JPH06258605A - Colored contact lens and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the colored contact lens with an iris pattern which is distinctly printed on a base material contact lens and is free from discoloring and dislodging and the process for production of this contact lens. CONSTITUTION:This colored contact lens is constituted by coating the surface of the base material contact lens with an ink layer contg. at least a coloring agent and polyhydroxy methacrylate and a colorless clear layer contg. at least the polyhydroxy ethyl methacrylate and this process for production consists of producing this contact lens. As a result, the colored contact lens with iris pattern which is formed by distinctly printing the surface of the base material contact lens with the colored iris pattern and is free from the discoloring and dislodging and the process for production of the contact lens is obtd. In addition, the colored lens is obtd. in a complete lens shape. Since there is no need for post stages, such as lens finishing, the process for production of the colored contact lens with the iris pattern capable of making mass production at an extremely low cost is possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a colored contact lens and a method for manufacturing the same. That is, it is possible to clearly print on the lens substrate by adjusting the composition of the printing ink, and to further print a colorless clear layer paint of a specific composition on the ink layer containing the printed colorant, The present invention relates to a colored contact lens capable of obtaining a lens in which a printed colored pattern does not fade or fall off, and a method for producing the same.

[0002]

Colored contact lenses, also referred to as "decorative lenses," are primarily intended to enhance or change the color of the eye by the application of a color layer overlying the iris.

This colored contact lens is required to have a clear colored pattern and to be free from problems such as color fading and falling off. Further, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-54519, a solution of a resin in which an insoluble pigment or the like is dispersed is printed on a pattern on the bottom of a casting mold, and a monomer is put in the casting mold to polymerize. Then, a method of processing the obtained lens block to obtain a colored contact lens with an iris pattern is disclosed, but only the lens block is obtained by this method, and a post-process for processing into a finished lens shape is required. However, there is a problem that the manufacturing process is complicated. U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,499 proposes precipitating an insoluble substance in a hydrogel lens to absorb light, but it is not possible to consistently obtain a lens in which the insoluble substance is deposited at a uniform density, that is, without uneven coloring. It turns out not to be easy.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a colored contact lens in which a colored ink is clearly printed on a base lens and which does not cause color fading or loss, and a method for producing the same. To provide a colored contact lens which can be mass-produced at an extremely low cost and does not require a post-process such as lens processing, since a desired colored lens can be obtained by directly printing a colored pattern on the lens. is there.

[0005]

The present invention is directed to an ink layer containing at least a colorant and polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate on the surface of a base contact lens, and a colorless clear containing at least polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate on the ink layer. A colored contact lens characterized by being coated with a layer.

The present invention also provides at least a coloring agent, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate (hereinafter abbreviated as P-HEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (hereinafter abbreviated as 2-HEMA), a polymerization initiator on the surface of a base contact lens. And a colorless clear containing at least P-HEMA, 2-HEMA, a polymerization initiator and an organic solvent on the ink layer. A method for producing a colored contact lens, which comprises coating a layer coating material and curing it to form a colorless clear layer.

The ink layer is preferably formed in an iris pattern, but a uniform color layer can be partially formed depending on the purpose.

The material of the contact lens is PH
The EMA type soft contact lens system is preferable, but a glycidyl methacrylate type, N-vinylpyrrolidone type alone, or a copolymer thereof with a crosslinking agent such as alkylene glycol dimethacrylate represented by ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. It can also be applied to a system including.

As the colorant used in the ink layer, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, iron oxide (yellow, red, brown) alone or a mixture thereof, titanium oxide, vat dye (vat yellow 3, vat brown 1, vat green). 1, Bat orange 1, Bat orange 5) and the like are used.

Titanium oxide, talc, light calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and the like are preferably added to the ink layer as a masking agent.

As the polymerization initiator for production, azobisisobutyronitrile, azobiscyclohexanecarbonitrile, phenylazobisbutyronitrile, azobisdimethylvaleronitrile, lauroyl peroxide, which are radical initiators for thermal polymerization, Benzoyl peroxide, a photopolymerization initiator, specifically benzoyl ethers,
Examples thereof include benzophenones, and preferably azobisisobutyronitrile, lauroyl peroxide, and benzoyl peroxide can be used.

As the organic solvent for production, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol and the like and mixtures thereof are preferable.

It is preferable that an alkylene glycol dimethacrylate represented by ethylene glycol dimethacrylate is further added to the coating material for the ink layer for production.

[0014]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be explained according to examples.

(A) Preparation of non-crosslinkable P-HEMA 20 parts by weight of 2-HEMA was added to 100 parts by weight of water,
Stir well and mix. Add 0.05 parts by weight of mercaptoacetic acid (chain transfer agent) to this mixed aqueous solution,
After stirring for 1 minute, 0.5 part by weight of potassium persulfate (polymerization initiator) was added, the atmosphere was replaced with nitrogen, and the mixture was stirred for 1 hour to obtain non-crosslinking P-HEMA with a low polymerization rate.

The non-crosslinkable P-HEMA solution thus obtained was added to a large amount of water with stirring to reprecipitate the polymer content, which was filtered and then vacuum dried at 40 ° C. for 16 hours to obtain a polymer again with methanol. Was dissolved in water, filtered, and then reprecipitated using hexane as a non-solvent to obtain a purified product. This purified product is vacuum-dried at room temperature for 24 hours to obtain non-crosslinking P-HEMA.
Got

(B) Preparation of Ink Layer Coating Material 3 parts by weight of phthalocyanine blue and 27 parts by weight of titanium white (titanium oxide pigment) were uniformly mixed in a mortar to obtain "Mixture 1". Next, 45 parts by weight of 2-HEMA containing 0.3% by weight of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), 50 parts by weight of P-HEMA, and 5 parts by weight of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were added to the above "mixture 1", and "mixture 1" was added. I got 2 ". 100 parts by weight of methyl alcohol was added to "Mixture 2" and mixed well to obtain an ink layer coating material. When coloring green and hazel, yellow iron oxide and red iron oxide were further used for toning.

(C) Preparation of clear layer coating material 50 parts by weight of non-crosslinking P-HEMA crushed in a mortar and AI
45 parts by weight of 2-HEMA containing 0.1% by weight of BN and 5 parts by weight of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were mixed to obtain "Mixture 3". Further, 100 parts by weight of methyl alcohol was added to "Mixture 3" and mixed well to obtain a colorless clear layer coating material.

[Processing Method for Lens] PH in a dry state
The finished EMA soft contact lens product was fixed to a printing jig with the front surface facing upward. Next, the prepared ink layer coating material was uniformly applied to the iris pattern portion of the stainless steel plate with the iris pattern. Next, an iris pattern was printed on the lens using a silicone transfer body (made by Navidus) of a printing machine for pad printing. Immediately after printing (5
Within minutes), it was placed in an oven at 80 ° C. and polymerized for 6 hours. The lens after polymerization was fixed to a printing jig, and a colorless clear layer paint was applied to the iris pattern portion. After coating
Immediately, polymerization treatment was performed at 80 ° C. for 16 hours to obtain an iris-adhered colored lens.

[Evaluation Method] 1. Evaluation of Colored Iris Pattern (1) Print Transferability The printed iris pattern was observed with the naked eye and a magnifying glass (× 20).

(2) Pattern durability in swelling treatment Case for swelling treatment of colored lens (made of polycarbonate)
One by one and boiled in 0.9% physiological saline for 3 hours, and the pattern was observed in the same manner as in (1).

(3) Durability of the pattern by strong puff washing The lens treated with (2) is subjected to a rubbing test on the pad of the index finger by dropping a special cleaning agent on a sponge cleaning puff for contact lenses only (1). The printed pattern was observed in the same manner as in.

Rubbing test: The printed side is brought into contact with the puff surface, and the puff is pressed 50 times (hereinafter 5
Rubbing 0 times as 1 cycle)

2. Evaluation of colorless clear-coated lenses (1) Pattern durability in swelling treatment 1. The lens is processed and observed in the same manner as in (2).

(2) Pattern durability by strong puff cleaning 2. The lens of (1) is 1. (3) The rubbing test is carried out for 50 cycles and the printed pattern is observed.

Table 1 shows the print transferability to the lens substrate by the colored ink before coating with the colorless clear coat, the pattern durability in the swelling treatment, and the pattern durability in the strong puff cleaning.

[0027] Table 2 shows the durability judgment criteria in the case of only the colored ink layer.

[0028] As is clear from the results in Table 1, as for the lens before the colorless clear layer was coated on the colored pattern printed layer, a lens in which the printed pattern of the iris portion did not drop at all was not obtained.

Next, for Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 in which printing was good, a colorless clear layer was printed on the iris portion of the colored pattern printing lens by the pad printing method under the conditions shown in Table 3, respectively. After coating and polymerization treatment, a drop pattern durability test was conducted by boiling and puffing the printed pattern.

[0030] Table 4 shows the durability judgment criteria when the colorless clear layer was further coated.

[0031] As is clear from the results in Table 3, by printing the colorless clear layer coating composition having the above composition, a lens in which a colored printed pattern did not fall off even during puff washing was obtained.

[0032]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a colored contact lens having an iris pattern in which a colored iris pattern is clearly printed on a base material contact lens and which is free from discoloration or loss can be obtained.
Further, since the colored lens is obtained in the finished lens shape and no post-process such as lens processing is required, it can be mass-produced at extremely low cost.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Kazuo Imaeda 38-chome, Kurumada-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A surface of a base contact lens is coated with an ink layer containing at least a colorant and polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, and a colorless clear layer containing at least polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate on the ink layer. A colored contact lens characterized in that 2. The colored contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the ink layer is formed in an iris pattern or in a uniform color over the entire iris portion. 3. The colored contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the colorant is one or more selected from phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, iron oxide and titanium oxide. 4. An ink by coating a surface of a base contact lens with a coating material for an ink layer containing at least a colorant, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, a polymerization initiator and an organic solvent, and curing the ink. A layer is formed, and then a coating for a colorless clear layer containing at least polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, a polymerization initiator and an organic solvent is applied on the ink layer and cured to obtain a colorless clear layer. A method for manufacturing a colored contact lens, the method comprising: forming a colored contact lens. 5. The method for producing a colored contact lens according to claim 4, wherein the ink layer coating material further contains alkylene glycol dimethacrylate. 6. The method for producing a colored contact lens according to claim 4, wherein the colorant is one or more selected from phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, iron oxide and titanium oxide. 7. The solvent of the coating material for the ink layer and the colorless clear layer is selected from methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and butyl alcohol.
5. The method for producing a colored contact lens according to claim 4, wherein the number of kinds is at least one.