 10 ⁻¹⁶ m. Includes a hydrated lens body having characteristics selected from the group consisting of oxygen permeability (Dk) of ² · s ⁻¹ · Pa ⁻¹ ( 70 barrels ) , water content of at least about 30% by weight, and combinations thereof . However, in other embodiments, the ionoflux may be greater than 7 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min and still does not cause corneal dehydration staining or other clinical problems.
The lens may include a hydrated lens body having an anterior contact angle of less than 120 degrees, front, back, or front and back. In certain embodiments, the lens body has a lens surface advancing contact angle of less than 90 degrees, for example, the lens body is about 85 degrees, about 80 degrees, about 75 degrees, about 70 degrees, about 65 degrees, A lens surface advancing contact angle of about 60 degrees, about 55 degrees, or about 50 degrees. The lens body may have a receding contact angle of the lens surface of less than 80 degrees, for example, the lens body is about 75 degrees, about 70 degrees, about 65 degrees, about 60 degrees, about 55 degrees, about 50 degrees, Or it may have a receding contact angle of the lens surface of about 45 degrees. Hysteresis, i.e., the difference between the advancing contact angle and the receding contact angle may be from about 5 degrees to about 35 degrees. However, in certain embodiments, the hysteresis is greater than 25 degrees and may still be clinically acceptable.
The advancing contact angle can be determined by routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the advancing and receding contact angles of a contact lens can be measured using conventional drop shape methods, such as the sessile drop method or captive bubble method. The Kruss DSA 100 instrument (Kruss GmbH, Hamburg) can be used to determine the advancing and receding contact angles of silicone hydrogel contact lenses as described in the following literature (DA Brandreth: "Dynamic contact angles and contact angle hysteresis ", Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 62, 1977, pp. 205-212 and R. Knapikowski, M. Kudra: Kontaktwinkelmessungen nach dem Wilhelmy-Prinzip-Ein statistischer Ansatz zur Fehierbeurteilung", Chem. Technik , vol. 45, 1993, pp. 179-185, and US Pat. No. 6,436,481).
As an example, the advancing contact angle and the receding contact angle can be determined by a captive bubble method using phosphate buffered saline (PBS; pH = 7.2). Prior to testing, the lens is flattened on a quartz surface and rehydrated with PBS for 10 minutes. An air bubble is placed on the surface of the lens using an automatic injection system. By increasing or decreasing the air bubble size, a receding angle (a plateau obtained when the bubble size is increased) and an advancing angle (a plateau obtained when the bubble size is reduced) can be obtained.
The lens may additionally or alternatively include a lens body that exhibits a water break-up time (BUT) greater than 5 seconds. For example, embodiments of the present lens comprising a lens body having a BUT of water for at least 15 seconds, such as 20 seconds or more, may have surface wettability acceptable to the eye.
The lens may include a lens body having a modulus less than 1.6 MPa. In certain embodiments, the modulus of the lens body is less than 1.0 MPa. For example, the lens body can have a modulus of about 0.9 MPa, about 0.8 MPa, about 0.7 MPa, about 0.6 MPa, about 0.5 MPa, about 0.4 MPa, or about 0.3 MPa. Preferably, the modulus of the lens body of the present invention ranges from about 0.4 to about 0.8 MPa, and even more preferably from about 0.4 to about 0.6 MPa. In one embodiment, the lens body has a modulus of about 0.4 to 0.5 MPa. The modulus of the lens body is selected to provide a comfortable lens when placed on the eye and to accommodate lens handling by the lens wearer.
Routine methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to determine the modulus of the lens body. For example, a contact lens piece approximately 4 mm wide is cut out from the center of the lens and obtained by a tensile test using Instron 3342 (Instron Corporation) at a rate of 10 mm / min in air at 25 ° C. and at least 75% humidity. The tensile modulus (unit: MPa) can be determined from the initial slope of the resulting stress-strain curve.

The ionoflux of the lens body of this lens is typically less than about 5 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min. Some lens bodies of this lens may have an ionoflux up to about 7 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min, but the ionoflux is less than about 5 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min and the contact lens is When MPC is not included, it is thought that dehydration staining of the cornea can be reduced. In certain embodiments, the ion flux of the lens body is about 4.5 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min, about 4 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min, about 3.5 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min, about 3 × 10 ^−3. mm ² / min or less. However, as described herein, the ionoflux may be greater than 7 × 10 ⁻³ mm ² / min and still does not cause corneal dehydration staining or other clinical problems.
Routine methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to determine the ionoflux of the lens body of the lens. For example, the ionoflux of a contact lens or lens body can be measured using a technique substantially similar to the “ionoflux technique” described in US Pat. No. 5,849,811. For example, the lens to be measured can be placed in a lens holding device between the male part and the female part. The male and female portions include a lens and a flexible sealing ring positioned between the respective male and female portions. After positioning the lens in the lens holding device, the lens holding device is placed in a threaded lid. The lid is screwed onto the glass tube to define the donor chamber. The donor chamber can be filled with 16 ml of 0.1 molar NaCl solution. The receiving chamber can be filled with 80 ml of deionized water. Receive a conductivity meter lead and immerse it in deionized water in the chamber, and add a stir bar to the chamber. Place the receiving chamber in a thermostat and keep the temperature at about 35 ° C. Finally, the donor chamber is dipped into the receiving chamber. Beginning 10 minutes after immersion in the receiving chamber of the donor chamber, conductivity measurements can be taken every 2 minutes for about 20 minutes. The conductivity versus time data will be substantially linear.
The lens body of this lens typically has high oxygen permeability. For example, the lens body has an oxygen permeability of Dk not inferior to 4.5003 × 10 ⁻¹⁶ m ² · s ⁻¹ · Pa ⁻¹ ( 60 barrels ) . The embodiment of this lens is about 6.0004 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 80 barrels ) , about 6.75045 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 90 barrels ) , about 7.5005 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 100 barrels ) , approx. 8.25055 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 110 barrels ) , approx. 9.0006 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 120 barrels ) , approx. 9.75065 × 10 ^-16 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 130 barrels ) , approx. 1.05007 × 10 ^-15 m ² · s ^-1 · Pa ^-1 ( 140 barrels ) , or including a lens body with a Dk of more.
Routine methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to determine the Dk of the lens. For example, the Dk value can be determined using the Mocon method as described in US Pat. No. 5,817,924. The Dk value can be determined using commercially available equipment under the Mocon Ox-Tran System model selection.
The lens also includes a lens body having a water content acceptable to the eye. For example, embodiments of the present lens include a lens body having a moisture content no less than 30%. In some embodiments, the lens body has a moisture content of about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, or about 65%.
The water content of the lens can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens can be removed from the aqueous liquid and wiped to remove excess water on the surface and weighed. The dried lens can be weighed after the weighed lens is dried in an oven at 80 ° C. under vacuum. The weight difference can be determined by subtracting the weight of the dry lens from the weight of the hydrated lens. The water content (%) is (weight difference / hydrated weight) × 100.

In addition to the unique values identified above, the lens may have a range of values between any combination of the unique values identified above. For example, the contact lens has a moisture content of about 45% to about 55%, an ionoflux value of about 3 to about 4, a static contact angle of about 35 degrees to about 45 degrees, and a forward contact of about 55 degrees to about 80 degrees. Angle, a receding contact angle of about 47 to about 55 degrees, a hysteresis of about 11 degrees to about 25 degrees, a Young modulus of about 0.47 MPa to about 0.51 MPa, an elongation of about 140% to about 245%, and combinations thereof Can do.
In some specific embodiments of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, the lens body has a modulus of less than 0.5 MPa, an ionoflux of less than 4, and a moisture content of about 42-46%.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens is a vision correction or vision enhancement contact lens. The lens may be a spherical lens or an aspheric lens. The lens may be a multifocal lens such as a single focus lens or a bifocal lens. In some embodiments, the lens is a rotationally stabilized lens, such as a rotationally stabilized toric contact lens. The rotationally stabilized contact lens may be a contact lens that includes a lens body that includes a ballast. For example, the lens body may have prism ballast, peri ballast, and / or one or more thinned upper and lower regions.
The lens also includes a lens body that includes a peripheral region. The peripheral region may include a rounded portion. For example, the peripheral region may include a rounded trailing edge surface, a rounded leading edge surface, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the periphery is completely rounded from the front surface to the rear surface. Therefore, it can be interpreted that the lens body of the present lens can include a rounded periphery.

The lens addresses the problems associated with existing silicone hydrogel contact lenses, but may still include a lens body with a thickness profile that is comfortable for the lens wearer. The rigidity of the lens body can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the lens body and the modulus of the lens body. For example, the stiffness of a region of a contact lens is defined as the product of the lens Young's modulus and the square of the lens thickness in the specified region. Thus, certain embodiments of the present lens have a center stiffness of less than about 0.007 MPa-mm ² (e.g., a stiffness at the center of the lens or the center of the visual zone), a stiffness of the lens nucleus junction less than about 0.03 MPa-mm ^2. Or a combination thereof. The lens nucleus junction is defined as the junction between the lens nucleus zone and the bevel, or for a lens without a bevel, a point approximately 1.2 mm from the lens edge (see US Pat. No. 6,849,671). In other embodiments, the present lenses may comprise higher center rigidity than 0.007 MPa-mm ^2, the rigidity of about 0.03 MPa-mm ² higher lenticular junction, or a combination thereof.

Ideally, the silicone hydrogel contact lens has little variability in physical parameters such as physical dimensions between lenses or lens batches. For example, in one embodiment, an additive such as a chain transfer agent is added to the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition to reduce the variability of the physical attributes of the lens. With such physical parameter adjusting additives, the variability between any two batches of lenses is preferably less than 2%. For example, the variability of one or more batches of the lens may be from about 0.5% to about 1.9%. For example, the diameter and base curve of the lens can be adjusted within 1.6% of a predetermined value. More specifically, if the target contact lens diameter is 14.0 mm and the actual diameter of the contact lens in the batch of contact lenses varies from about 13.6 mm to about 14.4 mm, one or more during contact lens manufacture Can be used to produce contact lenses having a diameter in the range of about 13.8 mm to about 14.2 mm with reduced variability. Similar adjustments can be made to reduce changes in lens thickness, sagittal depth, basic curvature, and the like.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens may be provided in a sealed package. For example, the silicone hydrogel contact lens may be provided in a sealed blister pack or other similar container suitable for delivery to a lens wearer. Within the package, the lens may be stored in an aqueous solution such as saline. Some suitable solutions include phosphate buffered saline and borate buffer. The solution may optionally include a bactericidal agent or may be free of a bactericidal or preservative. The solution may optionally contain a surfactant such as poloxamer.
The lens in the sealed package is preferably sterile. For example, the lens may be sterilized before sealing the package, or it can be sterilized in a sealed package. The sterile lens may be a lens exposed to a sterilizing amount of radiation. For example, the lens may be an autoclaved lens, a gamma irradiated lens, a lens exposed to ultraviolet light, and the like.

〔Example〕
The following examples illustrate certain aspects and advantages of the present invention, but the present invention is in no way considered to be limited to the specific embodiments described below.
The practice of the present invention utilizes conventional techniques within the skills of those skilled in the art, such as polymer synthesis and hydrogel formation, unless otherwise noted. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature. Conversely, unless expressly stated otherwise, reagents and materials are commercially available.
Methods for making contact lenses, eg, silicone hydrogel contact lenses, are described in the following references: US Pat. Nos. 4,121,896; 4,495,313; 4,565,348; 4,640,489; 4,889,664; 4,985,186; 5,039,459; 5,080,839; 5,094,609; 5,260,000; 5,607,518; 5,760,100; 5,850,107; 5,935,492; 6,099,852; 6,367,929; 6,822,016; 6,939,487; and US Patent Publication Nos. 20030125498; 20050154080; and 20050191335.
In the following examples, efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers used (eg, amounts, temperatures, etc.) but some experimental errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless otherwise noted, the temperature is in degrees Celsius (° C.) and the pressure is at or near atmospheric pressure at sea level.
The examples refer to the following well-known chemicals, but sometimes they are also represented by the abbreviations shown below.

[Materials and methods]
Abbreviation
AE: Allyloxyethanol
DI: Deionized
HEMA: 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate
IPA: Isopropyl alcohol
MMA: Methyl methacrylate
M3U: M3-U; α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethyl Siloxane); dimethacryloyl silicone-containing macromer M3U used in the following examples is represented by the following formula, wherein n is 121, m is 7.6, h is 4.4, p is 7.4, Mn = 12,800, and Mw = 16,200. Yes (Asahikasei Aime Co., Ltd., Japan).

M3U Tint: A dispersion of βCu-phthalocyanine in M3U (% w / w). Cu-phthalocyanine is available from BASF as Heliogen Blue K7090.
N, N-DMF: DMF; N, N-dimethylformamide
NVP: 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (freshly distilled under vacuum)
PDMS: Polydimethylsiloxane
PDMS-co-PEG: Block copolymer of polydimethylsiloxane and PEG containing 75% PEG, 600 MW (Gelest's DBE712)
PEG: Polyethylene glycol
PP: Propylene
Pr: Propanol
TEGDMA: Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate
TEGDVE: Triethylene glycol divinyl ether
TPO: Biphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide
TPTMA: Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate
UV416: 2- (4-benzoyl-3-hydroxyphenoxy) ethyl acrylate
VAZO-52: 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile) (V-52; thermal initiator)
VAZO-64: Azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (V-64; thermal initiator)
VMA: N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide (freshly distilled under vacuum)
VM: Vinyl methacrylate

[Lens product characterization method]
Advancing / retracting contact angle: The advancing contact angle can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the advancing and receding contact angles of the contact lenses provided herein can be measured using conventional droplet shape methods such as the sessile drop method and captive bubble method. Advancing and receding contact angles of silicone hydrogel contact lenses can be determined using a Kruss DSA 100 instrument (Kruss GmbH, Hamburg) and as described in the following literature (DA Brandreth: "Dynamic contact angles and contact angle hysteresis ", Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 62, 1977, pp. 205-212 and R. Knapikowski, M. Kudra: Kontaktwinkelmessungen nach dem Wilhelmy-Prinzip-Ein statistischer Ansatz zur Fehierbeurteilung", Chem. Technik, vol 45, 1993, pp. 179-185, and US Pat. No. 6,436,481).
As an example, the advancing contact angle and the receding contact angle can be determined by a captive bubble method using phosphate buffered saline (PBS; pH = 7.2). Prior to testing, the lens is flattened on a quartz surface and rehydrated with PBS for 10 minutes. An air bubble is placed on the surface of the lens using an automatic injection system. By increasing or decreasing the air bubble size, a receding angle (a plateau obtained when the bubble size is increased) and an advancing angle (a plateau obtained when the bubble size is reduced) can be obtained.
Modulus: The modulus of the lens body can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, a contact lens piece approximately 4 mm wide is cut out from the center of the lens and obtained by a tensile test using Instron 3342 (Instron Corporation) at a rate of 10 mm / min in air at 25 ° C. and at least 75% humidity. The tensile modulus (unit: MPa) can be determined from the initial slope of the resulting stress-strain curve.
Ionoflux: The ionoflux of the lens body of the lens can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the ionoflux of a contact lens or lens body can be measured using a technique substantially similar to the “ionoflux technique” described in US Pat. No. 5,849,811. For example, the lens to be measured can be placed in a lens holding device between the male part and the female part. The male and female portions include a lens and a flexible sealing ring positioned between the respective male and female portions. After positioning the lens in the lens holding device, the lens holding device is placed in a threaded lid. The lid is screwed onto the glass tube to define the donor chamber. The donor chamber can be filled with 16 ml of 0.1 molar NaCl solution. The receiving chamber can be filled with 80 ml of deionized water. Receive a conductivity meter lead and immerse it in deionized water in the chamber, and add a stir bar to the chamber. Place the receiving chamber in a thermostat and keep the temperature at about 35 ° C. Finally, the donor chamber is dipped into the receiving chamber. Beginning 10 minutes after immersion in the receiving chamber of the donor chamber, conductivity measurements can be taken every 2 minutes for about 20 minutes. The conductivity versus time data will be substantially linear.
Oxygen permeability: The Dk of the lens can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the Dk value can be determined using the Mocon method as described in US Pat. No. 5,817,924.
The Dk value can be determined using commercially available equipment under the Mocon Ox-Tran System model selection.
Equilibrium water content: The water content of the lens can be determined using routine methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens can be removed from the aqueous liquid and wiped to remove excess water on the surface and weighed. The dried lens can be weighed after the weighed lens is dried in an oven at 80 ° C. under vacuum. The weight difference can be determined by subtracting the weight of the dry lens from the weight of the hydrated lens. The water content (%) is (weight difference / hydrated weight) × 100.

Example 1
Preparation of a low modulus polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition:
A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition was prepared using the reagents and relative amounts specified below. This formulation is referred to herein as a “low modulus formulation” or “LMF” because the resulting hydrated contact lens product has a low modulus.

The ingredients in Table 1 were weighed and mixed to form a mixture. The mixture was filtered through a 0.2-20.0 micron syringe filter into a bottle and stored for up to about 2 weeks. (This mixture is referred to herein as a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition). In Table 1, in addition to the respective mass percent of each compound (expressed in terms of mass on a mass basis; w / w), unit amounts were given.
In the final silicone hydrogel contact lens, the weight percent of each chemical component is closely related to the unit amount present in the precursor composition rather than the corresponding mass percent.

(Example 2)
Silicone hydrogel contact lens fabrication:
A constant volume of the precursor composition of Example 1 was degassed by repeating the suction / nitrogen flush procedure. The degassed precursor composition was placed in a female nonpolar resin mold member. The filled female mold member was closed by placing it in contact with the nonpolar resin male mold member at the desired pressure to achieve a tight fit. Next, curing was carried out in a nitrogen batch oven with the following cycle: 30 minutes N ₂ purge at room temperature, 30 minutes at 55 ° C. and 60 minutes at 80 ° C. Since the release was performed by punching out the contact lens type female mold member, the male mold member was peeled from the contact lens mold with the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens attached to the male mold member. . Delensing was performed by the float off method or using a mechanical delensing apparatus. The float-off method includes a step of immersing a male mold member containing a dry lens in the water of a bucket. Typically, the lens will go out of the mold in about 10 minutes. Mechanical de-lens compresses and rotates the male mold member with the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product attached to it, causing gas to flow between the contact lens product and the rotating male mold member. And sucking the exposed surface of the contact lens product. Separated lenses were loaded onto plastic trays for extraction and hydration.
The lens tray containing the polymerized silicone hydrogel contact lens product is placed in a solvent solution, such as industrial methylated spirit (IMS) containing 95% ethyl alcohol and 5% methanol for 45 minutes at room temperature. Soaked. The solvent was then drained and replaced with fresh IMS and the process was repeated with IMS (3 ×), 1: 1 alcohol / water (3 ×), and DI water (3 ×).
Hydrated lenses were stored in glass vials or blister packages containing DI water or phosphate buffered saline with a pH of 7.1-7.5. The sealed container was autoclaved at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes. Lenses were measured 24 hours after autoclaving.
The resulting hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens was weighed and then dehydrated in a dryer and weighed again to determine the dry mass of the dehydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens.
Lens properties such as contact angle such as dynamic contact angle and static contact angle, oxygen permeability, ion flux, modulus, elongation, tensile strength, moisture content, etc. were determined as described herein. The wettability of the hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens was also examined by measuring the water break-up time for the lens.
Eye compatibility was further examined during a dispensing study in which contact lenses were placed in human eyes for 1 hour, 3 hours, or more than 6 hours before clinical evaluation.
The silicone hydrogel contact lens obtained from this formulation had surface wettability acceptable to the eye. These silicone hydrogel contact lenses were found to have an equilibrium water content (EWC) of 44 ± 2% and an extractable content of 48.9 ± 0.7%.
The resulting hydrated contact lens had the following characteristics:

In the final lens, most but not all of the silicone oil was extracted with unreacted monomer or linear polymer components after the extraction procedure. In this example, no silicone oil was detected after extraction.
A series of lens batches were prepared for clinical evaluation. Lenses were prepared from the precursor composition as described in Example 1. Characterizing the batch of lenses had the following characteristics:

In the above table, the GPC value is a relative reading of the remaining removable component content after extraction and hydration. The total content of residual / extractable components after extraction and hydration ranged from about 0.4 to about 2% using chloroform as the final extraction solvent used to previously contact the extracted contact lenses. Three to five replicate samples were measured for each set of lenses.
Example 3
Preparation of a fine tuned low modulus polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition:
A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition was prepared using the reagents and amounts specified below. This formulation is referred to herein as a “microtuned low modulus formulation” or “low-modulation formulation” because the resulting hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens product has a low modulus and low batch-to-batch variation. It is called “MLMF”.

*AE対シリコーン油の比率は0.1〜5部のAE対99.9〜95部のシリコーン油
の範囲である。
計：125.17部

* Ratio of AE to silicone oil ranges from 0.1 to 5 parts AE to 99.9 to 95 parts silicone oil.
Total: 125.17 copies

The ingredients in Table 4 above are weighed and mixed to form a mixture. Filter the mixture through a 0.2-5.0 micron syringe filter into a bottle and store for up to about 2 weeks.
This precursor composition differs from the precursor composition described in Example 1 in that AE is included in the silicone oil component. AE is added to the silicone oil prior to mixing with other chemical reagents included in the precursor formulation, advantageously to reduce variability in the dimensions and physical properties of the resulting hydrated contact lens product. work.
Contact lens formulation is essentially as described in Example 2 above. The resulting hydrated contact lens has the following advantages, except that variability in any one or more of lens diameter, EWC, and ionoflux is typically lower than in formulations prepared without AE: It has physical characteristics similar to those of the lens described in Example 2.

(Example 4)
Preparation of a finely tuned low modulus polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition containing variable amounts of allyloxyethanol and characteristics of the resulting silicone hydrogel contact lens product:
The following experiment was conducted to further investigate the effect of adding variable amounts of allyloxyethanol to silicone oil to reduce batch changes in dimensions and physical properties of the final extracted hydrated contact lens product did.
A monomer mixture (polymerizable silicone hydrogel precursor composition) was prepared as described in Examples 1 and 3. The ingredients of this formulation were as in Example 1 above, except that the extractable silicone oil component optionally contained various amounts in the silicone oil, i.e. 0, 2, 4, and 6% allyloxyethanol. It was the same. Details of the formulations are provided in Tables 4 and 5 below. Different amounts of allyloxy alcohol were added to each of three different lots of silicone oil (Gelest).
The monomer mixture is filtered and degassed, applied to the lens forming surface of the female polypropylene contact lens mold member, the male mold member is engaged with the female mold member, and the monomer mixture is placed in the contact lens-shaped cavity. A contact lens mold containing was formed. The EF (expansion coefficient) of this tooling was about 1.1%, or the outer diameter of the steel contact lens type insert was about 14.3 mm. Batch oven was cured under N _2. Typically, the filled mold is placed in a N ₂ batch oven and purged with N ₂ for 30 minutes to reduce the oxygen level to less than 1000 ppm, then first heated to 55 ° C. for 30 minutes, then heated to 80 ° C. for 60 minutes did.

*アリルオキシエタノールのパーセンテージ(%AE)は、シリコーン油に
含まれるアリルオキシエタノールの質量パーセンテージを表す。 Table 5.
Formulations at 25 ° C with various AE concentrations

* Percentage of allyloxyethanol (% AE) represents the mass percentage of allyloxyethanol contained in the silicone oil.

Table 6
25C formulations with various concentrations of allyloxyethanol

After curing, release and lens removal were performed with a bench-top release machine. All formulation lenses showed good release / de-lens properties.
Dry lenses were loaded into polypropylene trays, extracted and hydrated using sequential ethanol, ethanol-water, and water wash cycles of about 30 minutes each and contacted with hot water. The extracted and hydrated lens was autoclaved in a vial containing a pH 7.2 PBS buffer containing a surfactant.
The lens was measured and inspected one day after autoclaving. Only undistorted lenses were measured for dimensional and physical properties such as diameter, base curve, equilibrium moisture content, static and dynamic contact angles, tensile properties (modulus, tensile strength and elongation), and ionoflux.
〔result〕
(i) a means for reducing the change between batches of the resulting extracted / hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens product; and (ii) means for providing a contact lens having the desired dimensions and physical properties. As a result, the addition of silicone oil with various amounts of allyloxyethanol was investigated.
Table 7 shows the diameter and physical properties of the extracted hydrated contact lenses after autoclaving. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the diameter, equilibrium water content, and the relationship between ion flux and allyloxyethanol content, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, 25 parts of the silicone oil / AE mixture was used in all three formulations (series A1, B1, and C1); as the AE content in the mixture increased, the lens diameter decreased. Each series corresponds to a contact lens prepared from a given lot of silicone oil (different silicone oils used in each series A1, B1, and C1).
A series produced lenses larger than series B or C. Initial clinical trials of 25C lenses with series A silicone oil without the addition of AE resulted in lenses with a relatively high dehydration staining rate, but series C silicone oil lenses are more satisfactory (more (Low) dehydration staining rate. Therefore, ideally, it was decided that the potency of series A silicone oil lots should be increased to achieve more desirable clinical properties of the lens (the potency of a particular batch of polyalkylene oxide silicone, eg silicone oil, It is regarded as its ability to yield a final extracted hydrated lens product having a diameter that is less than the diameter of the contact lens mold used at a given concentration. The larger the polyalkylene oxide silicone, the higher the potency of the polyalkylene oxide silicone, particularly preferred is a silicone oil that results in a final lens product having a diameter in the range of 0.98 to 1.02 of the diameter of the contact lens mold used. For example, referring to FIG. 3, when 4% AE is added to a series A silicone oil, the lens diameter is essentially the same as the resulting lens diameter of a series C silicone oil lot prior to the addition of allyloxyethanol. Become.
As shown in Table 6 and the graphs of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, respectively, the same tendency was observed for characteristics such as EWC% and ionoflux.
Therefore, when the typical chain transfer reagent such as allyloxyethanol used in this example is added to the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component, the performance of the precursor composition is finely adjusted, that is, “fine-tuned”, Effective to provide the final silicone contact lens product with advantageous physical properties. Particularly preferred are extracted hydrated contact lenses having an equilibrium water content in the range of about 40-50%, an ionoflux in the range of about 2 to about 5, and a modulus of about 1.2 Mpa.
As mentioned above, a 5L batch of SO can be prepared by adding 4% AE. Since SO batches 10627 and 11038 are already highly effective, AE is added by 0.1% for fine adjustment. To further illustrate this fine-tuning concept, 4% AE was added to the SO 5L batch and 0.1% AE was added to the SO 10627 batch. As shown in Table 5, two batches of M3U were used to make 25C lenses with 20, 23, 26, and 29 parts of finely tuned SO (or SO / AE mixture). The characteristics of the lens are listed in Table 8 below.

Table 8. Lens characteristics with various loadings of AE-SO

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the relationship between the lens diameter and the SO level. The lens diameter decreases with increasing SO loading, mainly due to SO dilution effects. The higher the diluent loading, the smaller the final lens diameter because the amount of material removed during extraction increases. Based on the diameter data for 20% and 29% silicone oil loading levels, it can be seen that the efficacy of the two fine-tuned silicone oils is nearly identical. These results show that the addition of 4% AE to the silicone oil extractable component “fine-tunes” or fine-tunes the typical extractable component, SO 5L, and the potency of SO 10627 containing only 0.1% AE. It has proved effective in harmony with.
Turning now to the typical fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer, M3U, our data show that the lens diameter varies within about 0.2 mm for various batches of M3U. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the slope of D vs.% SO is approximately -0.06 mm /% SO. To provide lenses with similar diameters, this data will be extrapolated to select a SO (pre-adjustment) content of about 25% ± 4%.
Figure 8 shows the general relationship between diameter and ionoflux for equilibrium water content for all 25C formulations listed in Table 6. As can be seen from FIG. 8, there is a strong relationship between the diameter and the water content, and also between the ion flux and the water content. Therefore, based on this figure, it is generally considered that ion flux can be predicted based on the equilibrium water content.

Many variations and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings provided in the above description. Accordingly, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, which are themselves provided as examples. While exemplary embodiments are discussed, the above detailed description is intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the further disclosure. And should be construed to include equivalents. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a general and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
In this specification, a number of publications and patents are cited. Each cited publication and patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

It is a block diagram which shows the typical manufacturing method of a silicone hydrogel contact lens. It is a block diagram which shows the composition of this invention, a lens product, and a contact lens. As described in Example 4, the effect of increasing the allyloxyethanol content in polyalkylene oxide silicone used as an extractable component to form a silicone hydrogel contact lens versus the resulting extracted hydrated autoclave treatment FIG. 6 is a graph showing the diameter of a subsequent contact lens product. FIG. As described in Example 4, the effect of increasing the allyloxyethanol content in polyalkylene oxide silicone used as an extractable component to form a silicone hydrogel contact lens versus the resulting extracted hydrated autoclave treatment FIG. 4 is a graph showing the equilibrium water content of a subsequent contact lens product. FIG. As described in Example 4, the effect of increasing the allyloxyethanol content in polyalkylene oxide silicone used as an extractable component to form a silicone hydrogel contact lens versus the resulting extracted hydrated autoclave treatment It is a graph which shows the ion flux of a subsequent contact lens product. As described in Example 4, the diameter (mm) of the extracted hydrated contact lens when using a specific fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer (shelf life 3 MU) versus typical in a polymerizable precursor composition 2 is a graph showing the percent relationship of a typical polyalkylene oxide silicone / allyloxyethanol extractable component. As described in Example 4, the diameter (mm) of the extracted hydrated contact lens when using a specific fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer (yellow 3MU) versus the typical in a polymerizable precursor composition FIG. 5 is a graph showing the percent relationship of various polyalkylene oxide silicone / allyloxyethanol extractable components. FIG. Equilibrium water content in final extracted hydrated contact lens products made from various series of polymerizable precursor compositions when varying percent of polyalkylene oxide silicone / allyloxyethanol extractable component and It is a graph which shows the general relationship with each of a diameter and ion flux.

Claims (15)

A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprising:
(i) 25-35% by weight of reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer,
(ii) at least 45% by weight of a non-silicon-containing monomer composition, and
(iii) polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component,
Including
The reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly ( Ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane),
The non-silicon-containing monomer composition comprises N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate ; and
The polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component comprises a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer;
Polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition. The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 1, wherein the polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition further comprises a UV absorber and a colorant.   2. The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 1 comprising 10-30% by weight of the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component.   The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component further comprises a chain transfer agent. The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 4 wherein the chain transfer agent is allyloxyethanol. 6. The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 5 , wherein the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component comprises 0.1 to 6 parts allyloxyethanol and 99.9 to 94 parts polyalkylene oxide silicone. The polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component comprises a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer containing 75% by weight ethylene oxide .   α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprising N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate and a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer extractable component. Α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) for the combination of N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition according to claim 8 , wherein the mass-to-mass-based ratio of ) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane) is in the range of 0.55 to 0.65. α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl Includes N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone, phthalocyanine blue, thermal initiator, and dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer containing 75% by weight ethylene oxide A polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition according to claim 9 . The chain transfer agent, Ru allyloxyethanol der, polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition of claim 4. A method for producing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprising the following steps:
(i) at least 25% by weight of a reactive fluoro-containing acryloyl silicone macromer;
(ii) at least 45% by weight of a non-silicon-containing hydrophilic component;
(iii) includes the step of generating a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition by blending a polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component,
Here, the reactive fluoro-containing dimethacryloyl silicone macromer is α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy). -Poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane),
The non-silicon-containing hydrophilic component comprises N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate ; and
The polyalkylene oxide silicone extractable component comprises a dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer;
Said method. A method for producing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition comprising the following steps:
α-ω-bis (methacryloyloxyethyliminocarboxyethyloxypropyl) -poly (dimethylsiloxane) -poly (trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) -poly (ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene glycol) propylmethylsiloxane), N-vinyl Formulated with -N-methylacetamide, methyl methacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2-hydroxy-4-acryloxyethoxybenzophenone, phthalocyanine blue, thermal initiator, and dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer containing 75% by weight ethylene oxide By,
Producing a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition;
Including said method. 14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide block copolymer containing 75% by weight ethylene oxide comprises allyloxyethanol. Wherein from 0.1% to 10% by weight allyloxyethanol dimethylsiloxane - it was added to the ethylene oxide block copolymer, the allyloxyethanol used in the manufacture of a polymerizable silicone hydrogel contact lens precursor composition - supplying dimethylsiloxane ethylene oxide block copolymer The process of
The method of claim 12, further comprising :

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