Copolymerizable methine and anthraquinone compounds and articles containing them

Abstract

This invention relates to polymerizable ultraviolet light absorbers and yellow colorants and their use in ophthalmic lenses. In particular, this invention relates to polymerizable ultraviolet light absorbing methine compounds and yellow compounds of the methine and anthraquinone classes that block ultraviolet light and / or violet-blue light transmission through ophthalmic lenses.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 629,556 filed Nov. 22, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to polymerizable ultraviolet light absorbers, yellow colorants and their use in ophthalmic lenses. In particular, this invention relates to polymerizable ultraviolet light absorbing methine compounds and polymerizable yellow compounds of the methine and anthraquinone classes that block ultraviolet light and / or violet-blue light transmission through ophthalmic lenses. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The sun freely emits ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) radiation, much of which is absorbed by the atmosphere. Solar radiation that is transmitted through the atmosphere and reaches the earth's surface includes UV-A radiation (320-400 nm), UV-B radiation (290-320 nm), visible light (400-700 nm) and near IR radiation (700-1400 nm). The ocular l...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024] By bonding the compound to the polymer, the potential for the compound leaching out of the material is diminished or eliminated. As a result, in some embodiments these compounds are used in transparent materials to decrease the intensity of violet-blue light transmitted through them. These transparent materials with one or more of the bondable yellow compounds and / or bondable UVAs incorporated in them may be extracted with organic solvents to remove unreacted monomers, low molecular weight oligomers and low molecular weight polymers, as well as other impurities, and then used to make ocular lenses such as intraocular lenses (IOLs), contact lenses, eyeglasses and other windows. These transparent materials containing yellow compounds may also be used to make lens coating materials. Surprisingly, the methine chromophores of the present invention do not lose their absorbance properties upon free radical polymerization. This is surprising since the chromophoric unit is an ethylenically unsaturated moiety so that the polymerization reaction involving the chromophoric unit would be expected to result in loss of the absorption properties.

Problems solved by technology

If the brain is stimulated by signals caused by the visible light that has not been transmitted for many years, discomfort can result.

Although yellow colorants exist, many such colorants are unsuitable for use in artificial lens material due to their tendency to leach out of the IOL after it is inserted in the eye or during solvent extraction associated with lens manufacture.

One obstacle of such efforts has been finding a polymerizable compound that will produce IOLs having an absorption profile that carefully matches that of the aged human lens, especially in the visible spectrum.

If the IOL absorbs less in the visible spectrum, the discomfort discussed above can result.

Another obstacle that such efforts have faced has been the need to use a combination of multiple compounds to achieve a careful match with the human lens.

Use of multiple compounds can result in a more complicated manufacturing process, along with increased production and materials costs.

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