WO2007013720A1

WO2007013720A1 - Bio artificial eye

Info

Publication number: WO2007013720A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/000273
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mal-Soo Jun; Jong-Heon Jun; Seong-Un Jun; Yu-Mi Jun
Original assignee: Mal-Soo Jun; Jong-Heon Jun; Seong-Un Jun; Yu-Mi Jun
Priority date: 2005-07-25
Filing date: 2006-01-24
Publication date: 2007-02-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bio-artificial eye, and more particularly to a bio-artificial eye which is produced using a process comprising either adding tourmaline or nano- silver to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA.) resin, or adding any one selected from among colloidal silver, colloidal platinum and colloidal gold to polymethylmethacrylate resin or silicone, so that the artificial eye has intrinsic antibacterial activity, does not cause much eye discharge, and emits far- infrared rays and anions, and thus, has a very good effect on the ocular health of the person wearing the artificial eye. Also, it relates to a bio-artificial eye which has a low-friction material, such as Teflon, coated on the surface thereof, so that the artificial eye does not injure the eye orbit, and thus bacteria do not propagate in the orbit, no discharge is exuded from the eye, and inflammation does not occur.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[invention Title]

BIO ARTIFICIAL EYE

[Technical Field] Generally, an artificial eye is a pseudo eyeball which is worn to provide a normal appearance when it is impossible for one eye to recover visual functionality due to ocular disorders or eyeball injury. The artificial eye functions as an artificial eyeball, which is necessary for a person blind in one eye to live a harmonious social life without mental stress or concern about how one appears to other people .

The present invention relates to a bio-artificial eye, and more particularly to a bio-artificial eye which is produced using a process comprising either adding tourmaline or nano-silver to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin or adding any one of colloidal silver, colloidal platinum and colloidal gold to polymethylmethacrylate resin or silicone, so that the artificial eye has intrinsic antibacterial activity, does not cause much eye discharge, and emits far-infrared rays and anions, and thus, has a very good effect on the ocular health of a person wearing the artificial eye. Also, it relates to a bio-artificial eye which has a low-friction material, such as Teflon, coated on the surface thereof, so that the artificial eye does not injure the eye orbit, and thus bacteria do not propagate in the orbit, no discharge is exuded from the eye, and inflammation does not occur.

[Background Art]

Generally, the artificial eye is a kind of artificial eyeball which is produced in a shape like that of a healthy eye and is worn by a person who is blind in one or both eyes due to injury or congenital factors, thus preventing other people from feeling revulsion. The artificial eye requires that a person feel comfortable during the wearing of the artificial eye so that the person can lead a pleasant everyday life. Also, the artificial eye is used for persons who have undergone eyeball enucleation due to injury or lesion in an eye or its surrounding area, persons who have no eyesight due to postnatal contraction or underdevelopment of the eyeballs, and persons who cannot be expected to recover their sight. It is used to protect the eye orbit, maintain the formation of the eye orbit and promote the development of bone structure. In addition, it is used to provide a better appearance, resembling a normal eye, thus giving a wearer self-confidence. FIG. 1 is a hypothetical side view showing a state before an artificial eye is inserted into the eye of a patient. As shown in FIG. 1, the eye 11 consists of the cornea 16, iris 18, crystalline lens, optic nerve, and the like. The cornea 16, which is transparent tissue having no blood vessels 19 at the outermost portion of the eye 11, is frequently called the pupil, and functions as a protective membrane for protecting an eyeball and as a window for allowing light to reach the retina by refraction. The iris 18 is located between the cornea 16 and the crystalline lens, and its color can vary depending on race and individual variation, but is colored brown when a lot of pigment is present, and blue when less pigment is present. Also, it functions to control the amount of light. The crystalline lens, which is a colorless transparent structure having the shape of a magnifying glass in that it is convex on both sides, is located behind the iris and acts as the main refractive organ together with the cornea 16. When an eyeball is enucleated from the eye, which has this structure, an implant 12 as an orbit filler will be inserted into the eye, and an artificial eye (ocular prosthesis) 10 will be inserted into the conjunctival sac 13 of the orbit where the cornea 16 and the iris 18 were located. When an eyeball is contracted or underdeveloped, only the artificial eye 10 will be inserted into the conjunctival sac 13 of the orbit.

As described above, the artificial eye 10 should be inserted into the conjunctival sac 13 of the orbit so as to be in close contact with the eyeball. For this reason, it should be formed so as to conform to the shape of the conjunctival sac 13 of each individual, and the shape of the pupil should be the same as the actual eye of a normal person. When a person is blind in only one eye, the artificial eye should be formed to be as similar as possible to the other normal eye of the person in order to improve wearing comfort and to minimize heterogeneity of appearance .

A general method for producing the artificial eye 10 is as follows.

First, the conjunctival sac of the orbit, in which the artificial eye is to be inserted, is injected with a molding material using a device for modeling the artificial eye 10, thus making a model of the artificial eye. In this regard, the molding material is a material such as alginate, which is mainly used to make tooth models in dentistry.

The artificial eye model thus prepared is placed in a two-part flask to make an impression of the artificial eye 10. Meanwhile, transparent or non-transparent high-purity polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder and PMMA resin solution are polymerized at a ratio of about 2.2:1 and gelled at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. The polymer gel is placed in the impression, compressed with a press, and cured by heating at 71-74 ^°C for about 1 hour and 30 minutes followed by heating at 100 ^°C for 30 minutes, thus making an artificial eye body to be inserted into the orbit .

The entire surface of the artificial eye body is subjected to a cutting process, and then, an eye pupil and blood vessels 19 of the eye white are drawn on the surface of the artificial eye body. Meanwhile, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder and PMMA. resin liquid are polymerized at a ratio of about 2.2:1 and gelled at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes. Then, the artificial eye body is placed in a press and covered with the polymer gel . The resulting artificial eye body is compressed, cured with heat, cut, and polished, thus making an artificial eye.

The iris, which is the central part of an artificial eye, is characterized depending on the individual, has a very elaborate shape and color, and determines personal appearance .

Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the applicant has developed an artificial eye 10 having tear holes 50 formed in the conjunctiva 20. The developed artificial eye has the effect that it can be used for a long time due to the supply of a large amount of oxygen and the smooth circulation of tears compared to an artificial eye having no tear holes.

Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0329880 discloses a soft artificial eye made of silicone in the prior art. The soft artificial eye according to the prior art is an artificial eye 10 comprising an artificial pupil, an iris 18 and a sclera 17 having blood vessels drawn thereon, in which the sclera 17 is formed of a silicone rubber material so as to be soft .

In another embodiment, the soft artificial eye further comprises a transparent coating layer which is deposited on the sclera 17 so as to cover the pupil, the iris 18 and the blood vessels . Another soft artificial eye made of silicone is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1998-56780. The outer surface of this artificial eye 10 is adsorbed with hydroxy apatite powder which has a chemical and physical structure similar to the bones of the human body, and thus, does not cause side effects in the human body. Due to the hydroxy apatite powder, the blood vessels and tissue of the patient propagate on the artificial eye 10 and form one living portion of the orbit so as to make free movement of the artificial eye possible. However, all the artificial eyes 10 according to the prior art have problems in that bacteria propagate on the orbit and the artificial eye 10 so that eye discharge is exuded and inflammation occurs.

Furthermore, all the prior artificial eyes 10 cause injury to the orbit due to the friction between the orbit and the artificial eye 10 so as to propagate bacteria, so that eye discharge can be exuded and inflammation occurs.

Also, eye discharge adhered to the artificial eye 10 is not easily removed. In addition, even when the artificial eye 10 does not cause an injury to the orbit, it causes a wearer to feel the presence of a foreign body due to the friction between the orbit and the artificial eye 10.

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object to provide a bio-artificial eye which contains materials having antibacterial and bactericidal activities and emitting far-infrared rays and anions, in addition to the material of the prior artificial eye, so that the artificial eye and an orbit can always be maintained in a hygienic condition, and the cells of the orbit region can be activated by far-infrared rays and the like in order to maintain a healthy state. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bio-artificial eye which has a low-friction material, such as Teflon, coated on the surface thereof, so that it has reduced frictional force and thus does not cause a wound to the orbit so as to always maintain the artificial eye and the orbit in a hygienic condition.

[Technical Solution]

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a bio-artificial eye comprising tourmaline and polymethylmethacrylate resin.

Preferably, the artificial eye additionally comprises any one selected from the group consisting of nano-silver, nano-gold and nano-platinum.

Preferably, the content of the tourmaline component is 10-30% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin.

Preferably, the content of the tourmaline component in the artificial component is 10-30% by weight, the content of any one selected from among nano-silver, nano- gold and nano-platinum is 0.001-5% by weight, and the content of the polymethylmethacrylate resin is 65-89.999% by weight .

The artificial eye according to the present invention may also contain silicone in place of the polymethylmethacrylate resin.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a bio-artificial eye comprising colloidal silver and any one selected from polymethylmethacrylate resin and silicone.

Preferably, the content of silver in the colloidal silver component is 50-500 ppm.

Preferably, the colloidal silver component has a silver content of 500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin or silicone.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides a bio-artificial eye comprising colloidal silver and silicone.

Preferably, the content of silver in the colloidal silver is 50-500 ppm.

Preferably, the colloidal silver component has a silver content of 500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is silicone.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides polymethylmethacrylate resin and any one of colloidal platinum and colloidal gold. Preferably, the content of platinum or gold in the colloidal platinum or the colloidal gold is 50-500 ppm.

Preferably, the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component has a platinum or gold content of 500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides silicone and any one of colloidal platinum and colloidal gold. Preferably, the content of platinum or gold in the colloidal platinum or the colloidal gold is 50-500 ppm.

Preferably, the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component has a platinum or gold content of 500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is silicone.

In still another embodiment, the present invention provides a bio-artificial eye having Teflon coated on the surface thereof.

Preferably, the artificial eye is made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin.

Tourmaline, used in the present invention, is a hexagonal mineral and a kind of igneous rock. One of the properties of tourmaline is that plus and minus poles naturally occur at both ends of the crystal, and a weak current permanently flows through the mineral. Also, it has a hardness of 7.0-7.5, a specific gravity of 2.98-3.20, and a chemical composition comprising a complex borosilicate of aluminum and alkali, with iron, magnesium, and other cations. Tourmalines generally form six^ or nine-sided prismatic crystals. Also, tourmaline is one of three materials, along with magnetite and uranium ore, which have energy in themselves, and it has a large amount of energy absorbed therein and semi-permanentIy releases energy to give energy to the human body. Silver, used in the inventive artificial eye, is the most powerful natural antibacterial agent.

Silver is a catalyst that interferes with a peculiar enzyme with which monads, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, perform their respiration, digestive processes and metabolism, and incapacitates the monads to suffocate them or starve them to death. The protoplasm of most germs is destroyed, or their reproductive organs for cell division are melted, by the electrical action of silver ion (Ag) .

As is well known, colloidal silver is a commonly used antibacterial agent, has excellent effects on bacteria, fungi and viruses, and, at the same time, has no side effects . Particularly in the case of a colloidal silver solution in which silver nanoparticles (1-100 nm) are dispersed, the silver nanoparticles infiltrate cells to stop the function of enzymes necessary for the respiration of viruses, bacteria, molds, fungi and the like, so as to suffocate them to death. This is because silver interferes with the metabolism of germs to kill them, and also an electrical load released from silver suppresses the reproductive function of germs .

General antibacterial agents have 5-6 kinds of limited functions, whereas it is reported that colloidal silver has effects not only on bacteria and fungi, but also on about 650 kinds of pathogenic organisms, including viruses, on which general antibacterial agents have no effect .

Generally, colloidal silver is prepared in the form of an aqueous dispersion using various methods, including electrolysis, liquid reduction, grinding and the like. An aqueous dispersion of silver has been prepared mainly through electrolysis. Namely, pure silver was dispersed in distilled water through electrolysis, and the resulting silver dispersion has been used mainly as a healthy food supplement or skin lotion. However, because the silver dispersion has a low silver concentration, colloidal silver, in which a high concentration of nano- size silver is dispersed, is preferable for industrial applications. To use this colloidal silver, having excellent effects, pure silver, having an electrical load, obtained mainly by electrolysis, is dispersed in distilled water, and the resulting silver solution is used for drinking purpose or as soap, skin lotion, cosmetic pack and the like, which contain fine silver particles.

The antibacterial effect of silver has a close connection with the particle size thereof, and it is generally known that, as the particle size of silver decreases, the antibacterial activity thereof greatly increases. Also, in the correlation between the content and antibacterial activity of silver, the antibacterial activity of silver increases in proportion to the increase in the concentration of silver. Since silver is a relatively expensive metal, it should show a great effect even in small amounts in view of economical efficiency.

It is well known that a silver colloid dispersed in an organic solvent can be obtained by the use of a polyol process. In this case, silver ions in silver nitrate are refluxed in a polyethyleneglycol solvent containing a stabilizer at 120 °C, and the resulting fine silver particles are collected by, for example, centrifugation, and then dispersed in an alcohol solvent, thus preparing colloidal silver in which fine silver particles having an average particle size distribution of 20-30 ran.

It is known that the stabilizer, such as PVP, has a dispersing effect and acts to control the particle size of silver. Platinum, used in the present invention, has an antibacterial effect superior to that of any synthetic drugs. The advantage of platinum nano-technology is that the volume versus weight of platinum rapidly increases and the energy of each unit is generated on the same area with the same effect. For example, the treatment of 1 g of platinum by nano-technology generates a volume capable of drawing a line having a length of 180 million kilometers.

The greatest advantage of nano-metal is that it has electrical properties and an antibacterial effect superior to those of any organic antibacterial drugs. The results of study by FITI Testing & Research Institute demonstrated that, when each of gold, silver and platinum nano-particles having a size of 20 nm was added to water containing 140,000/ml of bacteria at a concentration of 10 ppm, each of the nano-particles showed an antibacterial activity of more than 99.9%, and among these nano-particles, nano- platinum showed antibacterial and deodorizing effects superior to those of any synthetic drugs. Nano-platinum is produced in the form of nano- particles having a size of 1-30 nm or in solution.

Gold, used in the present invention, has excellent antibacterial activity, anti-fungal activity, sterilizing and deodorizing effects, electrical conductivity, and far- infrared emission, so that it is applied to human body- friendly goods and is used in the study of various industrial materials. Also, it has a nerve-stabilizing action, a detoxifying action, an ionic action, and an action of making blood circulation smooth. Furthermore, gold generally has the effects of preserving a tranquil mind, stabilizing the mind, and removing toxins. In addition, it is harmless to the human body, does not impede eco-friendly viruses, and has no oxidation action. Methods of preparing metal colloids can be broadly divided into a physical method and a chemical method. In the physical method, called the "combustion method", a metal ion solution is added to hydrogen gas or phosphorus to cause a reduction reaction, and then heated by combustion to promote the reaction. The produced fine metal particles are dissolved in a liquid dispersant, and after completion of the reduction reaction, the metal colloid is stabilized using a surfactant.

Meanwhile, the chemical method is also called the "precipitation method (metal salt reduction) " and comprises producing a precipitate of metal oxide or metal from a metal ion solution using a chemical reaction and then adding a surfactant to the product so as to obtain metal colloids . The present invention utilizes colloidal silver, colloidal gold and colloidal platinum as the metal colloids. Since preparation methods of the colloidal silver, the colloidal gold and the colloidal platinum are already known in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

[Advantageous Effects]

According to the present invention, a bio-artificial eye is produced using a process comprising mixing tourmaline and nano-silver with each other or by a process comprising adding colloidal silver, colloidal gold or colloidal platinum, an antibacterial and bactericidal material, to polymethylmethacrylate resin. Thus, the inventive artificial eye has bactericidal or antibacterial activity in itself, does not cause much eye discharge, and emits far-infrared rays and anions, and thus, has a very good effect on the ocular health of a person wearing the artificial eye.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a low-friction material is provided between the orbit and an artificial eye, such that the orbit is not injured, and thus bacteria do not propagate, no discharge is exuded from the eye, inflammation does not occur, eye discharge does not adhere to the artificial eye and is easily removed, and a wearer does not feel the presence of a foreign body. [Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hypothetical side view showing the state before an artificial eye is inserted into the eye of a patient . FIG. 2 is a detailed front view of an artificial eye of the prior art.

FIG. 3 shows the artificial eye of the prior art having tear holes formed therein.

FIG. 4 is a photograph showing the back side of the inventive artificial eye containing 15% by weight tourmaline .

FIG. 5 is a photograph showing the inventive artificial eye containing 15% by weight tourmaline and 0.2% by weight nano-silver. FIG. 6 is a photograph showing the back side of the inventive bio-artificial eye containing 50% by weight colloidal silver.

FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the back side of the inventive bio-artificial eye containing 50% by weight colloidal platinum.

FIG. 8 is a photograph showing the back side of the inventive bio-artificial eye containing 50% by weight colloidal gold.

FIG. 9 is a photograph showing the inventive bio- artificial eye having a coating layer formed thereon.

[Best Mode]

Hereinafter, a bio-artificial eye according to the present invention will be described in detail. The fundamental structure of an artificial eye, to which the present invention is applied, is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIGS . 2 and 3 , the artificial eye 10 comprises a central pupil portion 30, an iris portion 40 surrounding the pupil portion 40, and a conjunctiva portion 40 outside the iris portion 40, tear holes being formed in the conjunctiva portion 40.

An embodiment describing the preparation of an artificial eye using tourmaline will first be described. In this embodiment, tourmaline is mixed with transparent or non-transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PlXIMA) resin powder, and the mixed powder is mixed with a resin solution and gelled at room temperature.

As to the mixing ratio, 1 g of tourmaline is preferably mixed with 10 g of the transparent or non- transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder and then with 5 g of the PMMA resin solution. The mixing ratio can be adjusted according to the condition or request of a patient, and the acrylate resin powder can be used as a transparent or non-transparent material as required. The tourmaline is used in an amount of 10-30% by- weight, and this is because, if the content of tourmaline is 10% or less, the desired effect will be insignificant, and if tourmaline is used in an amount of 30% by weight or more, it will result in a dark color and decrease the beauty of the artificial eye.

The gelled mixture is placed and compressed in a plaster mold, and heated at 71-74 ^°Cfor about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and then at 100 ^°C for 30 minutes, thus making an artificial eye.

In another embodiment, a portion of an artificial eye is prepared with the addition of tourmaline, and then compressed with the remainder of the artificial eye, prepared without the addition of the above component, thus making one complete artificial eye. In this case, the portion of the artificial eye that is prepared with the addition of the above component, preferably forms the back side of the artificial eye so as to ensure a good appearance when a person wears the artificial eye. As a result, in producing the artificial eye with the addition of tourmaline, (1) this component may be added throughout the artificial eye, or (2) a portion of the artificial eye prepared with the addition of this component may be compressed together with the remainder of the artificial eye, which does not contain this component. In another embodiment, an artificial eye may also be preparing using a process comprising adding tourmaline and nano-silver components to transparent or non-transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) powder. This process is carried out in the same manner as the above method of preparation of the artificial eye comprising tourmaline.

In this embodiment, comprising adding tourmaline and nano-silver, it is most preferable that the tourmaline be used in an amount of 10-30% by weight, the nano-silver be used in an amount of 0.001-5% by weight, and the remaining component be 65-89.999% by weight of polymethylmethacrylate

(PMMA.) resin. This is because when too much nano-silver is used, it will result in a dark color and will decrease the beauty of the artificial eye, and when too little nano- silver is used, it will have little or no effect. In this embodiment, the mixing ratio can be adjusted according to the condition or request of a patient, and the nano-silver powder can be used as a colloidal nano-silver solution as required. In still another embodiment, a bio-artificial eye may be previously prepared, and then, in the final step, one or two selected from among tourmaline and nano-silver may be coated or applied on the outer surface of the prepared artificial eye. In yet another embodiment, nano-gold or nano-platinum may be used to prepare an artificial eye, in which case a method of producing the artificial eye with the addition of nano-gold or nano-platinum is the same as the production method comprising the addition of nano-silver. It can be understood that the nano-gold or nano- platinum component can be used as colloidal gold or colloidal platinum.

In the embodiment comprising adding the nano-gold or nano-platinum component together with tourmaline, it is most preferable that the tourmaline be used in an amount of 10-30% by weight, the nano-gold or nano-platinum component be used in an amount of 0.001-5% by weight, and the remaining component be 65-89.999% by weight of polymethylmethacrylate resin. As described above, the reason is because the use of at least 0.001% by weight of nano-gold or nano-platinum can achieve the minimum desired effect, and if the nano-gold or nano-platinum is added in an amount of 5% by weight or more, it will result in a dark color and will decrease the beauty of the artificial eye, and if it is used in too low amounts, it will have little or no effect.

Photographs of artificial eyes produced as described above are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Another embodiment illustrating the production of a bio-artificial eye using colloidal silver according to the present invention will now be described. In this embodiment, a colloidal silver solution is added to transparent or non-transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder. The colloidal silver solution used in the present invention has a silver content of 50-500 ppm.

As to the mixing ratio between the colloidal silver solution and the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder, 10 g of the transparent or non-transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin powder is added and 5 g of the colloidal silver solution is then added. The reason for this is as follows. In the case of using colloidal silver having a silver content of 500 ppm, if the content of the colloidal silver in the artificial eye is 10% or less, the desired effect will be insignificant, and if it is used in an amount of 70% by weight or more, it will result in a dark color and decrease the beauty of the artificial eye. Also, the mixing ratio can be adjusted according to the condition or request of a patient, and the polymethylmethacrylate resin powder can be used as a transparent or non-transparent material as required.

In the case of using the colloidal silver solution having a silver content of 50-500 ppm, the colloidal silver solution is added to polymethylmethacrylate in a suitable amount selected in proportion to the mixing ratio in the case of using the colloidal silver solution having a silver content of 500 ppm.

The mixture is placed in a plaster mold and compressed and heated at 71-74 ^°C for about 1 hour and 30 minutes and then at 100 ^°C for 30 minutes, thus making an artificial eye.

In another embodiment, a portion of an artificial eye is prepared with the addition of a colloidal silver component, and then compressed with the remainder of the artificial eye prepared without the addition of the above component, thus making one complete artificial eye.

In this case, the portion of the artificial eye that is prepared with the addition of the above component, preferably forms the back side of the artificial eye to ensure a good appearance when a person wears the artificial eye.

As a result, in producing the artificial eye with the addition of the colloidal silver component, (1) this component may be added throughout the artificial eye, or (2) a portion of the artificial eye prepared with the addition of this component may be compressed together with the remainder of the artificial eye, to which this component has not been added.

In the case of using the colloidal silver solution having a silver content of 500 ppm, the colloidal silver component is most preferably added in an amount of 10-70% by weight. This is because the use of at least 10% by weight of the colloidal silver solution having a silver content of 500 ppm can achieve the minimum desired effect, and if too much colloidal silver is added, it will result in a dark color, thereby decreasing the beauty of the artificial eye, and if it is used in too low amount, it will have little or no effect. Also, the content of the colloidal silver can vary according to the demand and request of a user.

In another embodiment, an artificial eye may also be produced using a process comprising adding 10-70% by weight of a colloidal silver solution having a silver content of 500 ppm to one selected from among plastic resin, acrylic resin, rubber, and silicone. The production process in this embodiment is the same as the above-described process comprising adding the colloidal silver to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin.

In still another embodiment, a bio-artificial eye may be previously prepared, and then, in the final step, the colloidal silver component may be coated or applied on the outer surface of the prepared artificial eye.

Adding the colloidal silver component to the polymethylmethacrylate component when producing the artificial eye is clearly described in the above embodiments, and the method of producing the artificial eye by adding the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component in place of the colloidal silver to the polymethylmethacrylate resin component is performed in the same manner as the production method including the addition of the colloidal silver component. Thus, a detailed description of the production method including the addition of the colloidal platinum or gold will be omitted herein.

Also, the mixing ratio of the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component with the polymethylmethacrylate resin component is the same as the case of using the colloidal silver component, and a mixture of two or three selected from among the colloidal silver, colloidal platinum and colloidal gold components may also be used to produce an artificial eye.

Another embodiment of producing an artificial eye having Teflon coated on the surface thereof will now be described. Transparent or non-transparent polymethylmethacrylate resin powder is added to a resin solution and gelled at room temperature.

Regarding the mixing ration in this embodiment, 10 g of the transparent polymethylmethacrylate resin powder is added and then about 5 g of the resin solution is added. However, the mixing ratio may vary depending on the demand or request of a patient. Also, the polymethylmethacrylate resin powder can be used as a transparent or non- transparent material as required.

The gelled mixture is placed in a plaster mold, compressed, and heated at 71-74 ^°C for about 1 hour and 30 minutes and then at 100 °C for 30 minutes, thus making an artificial eye.

Then, a Teflon coating solution is sprayed on the surface of the artificial eye, which is then heated for a given time to form a stable coating layer. If the heating temperature is 60-100 ⁰C, the heating time will preferably be 72 hours, and if the heating temperature is 101-150 ⁰C, the heating time will preferably be 24 hours. If the heating temperature is 151-200 °C, the heating time will preferably be 2 hours. A heating temperature exceeding 200 °C should preferably be avoided, since this temperature can cause deformation of the acrylate resin which is the raw material of the artificial eye.

The process of coating the artificial eye with Teflon may be carried out by a dipping method, in addition to the spray method.

Also, the formation of the coating layer may be repeated several times and the dried thickness of the Teflon coating layer is preferably 15 microns or more. The main components of Teflon, used in one embodiment of the present invention, are polyamideimide polymer, melamine resin, tetrafluoroethylene resin, formaldehyde, N- butylalcohol, methyl isobutyl ketone, VM&P naphtha, methyl pyrrolidone, carbon black and the like. The present invention may also use Teflon commercially available under trade name "Teflon" , which contains components similar to these components and is used as a low-friction coating material. Almost no materials adhere to Teflon. Most materials having a very high adhesion property are easily separated from Teflon. The friction coefficient, of Teflon is generally about 0.05-0.2, although this varies depending on load, slipping rate and the kind of Teflon used. Surfaces coated with Teflon are not easily stained with water or oil and thus are easily cleaned, and in many cases, naturally maintain a clean state. The Teflon coatings can be heated continuously up to 290 ⁰C, and under suitable ventilation conditions, can be intermittently used even up to 315 °C.

A photograph showing the artificial eye produced as described above is shown in FIG. 9.

[industrial Applicability]

The present invention relates to a bio-artificial eye, and more particularly to a bio-artificial eye which is produced by a process comprising either adding tourmaline or nano-silver to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin or adding any one of colloidal silver, colloidal platinum and colloidal gold to polymethylmethacrylate resin or silicone, so that the artificial eye has intrinsic antibacterial activity, does not cause much eye discharge, and emits far- infrared rays and anions, and thus, has a very good effect on the ocular health of a person wearing the artificial eye. Also, it relates to a bio-artificial eye which has a low-friction material, such as Teflon, coated on the surface thereof, so that the artificial eye does not injure the eye orbit, and thus bacteria do not propagate in the orbit, no discharge is exuded from the eye, and inflammation does not occur.

Claims

[CLAIMS]

[Claim l]

A bio-artificial eye comprising tourmaline and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin.

[Claim 2]

A bio-artificial eye comprising tourmaline, nano- silver and polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 3]

A bio-artificial eye comprising tourmaline, nano-gold and polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 4]

A bio-artificial eye comprising tourmaline, nano- platinum and polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 5] The bio-artificial eye of Claim 1, wherein the content of the tourmaline is 10-30% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 6]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 2, wherein the content of the tourmaline is 10-30% by weight, the content of the nano-silver is 0.001-5% by weight, and the content of the polymethylmethacrylate resin is 65-89.999% by weight .

[Claim 7] The bio-artificial eye of Claim 3, wherein the content of the tourmaline is 10-30% by weight, the content of the nano-gold is 0.001-5% by weight, and the content of the polymethylmethacrylate resin is 65-89.999% by weight.

[Claim 8] The bio-artificial eye of Claim 4, wherein the content of the tourmaline is 10-30% by weight, the content of the nano-platinum is 0.001-5% by weight, and the content of the polymethylmethacrylate resin is 65-89.999% by weight .

[Claim 9]

The bio-artificial eye of any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein silicone is used in place of the polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 10] A bio-artificial eye comprising colloidal silver and polymethylmethacrylate resin. [Claim 11]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 10, wherein the colloidal silver has a silver content of 50-500 ppm.

[Claim 12] The bio-artificial eye of Claim 10 or 11, wherein the colloidal silver has a silver content of 50-500 ppm, the content of the colloidal silver in the artificial eye is 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 13]

A bio-artificial eye comprising colloidal silver and silicone.

[Claim 14]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 13, wherein the colloidal silver has a silver content of 50-500 ppm.

[Claim 15]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 13 or 14, wherein the colloidal silver has a silver content of 50-500 ppm, the content of the colloidal silver in the artificial eye is 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is silicone. [Claim 16]

A bio-artificial eye comprising polymethylmethacrylate resin and any one of colloidal platinum or colloidal gold.

[Claim 17]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 16, wherein the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold has a platinum or gold content of 50-500 ppm.

[Claim 18] The bio-artificial eye of Claim 16 or 17, wherein the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component has a silver content of 50-500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is polymethylmethacrylate resin.

[Claim 19]

A bio-artificial eye comprising silicone and one selected from among colloidal platinum and colloidal gold.

[Claim 2θ]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 19, wherein the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold has a platinum or gold content of 50-500 pptn, respectively.

[Claim 21]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 19 or 20, wherein the colloidal platinum or colloidal gold component has a silver content of 50-500 ppm and is contained in the artificial eye in an amount of 10-70% by weight, and the remaining component is silicone .

[Claim 22]

A bio-artificial eye having Teflon coated on the surface thereof .

[Claim 23]

The bio-artificial eye of Claim 22, which is made of polymethylmethacrylate resin.