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Thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses

A contact lens and propulsion system technology, applied in home appliances, optical components, and other home appliances, can solve problems such as difficult to control the manufacturing process, small contact lens fraction, different oven efficiency, etc., and achieve the effect of improving quality

Active Publication Date: 2014-05-07
COOPERVISION INT LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Also, in batch oven curing processes, the inert environment is difficult to control, again resulting in varying oven performance
The different potencies make it difficult to control the manufacturing process to minimize the fraction of contact lenses with defects that cause them to be discarded

Method used

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  • Thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses
  • Thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses
  • Thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0073] Certain illustrative embodiments of the systems and methods of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic diagrams.

[0074] A contact lens curing oven 10 (FIG. 1) is used in the curing process of silicone hydrogel contact lenses. It comprises a loading station 15 , a first entry door 20 , an entry chamber 30 , a first heating zone 40 , a second heating zone 50 , a third heating zone 60 , an exit chamber 70 , a second entry door 80 and an unloading station 90 . In this example, each zone is formed from two units that can be used as independent zones. For example, the first heating zone 40 is formed by a first oven chamber 42 and a second oven chamber 47 ( FIG. 1( e )). Each oven chamber 42, 47 holds one contact lens mold assembly stack 100, and thus each zone 40, 50, 60 holds two stacks at a time.

[0075] A first automatic placement device (not shown) and a second automatic placement devic...

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PUM

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Abstract

Thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses includes an oven (10) that has a plurality of heating zones (40,50,60), a mold advancement system (230) for moving the contact lens mold assemblies between the plurality of zones, and a controlled atmosphere within the heating zones that provides a substantially chemically inert environment in which contact lens precursor materials can be polymerized in contact lens mold assemblies (160) located in the heating zones. Methods of producing contact lenses include curing contact lens precursor materials in contact lens mold assemblies in the lens curing system.

Description

[0001] This application is a formal application of Provisional Application No. 60 / 939,037, filed May 18, 2007, entitled "THERMAL CURING METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FORMING CONTACTLENSES", and the The content of said application is expressly incorporated herein by reference. technical field [0002] The present invention relates to thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses. More particularly, the present invention relates to thermal curing methods and systems for forming contact lenses in an inert atmosphere. Even more particularly, although not exclusively, the present invention relates to the use of the methods and systems to form hydrogel contact lenses and particularly silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Background technique [0003] In the manufacture of polymeric contact lenses, the polymerizable lens precursor composition is polymerized to form a contact lens product, which is further processed to form a hydrated contact lens. Lenses such as hydrogel co...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(China)
IPC IPC(8): B29C35/04B29D11/00
CPCB29C35/0277B29C37/0089B29L2011/0041B29D11/00134B29C2035/048B29C35/045B29C35/04B29D11/00
Inventor 海登·阿特金森保罗·里格斯约翰·吉布森蒂姆·沃伦龙尼·多弗阿瑟·威廉斯珍妮弗·考登迈克尔·贡纳
Owner COOPERVISION INT LTD