Systems and methods for producing silicone hydrogel contact lenses

US007799249B2

(12) UIllt€d States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,799,249 B2 Goodenough et al. (45) Date of Patent: Sep. 21, 2010 (54) SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING 4,868,397 A 9/1989 Tittel SILICONE HYDROGEL CONTACT LENSES 4,872,405 A 10/1989 Sterman (75) Inventors: Neil G. Goodenough, Southampton (GB); Gregg A. Dean, Southampton _ (GB); Sarah E. Darnton, Southampton (commued) (GB); Richard 0 Rogers, Chandler’s FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Ford (GB); Philip A. Brame, Southampton (GB); Geoffrey A. Blyth, EP 0 908 476 A2 4/ 1999 Southampton (GB); Eve Blyth, legal representative, Southampton (GB); Sarah L. Almond, Chandler’s Ford (Continued) (GB); Ian Bruce, Southampton (GB); Pete Coldrey, Southampton (GB); OTHER PUBLICATIONS Jamie Snell, Southampton (GB) U.S. Appl. No. 11/200,848, filed Aug. 9, 2005. (73) Assignee: CooperVision International Holding . Company, LP, St. Michael (BB) (commued) _ _ _ _ _ Primary ExamineriJoseph S Del Sole ( * ) Not1ce: S1.1b]eC1IO any d1scla1mer, the term ofth1s Assistant Examl~neriRObert Dye Patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (74)AZZ0rney, Agent, 0rFirmiStout, Uxa, Buyan& Mullins; U.S.C. 154(b) by 825 days. prank ]_ Uxa (21) Appl. No.: 11/201,409 (57) ABSTRACT (22) Filed: Aug. 9, 2005 _ _ _ Systems and methods for producing silicone hydrogel contact (65) Pnor Pubhcatlon Data lenses are described. Certain of the present systems include a US 2007/0035052 A1 Feb, 15, 2007 contact lens mold forming station, a station for filling a contact lens mold section with a lens precursor composition and (51) Int. C]. for placing a second mold section on the filled mold section to B29D 11/00 (2006.01) form a contact lens mold assembly, a curing station for formB29C 33/00 (2006.01) ing a contact lens, a mold assembly separation station, and an (52) U.S. Cl. ...................... .. 264/1.38; 264/2.5; 264/2.6; extraetion/hydration station. Certain of the present methods 264/334 include forming a plurality of mold sections, placing a lens (58) Field of Classification Search .............. .. 264/1.38, Precursor composition on a surface Of a first mold section, 264/25, 26’ 334 placing a second mold section on the first mold section, See application file for complete search history. Polymerizing the lens PreCursor Composition, separating the _ first and second mold sections, removing the silicone hydro(56) References Clted gel contact lens from one of the mold sections, extracting

Page 2
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,531,432 B2 3/2003 Molock etal.
6,551,531 B1 4/2003 Fordetal.

5,036,971 A * 8/1991 Seden et al. ............... .. 206/5.1 6,565,776 B1 5/2003 Lietal‘
5,080,839 A 1/1992 Kindt-Larsen 6,592,356 B1 7/2003 Lust et 31,
5,094,609 A 3/1992 Kindt-Larsen 6,627,124 B1 9/2003 Herbrechtsmeieretal.
5,114,455 A 5/1992 H1r9taeta1~ 6,638,362 B2 10/2003 Dobneretal.
5,120,499 A 6/1992 Baron 6,638,451 B1 10/2003 Hagrnann etal.
5,144,144 A 9/1992 Borovsky 6,708,397 B2 3/2004 Parnell, Sr. et al.
5,158,718 A 10/1992 Tha1<raret=11~ 6,719,929 B2 4/2004 Winterton etal.
5,204,126 A 4/1993 Singh eta1~ 6,790,873 B2 9/2004 Tomono etal.
5,252,056 A 10/1993 H6rner et al. 6,867,245 B2 3/2005 Iwataetal,
5,292,350 A 3/1994 M91<>91< eta1~ 2002/0016383 A1* 2/2002 IWata etal. ............... .. 523/106
5,407,627 A 4/1995 Schiller etal. 2002/0020634 A1 2/2002 Fortune
5,488,815 A 2/1996 Abrams et 91 2002/0046958 A1 4/2002 Lipscomb etal.
5,540,410 A 7/1996 Lust et 91 2002/0137811 A1 9/2002 Tureketal.
5,573,108 A 11/1996 Hamilton eta1~ 2002/0163619 A1 11/2002 Matsuzawa etal.
5,593,620 A 1/1997 Galas 2002/0185763 A1 12/2002 Pegram etal.
5597519 A 1/1997 Martin eta1~ 2003/0000028 A1 1/2003 Molock etal.
5,640,980 A 6/ 1997 Keene eta1~ 2003/0031746 A1 2/2003 Calvin etal.
5,648,024 A 7/1997 Galas 2003/0049346 A1 3/2003 Calvin etal.
5,687,541 A 11/1997 Martin eta1~ 2003/0062640 A1 4/2003 Ansell et al.
5,690,866 A 11/1997 AI_1derSenet=11~ 2003/0090014 A1 5/2003 Heinrich etal.
5693268 A 12/1997 W1dmaneta1' 2003/0108637 A1 6/2003 O’Dunlaing etal.
5,704,468 A 1/1998 Lust et 91 2003/0125498 A1* 7/2003 McCabe etal. 5,749,205 A 5/1998 Edwards 91 91- 2003/0134132 A1 7/2003 Winterton etal.
5,759,318 A 6/1998 Galas 2003/0160343 A1 8/2003 Hodgkinson
5,762,081 A 6/1998 Keene eta1~ 2003/0164562 A1 9/2003 Li et al.
5,804,107 A 9/1998 Martin eta1~ 2003/0164563 A1 9/2003 Calvin etal.
5,820,895 A 10/1998 Widman 2003/0197833 A1 10/2003 Hiratanietal.
5,836,323 A 11/1998 Keene eta1~ 2003/0203066 A1 10/2003 Lust etal.
5,849,209 A 12/1998 Kindt-Larsen eta1~ 2003/0222362 A1* 12/2003 Indra etal. ................. .. 264/2.6
5,849,222 A 12/1998 1911 eta1~ 2004/0000732 A1 1/2004 Spaulding etal.
5,850,107 A 12/1998 Kindt-Larsen etal. 2004/0031701 A1 2/2004 Pecketal,
5,882,698 A 3/1999 Su eta1~ 2004/0074525 A1 4/2004 Widman etal.
5,894,002 A 4/1999 Boneberger et 91 2004/0075039 A1 4/2004 Dubey etal.
5,895,192 A 4/1999 Parnell, Sr. et al. 2004/0075182 A1 4/2004 Gobron
5,935,492 A 8/1999 Martin eta1~ 2004/0075807 A1 4/2004 H0 etal.
5,965,172 A 10/1999 Wangeta1~ 2005/0171232 A1 8/2005 Ford etal.
6,033,603 A 3/2000 LeS9ZyI1S1<iet=11' 2006/0097415 A1* 5/2006 Watterson etal. ........ .. 264/1.32
6,039,899 A 3/2000 Martin etal.
6,071,440 A 6/2000 Wang et al. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
6,113,817 A * 9/2000 Herbrechtsmeier et al. 264/1.36
6,149,842 A 11/2000 Lally etal. JP 64084219 3/1989
6,180,032 B1 1/2001 Parnell, Sr. etal. JP 5337957 12/1993
6,183,705 B1 2/2001 Chang JP 11320699 11/1999
6,193,369 B1 2/2001 Va1int,Jr.eta1. JP 2000462555 6/2000
6,257,547 B1 7/2001 Togo etal. JP 2002437230 5/2002
6,288,852 B1 9/2001 Cameron W0 W001/15497 A1 3/2001
6,310,116 B1 10/2001 Yasudaetal.
6,315,929 B1 11/2001 Ishihara etal. OTHER PUBLICATIONS
6,359,024 B2 3/2002 Lai U.S.Appl. No. 11/200,648, filedAug. 9, 2005.
6,364,934 B1 4/2002 Nandu er :11 U.S.Appl. No. 11/200,644, filedAug. 9, 2005.
6,405,993 B1 6/2002 Morris U.S.Appl. No. 11/201,410, filedAug. 9, 2005.
6,428,723 B1 8/2002 LeS9ZyI1S1<iet=11~ U.S.Appl. N0. 11/200,863,filedAug. 9, 2005.
6,432,217 B1 8/2002 Baxter er :11 U.S.Appl. No. 11/200,862, filedAug. 9, 2005.
6,444,145 B1 9/ 2002 Clllttefbuck PCT International Search Report dated Jan. 17, 2008 in related PCT
6,465,538 B2 10/2002 Lai Application No.PCTflJS06/30498.

6,475,410 B1 ll/2002 Nakagawa
6,511,617 B1 1/2003 Martin et al. * cited by examiner