MXPA00006399A - High refractive index ophthalmic device materials - Google Patents

Abstract

High refractive index copolymers suitable for use in ophthalmic devices are disclosed. The copolymers comprise a) two or more monomers of structure (I), wherein X is H or CH3;m is 0-10;Y is nothing, O, S, or NR wherein R is H, CH3, CnH2n+1(n=1-10), iso-OC3H7, C6H5, or CH2C6H5;Ar is any aromatic ring which can be unsubstituted or substituted with H, CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, iso-C3H7, OCH3, C6H11, Cl, Br, C6H5, or CH2C6H5;and b) a total of about 5 mole%or less of one or more monomers of structure (II), wherein X is H or CH3;W is -CH3 or (CH2=C(-X)-C(=O)-);and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is approximately 600-1000 if W is -CH3 and approximately 400-1000 if W is (CH2=C(-X)-C(=O)-).

Description

HIGH REFRACTION INDEX MATERIALS FOR OPHTHALMIC DEVICES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to polymers of high refractive index and their use in ophthalmic lenses, particularly infraocular lenses that can be inserted through small incisions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In response to the development of cataract crystals, it has become common to replace the lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) in a surgical procedure. In order to reduce the trauma caused to the eye in cataract surgery, it is desirable to maintain the incision through which the surgical procedure is performed as small as possible. With the development of phacoemulsification surgery, where the lens is divided by ultrasonic vibrations and the fragments are aspirated through a small cannula, it has been possible to remove a lens through an incision no greater than 2 to 4 millimeters. However, because an IOL typically has at least 5 to 6 millimeters in diameter, an incision must be made that is at least the same size to allow insertion of the IOL. In order to allow the use of a technique that requires a desirably small incision, various flexible IOLs have been developed, which can be deformed and inflated. The patent of E.U.A. No. 4,619,662 to Juergens, discloses a flexible infraocular lens with a hollow interior that can be emptied to cause the lens to collapse to a relatively small size. The subsequently collapsed lens can be inserted into the eye through a relatively small incision. After inserting it, the interior of the lens is filled with an elastomer to expand the lens to a suitable shape and dimension. U.S. Patent No. 4,573,998 to Mazzocco discloses a deformable intraocular lens that can be rolled, bent, or tensioned so that it fits through a relatively small incision. The deformable lens is inserted while being held in a deformed configuration, subsequently released into the eye chamber, where the elastic property of the lens causes it to regain its molded shape. As suitable materials for the deformable lens Mazzocco describes polyurethane elastomers, silicone elastomers, hydrogel polymer compounds, organic or synthetic gel compounds and combinations thereof. The patent of E.U.A. No. 4,619,657 to Keates et al., Discloses a flexible intraocular lens holder made from a flexible inert polymer, such as silicone rubber, that contains pockets to receive individual lenses that are small enough to fit through a relatively small incision. little. The lens holder is folded or rolled and inserted through a small incision and subsequently several small lenses are inserted through the incision and into the lens holder cavities to form a composite intraocular lens. Some of these known methods for providing an intraocular lens that can be inserted through a small incision have gone through an excessive complexity of inflatable lenses or composite lenses. The deformable infraocular lenses have a simple design and use. However, when they are made of low refractive index materials, such as polyurethane elastomers and silicone elastomers, they must be relatively thick to provide a lens with adequate refractive power. The thicker the lens, the more difficult it will be to distort or distort it so that it has the shape that will fit through a small incision. Additionally, the distortion that is required to force a thick lens through a small incision may exceed its elastic properties so much that it may break or not recover its original shape when released into the eye. Therefore, lenses made from such materials are limited in some way, as well as the minimum size at which they can deform. In this way, recent efforts have focused on materials that can be used to form a flexible intraocular lens that can be easily rolled or folded into a configuration that will fit through a small incision. For example, the patent of E.U.A. No. 5,331,073 discloses materials for an intraocular lens that can be bent. The copolymer materials described in the U.S.A. No. 5,331,073 optionally contain a hydrophilic monomer present in an amount sufficient to reduce the tackiness of the copolymer relative to a substantially identical copolymer lacking a hydrophilic monomer. Additionally, the US patent. No. 5,290,892 describes high refractive index acrylic materials that can be bent and therefore can be inserted through small incisions. In some cases, acrylic intraocular lenses that can bend produce "glow" when implanted in humans or submerged in water at physiological temperature. These microvacuolas appear to be bags of water of approximately 1 μm or larger diameter. These flashes are often very small and are not perceptible to the naked eye, but are sometimes observed using an optometrist lamp. Although the blazes do not have an effect that damages the function or the performance of the IOL made of acrylic materials, from the cosmetic point of view it is desirable to minimize or eliminate them. PCT Publication No. WO 97/24382 discloses a foldable intraocular lens material containing 2-phenylethyl acrylate, 2-phenylethyl methacrylate, and 0.1 to 10 mole% of a "third monomer of known hydrophilic character". The hydrophilic monomer is intended to reduce the risk of glare. Suitable hydrophilic monomers include "monomers such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrylamide, methacrylamide, poly (ethylene glycol) acrylates (PEG-acrylates) and other similar monomers (preferably unsaturated compounds), especially those containing carboxyl, hydroxyl, sulfate, sulfonate, amido or amino-containing substituted groups known to those skilled in the art of polymer chemistry ". It is desirable for some reasons to limit the total amount of hydrophilic monomers to low amounts. For example, hydrophilic ingredients comprise the high refractive index of acrylic hydrophobic aryl materials because the hydrophilic ingredients themselves have low refractive indexes and because the water absorbed by the resulting materials decreases the overall refractive index of the material. Despite the broad description of suitable hydrophilic monomers in WO 97/24382, most are not suitable for removing glare when they are present in concentrations of less than 10 mol%.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to ophthalmic devices comprising high refractive index copolymers containing a) two or more monomers of the structure: X CH2 = C-COO- (CH2) m-Y-Ar (I) where: X is H or CH3; m is 0-10; And it's nothing, O, S, or NR where R is H, CH3, CnH2n +? (N = 1-10), iso-OC3H7, C6H5 or CH2C6H5; and Ar is any aromatic ring which may be unsubstituted or substituted with CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7) iso-C3H7, OCH3, C6Hn, Cl, Br, C6H5, or CH2C6H5; and b) a total of about 5 mole% or less of one or more monomers of the structure: X CH2 = C-COO- (-CH2-CH2-0-) n-W (I I) wherein: X is H or CH3; W is -CH3 or (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= 0) -); and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is about 600 1000 if W is -CH3 and about 400-1000 if W is (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= O) -). These copolymers can be used to form infraocular lenses that have high refractive indexes, are flexible and transparent, can be inserted into the eye through a relatively small incision, and recover their original shape after insertion. Additionally, IOLs made from these copolymers do not produce glare compared to identical copolymers that do not contain a monomer of structure (II).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The high refractive index copolymers used to prepare the ophthalmic devices of the present invention comprise a) two or more monomers of the structure: X CH2 = C-COO- (CH2) m-Y- Ar (I) wherein: X is H or CH3; m is 0-10; And it is nothing, O, S, or NR where R is H, CH3, CnH2n +? (N = 1-10), ISO-OC3H7, C6H5 or CH2C6H5; and Ar is any aromatic ring that can be unsubstituted or substituted with CH3, C2H5, n-C3H7, iso-C3H7, OCH3, C6H11; Cl, Br, C6H5, or Suitable monomers of structure (I) include, but are not limited to: 2-ethylphenoxy methacrylate; 2-ethylphenoxy acrylate; 2-ethylthiophenyl methacrylate; 2-ethylthiophenyl acrylate; 2-ethylaminophenyl methacrylate; 2-ethylaminophenyl acrylate; phenyl methacrylate; phenyl acrylate; benzyl methacrylate; benzyl acrylate; 2-phenylethyl methacrylate; 2-phenylethyl acrylate; 3-phenylpropyl methacrylate; 3-phenylpropyl acrylate; 4-phenylbutyl methacrylate; 4-phenylbutyl acrylate; 4-methylphenyl methacrylate; 4-methylphenyl acrylate; 4-methylbenzyl methacrylate; 4-methylbenzyl acrylate; 2-2 methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-2methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2-3-methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-3-methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2-4 methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-4-methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2- (4-propylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-propylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4- (1-methylethyl) phenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4- (1-methylethyl) phenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-methoxyphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-methoxyphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-cyclohexophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-cyclohexyphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (2-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (2-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (3-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (3-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-bromophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-bromophenyl) ethylacrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-phenylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-benzylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; and 2- (4-benzylphenyl) ethyl acrylate, and the like. The preferred monomers of structure (I) are those wherein m is 2-4, Y is nothing or O, and Ar is phenyl. Especially preferred are 2-phenylethyl acrylate and 2-phenylethyl methacrylate. The total amount of the monomers of structure (I) contained in the copolymers of the present invention is generally about 80% by weight or more, and preferably is about 80 to 90% by weight. In addition to two or more monomers of structure (I), the copolymers of the present invention also contain a total of about 5 mole% or less of one or more monomers of the structure: X CH2 = C-COO- (-CH2-CH2-0-) n-W (I I) wherein: X is H or CH3; W is -CH3 or (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= 0) -); and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is about 600 1000 if W is -CH3 and about 400-1000 if W is (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= O) -). The monomers of structure (II) are commercially available or can be synthesized using known methods. Representative monomers of structure (II) include monomethacrylate of polyethylene oxide monomethyl ether having a weight average molecular weight of about 1000; and polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 400; polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 600; and polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 1000. The amount of monomer of structure (II) is less than about 5 mol%, which generally corresponds to about 15 to 30% by weight, depending on the choice of X, W and n. In the case of the monomers of structure (II) wherein W is (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= O) -), separate interlacing agents are not required because such monomers themselves act as interlacing agents . However, additional crosslinking agents are optionally included in the compositions of the present invention, if appropriate. In the case where the monomer (s) of structure (II) is chosen such that W is CH3, a separate crosslinking agent is required. The copolymerizable crosslinking agent used in the copolymers of the present invention may be any terminal ethylenically unsaturated compound having more than one unsaturated group. Suitable crosslinking agents include, for example: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, alkyl methacrylate, 1,3-propanediol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate and the like . Preferred crosslinking agents are ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDDA). In general, the amount of any interlacing agent (other than those of structure (II)) that is used in the copolymers of the present invention will be about 10% (w / w) or less. Those skilled in the art will understand that among acrylic ester polymers, those made from acrylate ester monomers tend to have lower glass transition temperature and to be more flexible than methacrylate ester polymers. Thus, the acrylate / aryl methacrylate copolymers that are used in the devices of the present invention will generally comprise a higher percentage by weight of acrylate ester than methacrylate ester. It is preferred that the aryl acrylate monomers constitute about 50% by weight about 95% by weight of the polymer, while the monomers of aryl methacrylate constitute from about 5% by weight to about 40% by weight of the polymer . The proportions of the monomers to be included in the copolymers of the present invention should be chosen in such a way that the copolymers have a glass transition temperature (Tg) not greater than about 37 ° C, which is the normal body temperature in humans. . Copolymers having glass transition temperatures above 37 ° C are not suitable for use in IOL that can be bent; such lenses will only roll or bend at temperatures above 37 ° C and will not unroll or bend at temperatures above 37 ° C and will not unroll or bend at normal body temperature. It is preferred to use copolymers having a glass transition temperature a little lower than the normal body temperature and not higher than the normal room temperature, for example, about 20 to 25 ° C, so that the IOL made of such copolymers can be wound up or fold comfortably at room temperature. Tg is measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 ° C / min, and is determined at the midpoint of the transition of the heat flow curve. For IOLs and other applications, the materials of the present invention must exhibit sufficient strength to allow devices made from them to bend or manipulate without breaking. Therefore the copolymers of the present invention will have an elongation of at least 150%, preferably at least 200%, and most preferably between 300 and 600%. This property indicates that lenses made of such materials will generally not break, tear or split when folded. The elongation of the polymer samples is determined on tension test specimens in the form of a dumbbell with a total length of 20 mm, a clamping area length of 4.88 mm, a general width of 2.49 mm, a width of 0.833 mm. the narrowest section. An edge radius of 8.83 mm, and a thickness of 0.9 mm. The test is performed on samples at ambient conditions using an Instron material examiner (Model No. 4442 or equivalent) with a load cell of 50 newtons. The clamping distance is set at 14 mm and a crosshead speed is set at 500 mm / minute and the sample is pushed to failure. The elongation (tension) is indicated as a fraction of displacement to the fault at the original clamping distance. The IOLs made of copolymers of the present invention do not show brightness when measured in accordance with the following test. The presence of glow is measured by placing a sample of the lens in a bottle and adding deionized water or a balanced salt solution. The bottle is then placed in a water bath previously heated to 45 ° C. The samples will be kept for 24 hours. The sample is then placed in a bath at 37 ° C or at room temperature and allowed to equilibrate for two hours. The sample is removed from the bottle and placed on a slide. The glare is visualized with a light microscope that uses an amplification of 50 to 200x. A sample is rated without glare if, during amplification from 50 to 200x, the glow detected in the eye piece is zero. It is often very difficult to detect the glow at lower amplification levels (for example 50x), so the sample is fully scanned through the total volume of the lens with higher amplification levels (up to 200x) with the intention of detecting the presence of radiance. The copolymers of the present invention are prepared by conventional polymerization methods. A mixture of the liquid monomers in the desired proportions is prepared together with a conventional free radical thermal initiator. The mixture can be placed in a mold with the desired shape, and the polymerization can be carried out by heating to activate the initiator. Typical thermal free radical initiators include peroxides, such as benzophenone peroxide, peroxycarbonates, such as bis- (4-t-butylcyclohexyl) peroxycarbonate, azonitriles, such as azobisisobitironitrile, and the like. A preferred initiator is (4-t-butylcyclohexyl) peroxybicarbonate (PERK). Alternatively, the monomers can be photopolymerized using a mold that is transparent to actinic radiation of a wavelength that can initiate the polymerization of these acrylic monomers by themselves. Conventional photoinitiating compounds, for example, a photoinitiator of the benzophenone type, can also be introduced to facilitate polymerization. Photosensitizers can also be introduced to allow the use of longer wavelengths; however, when preparing a polymer that will remain for a long period within the eye, the smallest number of ingredients in the polymer is generally preferred to avoid the presence of materials that could be leached from the IOL into the interior of the eye. An ultraviolet light absorbing material may also be included in the materials of the present invention. The ultraviolet light absorbing material can also be any compound that absorbs ultraviolet light, i.e. light having a wavelength of less than about 400 nm, but does not absorb any substantial amount of visible light. The ultraviolet light absorbing compound is incorporated into the monomer mixture and captured in the polymer matrix when the monomer mixture is polymerized. The ultraviolet light absorbing compounds include substituted benzophenones, such as 2-hydroxybenzophenone, and 2- (2-hydroxyphenyl) benzotriazoles. It is preferred to use an ultraviolet light absorbing compound that is copolymerizable with the monomers and therefore is covalently bound to the polymer matrix. In this way, the possible leaching of the ultraviolet light absorbing compound off the lens and into the interior of the eye is minimized. In the ultraviolet light absorbing compounds which can be copolymerized are suitable substituted 2-hydroxybenzophenones described in the patent of US Pat. 4,304,895 and the 2-hydroxy-5-acrylophenyl-2H-benzotriazoles described in U.S. Patent No. 4,528,311. The ultraviolet light absorbing compound which is especially preferred is 2- (2'-hydroxy-3'-metall-5'-methyl phenyl) benzotriazole. In addition to ultraviolet light absorbing materials, ophthalmic devices made from the copolymers of the present invention may include colored dyes, such as the yellow dyes described in U.S. Patent No. 5,470,932. IOLs constructed from the polymers described can have any design that can be folded or rolled into a small cross section that can be adjusted through a relatively small incision. For example, IOLs may have a design known as one piece or multiple pieces. Typically, an IOL comprises an optician and at least one haptic. The optician is that portion that functions like the lens and the haptic connects to the optician and are like arms that hold the optician in the right place inside the eye. The optician and the haptic (s) may be of the same or a different material. A multi-piece lens is so called because the optic and the haptic (s) are made separately and subsequently the haptics are attached to the optician. In a one-piece lens, the optician and haptics are formed from a piece of material. Depending on the material, the haptics are cut or machined from the material to produce the IOL.

The molding and drilling operations are easily carried out if the optician is molded between two half polypropylene molds. The mold contains the cured optical material and is subsequently placed on a lathe and the desired optical diameter is machined with the lathe. The resulting optical / mold sandwich can easily be assembled to perform any piercing operation before separating the mold halves. Both machining and drilling operations can be facilitated by cooling the mold / optic in a freezer to less than 10 ° C and preferably less than 0 ° C before each of these operations. Many methods are known for attaching a haptic to the optician. For example see the patent of E.U.A. No. 5,118,452. In addition to the IOLs, the materials of the present invention are also suitable for use as other ophthalmic devices such as contact lenses, keratoprostheses, intratracheal lenses, inlays or corneal rings, and glaucoma filtration devices. The invention will be further illustrated with the following examples which are intended to illustrate and not limit.

EXAMPLE 1 The copolymers listed below in Tables 1 to 3 were prepared by mixing the indicated ingredients to produce a liquid formulation which was subsequently melted in a mold and thermally cured in ovens with air circulation. All the values in tables 1 to 3 are listed in molar percentage. Optical molds were used to produce samples for the glow test described above and plate molds (12 x 25 x 1 mm) were used to produce samples for the elongation test described above. In addition to the ingredients listed below, each of the copolymers shown in Tables 1 and 2 contained approximately 2% (w / w) of 1,4-butanediol diacrylate as a crosslinking agent, 1% (w / w). p) of o-Methyl Tinuvin P as a UV absorbing chromophore and 1% (w / w) of Perkadox-16 as a polymerization initiator. The results of the glow and elongation tests are shown in Table 4. The glow results are indicated with yes ("Y" meaning that glare was detected) or not ("N", meaning no glare was detected).

TABLE 1 PEA = 2-phenylethyl acrylate PEMA = 2-phenylethyl methacrylate NVP = N-vinylpyrrolidone GMA = 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate (monomethacrylate and glycerol) HEA = 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate HEMA = 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate TABLE 2 P200MMA = monomethacrylate of polyethylene oxide monomethyl ether (weight average molecular weight of 200) P200MA = polyethylene oxide monomethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 200) P400MMA = polyethylene oxide monomethyl ether monomethacrylate (weight average molecular weight) weight of 400) P400MA = polyethylene oxide monomethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 400) P1000MMA = polyethylene oxide monomethyl ether monomethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 1000) TABLE 3 P200DMA = polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 200) P400DMA = polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 400) P600DMA = polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 600) P1000DMA = polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate (weight average molecular weight of 1000) TABLE 4 Having fully described the invention, it should be understood that it may be modalized into other specific forms or variations without departing from the spirit or essential features of the invention. In this manner, the embodiments described above should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes that occur within the meaning and equivalence range of the claims are intended to be included in them.

Claims (7)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. An ophthalmic device comprising a high refractive index copolymer having a glass transition temperature less than about 37 ° C and an elongation of at least 150%, wherein the copolymer comprises a) two or more monomers of the structure: X CH2 = C-COO- (CH2) m- Y-Ar (I) where: X is H or CH3; m is 0-10; And it's nothing, O, S, or NR where R is H, CH3, CnH2n +? (N = 1-10), iso-OC3H7, C6H5 or CH2CeH5; and Ar is any aromatic ring that can be unsubstituted or substituted with CH3, C2Hs, n-C3H7, iso-C3H7, OCH3, CsHn, Cl, Br, C6H5, or CH2C6H5; and b) a total of about 5 mole% or less of one or more monomers of the structure: CH2 = C-COO- (-CH2-CH2-0-) n-W (I I) wherein: X is H or CH3; W is -CH3 or (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= O) -); and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is about 600; 1000 if W is -CH3 and approximately 400-1000 if W is (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= 0) -); provided that in case none of the monomers of formula (II) are chosen such that W is (CH2 = C (-X) -C (= O) -), the copolymer also contains an interlacing agent.

2. The copolymer according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises an ingredient that is chosen from the group consisting of ultraviolet light absorbing materials and yellow dyes.

3. The copolymer according to claim 1, further characterized in that the monomers of structure (I) have m = 2-4; Y = nothing or O; and Ar = phenyl.

4. The copolymer according to claim 1, further characterized in that the monomers of structure (I) are selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylphenoxy methacrylate; 2-ethylphenoxy acrylate; 2-ethylthiophenyl methacrylate; 2-ethylthiophenyl acrylate; 2-ethylaminophenyl methacrylate; 2-ethylaminophenyl acrylate; phenyl methacrylate; phenyl acrylate; benzyl methacrylate; benzyl acrylate; 2-phenylethyl methacrylate; 2-phenylethyl acrylate; 3-phenylpropyl methacrylate; 3-phenylpropyl acrylate; 4-phenylbutyl methacrylate; 4-phenylbutyl acrylate; 4-methylphenyl methacrylate; 4-methylphenyl acrylate; 4-methylbenzyl methacrylate; 4-methylbenzyl acrylate; 2-2 methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-2methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2-3-methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-3-methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2-4 methylphenylethyl methacrylate; 2-4-methylphenylethyl acrylate; 2- (4-propylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-propylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4- (1-methylethyl) phenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4- (1-methylethyl) phenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-methoxyphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-methoxyphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-cyclohexyphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-cyclohexylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (2-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (2-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (3-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (3-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-chlorophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-chlorophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-bromophenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-bromophenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (3-phenylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; 2- (4-phenylphenyl) ethyl acrylate; 2- (4-benzylphenyl) ethyl methacrylate; and 2- (4-benzylphenyl) ethyl acrylate.

5. The copolymer according to claim 4, further characterized in that the monomers of structure (I) are 2-phenylethyl acrylate and 2-phenylethyl methacrylate.

6. The copolymer according to claim 1, further characterized in that the monomer of structure (II) is selected from the group consisting of monomethacrylate of polyethylene oxide monomethyl ether having a weight average molecular weight of about 1000; and polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 400; polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 600; and polyethylene oxide dimethacrylate having a weight average molecular weight of about 1000.

7. The ophthalmic device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the device is selected from the group consisting of intraocular lenses; contact lenses, keratoprostheses; intracorneal lenses; corneal inlays; cornea rings and glaucoma filtration devices.