Contact lens package

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a contact lens package comprising: a package having a cover member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a deformed state in a housing space sealed by the cover member and the bottom member, the contact lens having a relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is an elastic modulus after one second elapsed from the start of measurement when the stress necessary for holding the contact lens is measured while applying a strain of 75% with respect to the upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test to the contact lens in a 35 DEG C aqueous medium.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a contact lens package. BACKGROUND

[0002] A conventional disposable contact lens is usually stored in a state of being housed together with a storage solution in a lens housing space of a package, the package being composed of a lid member and a bottom member, and having the lens housing space higher than the natural sag of the contact lens.

[0003] In recent years, from the viewpoint of reduction of plastic waste and space saving, a thin contact lens package has been proposed, in which a contact lens is housed in a thin package having a thickness smaller than the natural sag of the contact lens (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-234576 SUMMARY

[0007] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] When a contact lens is taken out from a thin contact lens package and worn, blurring is sometimes felt at the initial stage of wearing. The main object of the present application is to improve blurring at the initial stage of wearing of a contact lens taken out from a thin contact lens package.

[0009] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] [1] According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a contact lens package comprising: a package having a lid member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a housing space sealed by the lid member and the bottom member in a deformed state, a relaxation modulus of the contact lens being 1.6 MPa or less, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being an elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of measurement when a stress required to maintain the contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% with respect to an upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test is applied to the contact lens at 35°C in an aqueous medium.

[0011] [2] The contact lens package according to the above [1], wherein a tangent of a loss angle in a tensile of the contact lens obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C can be 0.14 or less.

[0012] [3] The contact lens package according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the relaxation modulus of the contact lens can be 1.3 MPa or less.

[0013] [4] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a contact lens package comprising: a package having a lid member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a deformed state in a housing space sealed by the lid member and the bottom member, the contact lens having a tangent of loss angle of 0.1 or less in a tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

[0014] [5] The contact lens package according to the above [4], wherein the tangent of loss angle of the contact lens can be 0.06 or less.

[0015] [6] The contact lens package according to the above [4] or [5], wherein the relaxation modulus of the contact lens can be 1.8 MPa or less, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being an elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of measurement when a stress required to maintain the contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% with respect to an upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test is applied to the contact lens in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

[0016] [7] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a contact lens package comprising: a package having a lid member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a deformed state in a housing space sealed by the lid member and the bottom member, the contact lens having a tangent of loss angle of 0.1 or less in a tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C, and a relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being an elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of measurement when a stress required to maintain the contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% with respect to an upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test is applied to the contact lens in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

[0017] [8] The contact lens package according to the above [7], wherein the tangent of loss angle of the contact lens can be 0.06 or less.

[0018] [9] The contact lens package according to the above [7] or [8], wherein the relaxation modulus of the contact lens can be 1.2 MPa or less.

[0019]

[10] The contact lens package according to any one of the above [1] to [9], wherein the oxygen permeability (Dk / t) of the contact lens can be 24 or more.

[0020]

[11] The contact lens package according to any one of the above [1] to

[10] , wherein the contact lens can be a silicone hydrogel lens.

[0021]

[12] The contact lens package according to any one of the above [1] to

[11] , wherein the contact lens can be housed in the housing space in a state where the height thereof is less than the natural sag.

[0022]

[13] The contact lens package according to any one of the above [1] to

[12] , wherein the height of the housing space can be 2 mm or less.

[0023]

[14] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of improving the recovery of a wrinkle of a contact lens when the contact lens package is opened, which includes joining a lid member and a bottom member, which are opposed to each other, in such a manner that a housing space in which a contact lens is disposed in a sealed state is formed, the height of the housing space being less than the natural sag of the contact lens, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being 1.6 MPa or less, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being an elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of measurement when a stress required to maintain the contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% with respect to an upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test is applied to a contact lens in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

[0024]

[15] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of suppressing the generation of a wrinkle of a contact lens in a contact lens package, which includes joining a lid member and a bottom member, which are opposed to each other, in such a manner that a housing space in which a contact lens is disposed in a sealed state is formed, the height of the housing space being less than the natural sag of the contact lens, the method satisfying at least one of (i) and (ii) below: (i) the tangent of a loss angle of a stretch of the contact lens obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C is 0.1 or less; (ii) the proportion of energy released in order to contract from a stretched state to a stretched ratio of 0% with respect to energy absorbed when the contact lens is stretched at a stretched ratio of 100% in an aqueous medium at 35°C is 90% or more.

[0025]

[16] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a contact lens package including: a package having a lid member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a housing space sealed by the lid member and the bottom member, the housing space being defined by a convex curved surface portion of the lid member projecting toward the bottom member side and a concave curved surface portion of the bottom member projecting toward a side opposite to the lid member, the contact lens package being configured such that the contact lens adheres to the lid member or the bottom member when the package is opened, the contact lens package satisfying at least one of (i) and (ii) below: (i) a relaxation modulus of the contact lens is 1.6 MPa or less, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being an elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of measurement when a stress required to maintain a contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% with respect to an upper limit of a linear elastic region in a tensile test is applied to the contact lens at 35°C in an aqueous medium; and (ii) a tangent of a loss angle in a tensile of the contact lens obtained by a dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement is 0.1 or less at 35°C in an aqueous medium.

[0026] Effects of the Invention

[0027] According to the embodiment of the present application, as the contact lens housed in the thin package, a contact lens having a prescribed property is used. Thereby, even in a case where the contact lens is immediately worn after being taken out from the thin package, blurring in an initial period after wearing can be improved.

[0028] From the viewpoint of thinning of the package and reduction of garbage such as plastic, the thin contact lens package of the embodiment of the present application also contributes to "12. Responsible Consumption and Production" and "14. Conservation and Sustainable Use of Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources" among the 17 Goals & 169 Targets of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1A is a schematic plan view of a contact lens package of an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 1B is a schematic plan view of a contact lens package of an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1A is a schematic bottom view of the contact lens package shown in

[0031] Figure 1C is a schematic bottom view of the contact lens package shown in Figure 1A is a schematic A-A line cross-sectional view of the contact lens package shown in

[0032] Figure 1D is a schematic exploded perspective view of the contact lens package shown in Figure 1A

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an opened package.​

[0034] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the natural sag of a contact lens.

[0035] Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lens loading substrate of a contact lens package. Figure 1A

[0036] Figure 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a lens loading substrate.

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact lens package of one embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom member of a contact lens package. Figure 5

[0039] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact lens package of one embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 8 (a) of FIG. 10A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lid member of a contact lens package, Figure 7 Figure 8 (b) of FIG. 10A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bottom member of a contact lens package. Figure 7

[0041] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for producing a test sample.

[0042] Figure 10 (a) of FIG. 11A is a graph showing the distribution of the power of a contact lens whose Q value in all annular regions is 2 or more, Figure 10 (b) of FIG. 11A is a graph showing the distribution of the power of a contact lens whose Q value in all annular regions is less than 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present application will be described, but the present application is not limited to these embodiments. Each of the embodiments can be appropriately combined except in cases where it is obviously inappropriate. In order to easily observe, the drawings are schematically shown, and the thickness and size of each constituent element in the drawings and the ratio of the thicknesses and the like between the constituent elements are not necessarily the same as in actual ones.

[0044] In this specification, the surface of a contact lens on the side in contact with an eye is referred to as an inner surface, and the surface on the opposite side thereof is referred to as an outer surface.

[0045] ​​​​In the present specification, "monomer" refers to a polymerizable compound having one or more polymerizable groups. As the polymerizable group, an ethylenically unsaturated group can be exemplified, and the polymerizable group can be, for example, a (meth)acryloyl group, a vinyl group, a styryl group, or an allyl group. Here, "(meth)" means optional methylation. Thus, "(meth)acryl" means methacryl and / or acryl. The same applies to other descriptions such as "(meth)acrylic acid".

[0046] [Contact lens package]

[0047] According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a contact lens package including: a package having a lid member and a bottom member; and a contact lens housed in a housing space sealed by the lid member and the bottom member. In the sealed housing space, the contact lens can be in a state in which at least a portion thereof is deformed. The deformation of the contact lens can be, for example, a state in which at least a portion of a semispherical shape formed in a manner following a corneal curve is bent, a twisted state, a curved state, a flattened state, a rolled state, or the like, as long as the contact lens can be restored to a wearable state after the housing space is opened. The contact lens can be, for example, in a state in which a height thereof is less than a natural sag height and / or a diameter thereof is less than a natural diameter (DIA) in the sealed housing space.

[0048] The standard deviation of the diopter distribution in a prescribed area of the contact lens of the contact lens package of the embodiment of the present application is typically 3 or less, for example, 2 or less, preferably 1.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, and further preferably 0.5 or less, immediately after the package is opened (for example, within 15 seconds after the package is opened). There is no particular limitation on the lower limit of the standard deviation of the diopter distribution, and it can be, for example, 0.01 or more. A small standard deviation of the diopter distribution means that the diopter unevenness on the surface of the contact lens is small, and as a result, the aforementioned blurring can be reduced. The standard deviation of the diopter distribution can be obtained as a Q value, for example, by measurement using a water cell power meter (Visionics Corporation, "VC-2001"). The prescribed area that is the measurement target of the diopter distribution can be, for example, a ring area within a radius of 5 mm from the center of the contact lens, a point area within a radius of 5 mm, or a point area within a radius of 3 mm.

[0049] The standard deviation of the diopter distribution in a prescribed area of the contact lens of the contact lens package of the embodiment of the present application is typically 3 or less, for example, 2 or less, preferably 1.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, and further preferably 0.5 or less, at a time point 900 seconds after the package is opened. There is no particular limitation on the lower limit of the standard deviation of the diopter distribution, and it can be, for example, 0.01 or more.

[0050] Figure 1Ais a schematic plan view of a contact lens package of one embodiment of the present application, Figure 1B is Figure 1A is a schematic bottom view of the contact lens package shown in Figure 1C is Figure 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the contact lens package shown in Figure 1D is Figure 1A is an exploded perspective view of the contact lens package shown in Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example of the package in an opened state.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1A-1D , the contact lens package 200A includes a package 100 having a lid member 10 and a bottom member 20, and a contact lens 120 housed in a housing space 110 sealed by the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20. Although not shown, a contact lens storage solution is also housed in the housing space 110, whereby the contact lens 120 is maintained in a wet state. The contact lens 120 is housed in the housing space 110 in a deformed state, specifically in a state where the height thereof is smaller than the natural sag height, for example, in a flattened state. Here, the natural sag height of the contact lens refers to the height of the outer surface of the lens when the contact lens in a wet state is arranged on a horizontal plane with the inner surface facing downward, and is the height indicated by "T" in Figure 3 .

[0052] As shown in Figures 1A-1D and Figure 2 , the package 100 is composed of the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20.

[0053] The lid member 10 is composed of, for example, a film base material having flexibility. As a material forming the film base material, there can be mentioned inorganic materials such as aluminum, and resin materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyolefin-based resins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester-based resins, and polyamide-based resins.

[0054] The film base material can have a single-layer structure or a laminated structure. In one embodiment, the film base material can have a single-layer structure composed of a resin film (e.g., a PP film, a PET film) or a metal foil (e.g., an aluminum foil). In another embodiment, the film base material can have a two-layer structure including a resin layer (e.g., a PP film, a PET film) and an aluminum layer (e.g., an aluminum vapor deposition layer) arranged on one surface thereof. In another embodiment, the film base material can have a three-layer structure including a first resin layer, an aluminum layer, and a second resin layer.

[0055] In the illustrated example, the bottom member 20 includes a support base material 22 and a lens loading base material 24 disposed on the inner side surface of the support base material 22. The lens loading base material 24 is fixed to a prescribed position of the support base material 22, for example, by an adhesive. Note that the lens loading base material 24 is an optional member and can be omitted as necessary.

[0056] The support base material 22 is composed of a film base material having flexibility, for example, the same as the film base material constituting the lid member 10.

[0057] The lens loading base material 24 of the illustrated example has a circular plate-shaped lens loading portion 24a and a rim portion 24b disposed so as to surround the outer periphery thereof and having a maximum height T2 higher than the maximum height Tl of the lens loading portion 24a. Figure 1D 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4A In the sealed state, a contact lens is typically loaded on the lens loading portion 24a of the lens loading base material 24. The lens loading base material 24 is formed of a resin material such as PE, PP, PET, or the like, for example, and has mechanical strength and shape retention ability capable of supporting a contact lens.

[0058] The shape of the lens loading base material 24 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the lens loading base material can be non-circular (e.g., elliptical, polygonal, or the like). In addition, the lens loading portion can be planar, for example, or can be curved convexly or concavely toward the upper side, as necessary. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4B the lens loading portion 24a can be curved convexly toward the upper side. In addition, the lens loading base material can not have a rim portion, for example.

[0059] The thickness of the lens loading portion 24a is, for example, 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm, and is preferably 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm.

[0060] The lens loading base material 24 can have a through hole 24c that penetrates the lens loading portion 24a in the thickness direction, as in the illustrated example. One or two or more through holes can be provided.

[0061] The accommodation space 110 sealed by the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20 can be formed by joining the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20 (more specifically, the lid member 10 and the support base material 22) so as to surround a prescribed region. For example, in a state in which a contact lens is disposed on a prescribed position of the bottom member (e.g., on the lens loading portion of the lens loading base material), the lid member and the bottom member are joined at least in a prescribed region (e.g., a region surrounding the lens loading base material) so as to surround the contact lens. Figure 2The sealing is preferably performed by heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing from the viewpoint of sealing property and easy opening, and more preferably by heat sealing. The upper surface (the lid member 10) and the bottom surface (the bottom member 20) of the illustrated example of the contact lens package 200A protrude in portions corresponding to the lens loading substrate 24, but the contact lens package of the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, the contact lens package can be configured such that one surface has a convex portion corresponding to the contact lens or the lens loading substrate 24, and the other surface is flat.

[0062] The height of the accommodation space 110 can correspond to a value obtained by subtracting the total thickness of the lid member and the bottom member from the maximum thickness of the portion of the contact lens package 200A corresponding to the accommodation space 110. Here, in the case where the bottom member 20 includes the support substrate 22 and the lens loading substrate 24, the thickness of the bottom member 20 can be set to the total of the thickness of the support substrate 22 and the maximum height Tl of the lens loading portion 24a.

[0063] The height (maximum height) of the accommodation space is typically smaller than the natural sag of the contact lens, for example, 4.5 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less, more preferably 2.5 mm or less, and can be 2 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, 1.2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, or 0.9 mm or less. The height of the accommodation space described above is, for example, 0.2 mm or more, and can be 0.3 mm or more, 0.4 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 0.6 mm or more, 0.8 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 1.2 mm or more, 1.4 mm or more, 1.6 mm or more, 1.8 mm or more, or 2 mm or more. If the height of the accommodation space is within the above-described range, the thinness of the contact lens package and the suppression of the lens wrinkles can be balanced, and as a result, the effects of the present application can be appropriately obtained. As the package having such a height of the accommodation space, the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-234576 is not limited to the illustrated example, and for example, the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-234576 can be used.

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a contact lens package of another embodiment of the present application. The contact lens package 200B includes a package 100 having a lid member 10 and a bottom member 20, and a contact lens 120 accommodated in an accommodation space 110 sealed by the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20. Although not illustrated, a contact lens storage solution is also accommodated in the accommodation space 110, and thus the contact lens 120 is maintained in a water-containing state. The contact lens 120 is accommodated in the accommodation space 110 in a deformed state, specifically, in a state where the height thereof is smaller than the natural sag, for example, in a flattened state.

[0065] The lid member 10 is constituted of, for example, a film base material having flexibility. As to the material forming the film base material, as explained with respect to the contact lens package 200A.

[0066] The bottom member 20 is typically relatively large in thickness and has shape retention. For example, as shown in Figure 6 The bottom member 20 has a concave receiving recess 26 that receives a contact lens and a preservative solution, and a flat flange portion 27 that is provided so as to surround the receiving recess 26. The receiving recess 26 and the flange portion 27 are integrally formed, for example, by injection molding using a synthetic resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or the like. The thickness of the bottom member 20 can be, for example, 0.1 mm to 2 mm, and is preferably 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

[0067] The lid member 10 is disposed so as to cover the upper surface of the bottom member 20 in a substantially flat manner. The lid member 10 is peelably joined to the bottom member 10 at least in a region surrounding the entire periphery of the receiving recess 26, and is not joined to the bottom member 10 in at least one end region so as to be laminated to the bottom member 10. The joining of the bottom member and the lid member can be performed, for example, by heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like.

[0068] The receiving space 110 is a space defined by the receiving recess 26 and the lid member 10. The height (maximum height) of the receiving space is typically smaller than the natural rise of the contact lens, and is, for example, 4.5 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less, more preferably 2.5 mm or less, and can be 2 mm or less or 1.5 mm or less. The height of the receiving space described above can be, for example, 0.2 mm or more, and can be 0.3 mm or more, 0.4 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 0.6 mm or more, 0.8 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 1.2 mm or more, 1.4 mm or more, 1.6 mm or more, 1.8 mm or more, or 2 mm or more. If the height of the receiving space is within the range described above, the thinness of the contact lens package and the suppression of wrinkles of the lens can be balanced, and as a result, the effects of the present application can be appropriately obtained.

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a contact lens package according to still another embodiment of the present application. The contact lens package 200C includes a package 100 having a lid member 10 and a bottom member 20, and a contact lens 120 received in a receiving space 110 sealed by the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20. Although not shown, a contact lens preservative solution is also received in the receiving space 110, and as a result, the contact lens 120 is maintained in a hydrated state.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the lid member 10 has a convex curved surface portion 12 which is substantially circular in plan view and projects toward the bottom member 20 side, and a flange portion 14 which is provided in a manner surrounding the convex curved surface portion 12, and the bottom member 20 has a concave curved surface portion 28 which has a plan view shape corresponding to the convex curved surface portion 12 and projects toward a side opposite to the lid member 10, and a flange portion 27 which is provided in a manner surrounding the concave curved surface portion 28, and the lid member 10 and the bottom member 20 are disposed and joined in a manner that the convex curved surface portion 12 overlaps the concave curved surface portion 28, thereby forming a housing space 110. In the housing space 110, the contact lenses 120 are disposed in a manner that the inner surfaces thereof are on the lid member 10 side, for example.

[0071] As described above, the housing space 110 is defined by the convex curved surface portion 12 and the concave curved surface portion 28. Such a housing space has a small volume, and even in the case of having a shape capable of housing the contact lenses in a state that the natural sag of the contact lenses is maintained, the contact lenses are adsorbed to one of the members and deformed at the time of autoclaving or the like, and sometimes blur is felt in the early stage after wearing. Thus, according to the above-described contact lens package, the effects of the present application can be appropriately obtained.

[0072] The contact lens package 200C can also be configured such that the contact lenses 120 are attached (adsorbed) to the lid member 10 when the lid member 10 is rolled up upward to open the package 100. As such a configuration, there is no particular limitation, and for example, the concave curved surface portion 28 can have a curvature radius smaller than that of the convex curved surface portion 12 (for example, about 13 mm to about 19 mm), and the maximum separation distance of the concave curved surface portion 28 from the convex curved surface portion 12 can be less than 7 mm. Alternatively, the contact lens package 200C can also be configured to be disposed upside down, such that the contact lenses 120 are attached (adsorbed) to the lid member 10 when the bottom member 20 is rolled up upward to open the package 100 (in this case, the lid member 10 can function as a bottom member, and the bottom member 20 can function as a lid member). The volume of the housing space 110 can be, for example, 0.1 mL to 0.6 mL, preferably 0.2 mL to 0.5 mL, and further preferably 0.3 mL to 0.4 mL. In addition, the height of the housing space 110 (the maximum value of the separation distance of the convex curved surface portion from the concave curved surface portion) can be, for example, 5 mm or less, and preferably 1 mm to 3 mm. For details of the contact lens package having such a configuration, reference can be made to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-532254, WO2013 / 153582, and the like.

[0073] The contact lens 120 is typically a hydrogel contact lens (so-called soft contact lens). The Young's modulus of the contact lens obtained by a tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C is, for example, 1.6 MPa or less, preferably 1.2 MPa or less, 1.0 MPa or less, or 0.8 MPa or less. In the case where the Young's modulus belongs to the above range, the lens is soft, and it is possible to suppress congestion and the like that can occur due to friction of the lens with the surface of the eye. In addition, the Young's modulus of the contact lens is, for example, 0.1 MPa or more, preferably 0.2 MPa or more, and can be, for example, 0.3 MPa or more, 0.4 MPa or more, or 0.5 MPa or more. In the case where the Young's modulus belongs to the above range, it is possible to eliminate a problem in which the handling at the time of wearing the lens becomes inconvenient due to the lens being too soft (for example, a problem in which the lens adheres to a finger or is easily folded, and thus it is necessary to adjust the shape of the lens at the time of wearing, and the like). In addition, in the case where the Young's modulus is within the above lower limit to the above upper limit, it is possible to achieve both the solution of the problem related to the softness of the lens and the suppression of the deformation (wrinkling) of the lens. Note that, as the aqueous medium, it is possible to preferably use distilled water, physiological saline, or the like.

[0074] The relaxation modulus of the contact lens obtained by a stress relaxation test in an aqueous medium at 35°C is, for example, 1.8 MPa or less, preferably 1.6 MPa or less, more preferably 1.5 MPa or less, further preferably 1.4 MPa or less, still further preferably 1.3 MPa or less, yet further preferably 1.2 MPa or less, yet further preferably 1.1 MPa or less, yet further preferably 1.0 MPa or less, and can be 0.9 MPa or less, 0.8 MPa or less, 0.7 MPa or less, 0.6 MPa or less, or 0.5 MPa or less. The relaxation modulus can be, for example, 0.1 MPa or more, 0.2 MPa or more, or 0.3 MPa or more. Here, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the modulus of elasticity after 1 second from the start of measurement when the stress required to maintain the contact lens is measured while a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test is applied to the contact lens in an aqueous medium at 35°C. If the relaxation modulus is in the above range, the blur in the initial stage of wearing of the contact lens taken out of the contact lens package can be improved. As a reason for exerting such an effect, the present application is not limited, but it is presumed as follows. That is, since the contact lens is housed in the housing space in a deformed state (e.g., flat state), there can be fine deformation (wrinkles) on the surface of the contact lens immediately after being taken out of the contact lens package. The presence of such wrinkles on the surface of the contact lens can cause a degree of unevenness, which can lead to the above-mentioned blur, and according to the contact lens having the above-mentioned relaxation modulus, the deformation (wrinkles) are easily eliminated over time, and as a result, it is presumed that the blur in the initial stage of wearing can be quickly eliminated. Such an effect can be more appropriately obtained when the contact lens having the above-mentioned relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less is used. For example, in the case where the relaxation modulus is 1.6 MPa or less, even in the case where the tangent of the loss angle of the stretch exceeds 0.1 as described later, the blur in the initial stage of wearing can be appropriately eliminated.

[0075] The tangent of the loss angle (tan δ) of the contact lens obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C is, for example, 0.14 or less, preferably 0.1 or less, more preferably 0.09 or less, further preferably 0.08 or less, still further preferably 0.07 or less, yet further preferably 0.06 or less, and can be 0.05 or less or 0.04 or less. The tangent of the loss angle (tan δ) can be, for example, 0.001 or more, 0.005 or more, or 0.01 or more. If tan δ is in the above range, there is a tendency to suppress the generation of wrinkles in the contact lens housed in the housing space in a deformed state, and as a result, it is presumed that the blur in the initial stage of wearing can be alleviated. Such an effect can be more appropriately obtained when the contact lens having tan δ of 0.1 or less is used. For example, in the case where tan δ is 0.1 or less, even in the case where the relaxation modulus exceeds 1.6 MPa, the blur in the initial stage of wearing can be appropriately eliminated.

[0076] In one embodiment, the contact lens has a relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less and a tan δ of 0.1 or less. According to such a contact lens, it is possible to appropriately suppress wrinkles from occurring in the contact lens accommodated in the accommodation space in a deformed state, and it is possible to promptly eliminate wrinkles that have occurred after being taken out of the package, as a result of which it is possible to more appropriately eliminate blurring in the initial stage of wearing.

[0077] The resilience (@100%) of the contact lens obtained by the recovery evaluation test in an aqueous medium at 35°C is, for example, 85% or more, preferably 90% or more, and more preferably 92% to 100%. The resilience (@100%) is the proportion of the energy absorbed when the contact lens is stretched at a stretch ratio of 100% (2 times the length of the original length) to the energy released in order to contract from this stretched state to a stretch ratio of 0% (original length). If the resilience (@100%) is within the above range, there is a tendency to suppress wrinkles from occurring in the contact lens accommodated in the accommodation space in a deformed state, and as a result, it is presumed that blurring in the initial stage of wearing can be alleviated. Such an effect can be appropriately obtained in the case where a contact lens having a resilience (@100%) of 90% or more is used. For example, in the case where the resilience (@100%) is 90% or more, even in the case where the relaxation modulus exceeds 1.7 MPa, blurring in the initial stage of wearing can be appropriately eliminated.

[0078] The water content of the contact lens is, for example, 10% to 90%, and also for example, 20% to 80%, and can be 30% or more, 35% or more, 40% or more, 45% or more, or 50% or more. If the water content is within the above range, it is possible to function as a hydrogel contact lens that is high in softness and excellent in wearing feeling. In addition, by changing the water content, it is possible to adjust the physical properties of the contact lens such as the relaxation modulus, tan δ, resilience, and as a result, it is possible to suppress wrinkles from occurring in the contact lens, and in addition, it is possible to appropriately eliminate wrinkles that have occurred. The water content can be measured, for example, by the method described in ISO 18369-4.

[0079] From the viewpoint of balancing the suppression or elimination of deformation (wrinkles) and oxygen permeability, the oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk: x 10 -11 (cm 2The oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk) is a value calculated in accordance with ISO 18369-4. In addition, from the viewpoint of balancing the suppression or elimination of deformation (wrinkling) and oxygen permeability, the oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk / t) per unit thickness of the contact lens (× 10 -9 The oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk) is a value calculated in accordance with ISO 18369-4. In addition, from the viewpoint of balancing the suppression or elimination of deformation (wrinkling) and oxygen permeability, the oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk / t) per unit thickness of the contact lens (× 10

[0080] The contact lens is composed of an optional appropriate polymer material capable of satisfying the above-described properties. The polymer material constituting the contact lens is obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable composition containing a monomer component, and contains structural units derived from each monomer in the monomer component. In the present specification, the content ratio of the structural units derived from each monomer in the polymer material is considered to correspond to the mixing ratio of the respective monomers in the monomer component.

[0081] The above-described monomer component typically contains a hydrophilic monomer and a crosslinkable monomer. The monomer component can further contain a hydrophobic monomer and / or a siloxane monomer as needed. By using a monomer component containing a siloxane monomer, a silicone hydrogel contact lens can be obtained.

[0082] As the hydrophilic monomer, a monofunctional monomer having a polar group (excluding a monomer having a siloxane bond) such as a hydroxyl group-containing monomer, a carboxyl group-containing monomer, a nitrogen atom-containing monomer, an alkoxy group-containing monomer, and the like can be preferably used. By causing the monomer component to contain a hydrophilic monomer, a polymer material having desired properties (softness, relaxation modulus, tan δ, and the like), water content, and the like can be appropriately obtained. The hydrophilic monomer can be used alone only one kind, or two or more kinds in combination. The solubility of the hydrophilic monomer in water at 25°C can be, for example, 0.03 g / mL or more.

[0083] As the hydroxyl group-containing monomer, a hydroxyl group-containing alkyl (meth) acrylate is preferably exemplified. As specific examples thereof, a hydroxyl group-containing alkyl (meth) acrylate in which the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group is 1 to 4, such as hydroxyl methyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxyl ethyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxyl propyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxyl butyl (meth) acrylate, dihydroxyl ethyl (meth) acrylate, dihydroxyl propyl (meth) acrylate, dihydroxyl butyl (meth) acrylate, and glyceryl (meth) acrylate can be exemplified.

[0084] As the carboxyl group-containing monomer, for example, (meth) acrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, and the like can be exemplified, and an acid anhydride thereof can also be preferably used.

[0085] As the nitrogen atom-containing monomer, for example, (meth) acrylamide such as N,N-dimethyl (meth) acrylamide, N-ethyl (meth) acrylamide, N-2-hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylamide, and N-isopropyl (meth) acrylamide, N-vinyl lactam such as N-vinyl pyrrolidone, N-vinyl piperidone, and N-vinyl caprolactam, N-methyl lactam such as 1-methyl-3-methylene-2-pyrrolidone, (meth) acrylonitrile, and N-(meth) acryloyl morpholine can be exemplified.

[0086] As the alkoxyl group-containing monomer, for example, an alkoxyl group-containing alkyl (meth) acrylate can be preferably exemplified. As specific examples thereof, an alkoxyl group-containing alkyl (meth) acrylate in which the number of carbon atoms of the alkoxyl group alkyl group is 2 to 4, such as methoxyl methyl (meth) acrylate, methoxyl ethyl (meth) acrylate, ethoxyl methyl (meth) acrylate, and ethoxyl ethyl (meth) acrylate can be exemplified.

[0087] As the cross-linkable monomer, a polyfunctional monomer having 2 or more polymerizable groups (excluding a monomer having a siloxane bond) can be used. By including a cross-linkable monomer in the monomer component, a polymer material having desired properties (softness, mechanical strength, relaxation modulus, tan δ, etc.) can be appropriately obtained. As specific examples of the cross-linkable monomer, mention can be made of butanediol di(meth)acrylate, ethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, diethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, triethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, propylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, dipropylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, diallyl fumarate, allyl (meth)acrylate, vinyl (meth)acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, methacryloyloxyethyl (meth)acrylate, divinylbenzene, diallyl phthalate, diallyl adipate, triallyl diisocyanate, a-methylene-N-vinylpyrrolidone, 4-vinylbenzyl (meth)acrylate, 3-vinylbenzyl (meth)acrylate, 2,2-bis((meth)acryloyloxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane, 2,2-bis((meth)acryloyloxyphenyl)propane, 1,4-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyhexafluoroisopropyl)benzene, 1,3-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyhexafluoroisopropyl)benzene, 1,2-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyhexafluoroisopropyl)benzene, 1,4-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyisopropyl)benzene, 1,3-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyisopropyl)benzene, 1,2-bis(2-(meth)acryloyloxyisopropyl)benzene, and the like. Among these, from the aspects that copolymerizability is excellent and the softness and mechanical strength of the polymer material can be easily adjusted, butanediol di(meth)acrylate and ethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate can be preferably used. The cross-linkable monomer can be used alone only one kind, or two or more kinds in combination.

[0088] As the hydrophobic monomer, a monofunctional monomer (excluding a monomer having a siloxane bond) such as an alkyl (meth)acrylate, a fluorine-containing alkyl (meth)acrylate, an aromatic ring-containing (meth)acrylate, a styrene-based monomer, and the like, which does not have a polar group, can be preferably used. By including a hydrophobic monomer in the monomer component, a polymer material having desired mechanical strength, water content, etc. can be appropriately obtained. The hydrophobic monomer can be used alone only one kind, or two or more kinds in combination. The solubility of the hydrophobic monomer in water at 25°C can be, for example, less than 0.03 g / mL.

[0089] As the (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkyl group can be preferably exemplified. As specific examples thereof, (meth)acrylic acid methyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid ethyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid propyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid butyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid pentyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid hexyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid heptyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid nonyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid stearyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid octyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid decyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid lauryl ester, (meth)acrylic acid pentadecyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid cyclopentyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid cyclohexyl ester, and the like straight-chain, branched, or cyclic (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters can be mentioned. Among them, (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters having 1 to 5 carbon atoms in the alkyl group are preferred. Note that the solubility of methyl acrylate in water at 25°C exceeds 0.03 g / mL, but since it does not have a polar group, it is treated as a hydrophobic monomer in the present specification.

[0090] As the fluorine-containing (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester, a substance in which fluorine is introduced into the alkyl group of the above-mentioned (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester can be mentioned. Specifically, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-t-amyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluorobutyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-t-hexyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,3,4,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-bis(trifluoromethyl)pentyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluorobutyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,2,2',2',2'-hexafluoroisopropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl ester, and the like can be mentioned.

[0091] As the aromatic ring-containing (meth)acrylic acid ester, (meth)acrylic acid phenoxyethyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid phenethyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid benzyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid phenyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid pentabromophenyl ester, and the like can be mentioned.

[0092] As the styrene-based monomer, styrene, α-methylstyrene, methylstyrene, ethylstyrene, acetoxy styrene, methoxy styrene, ethoxy styrene, propoxy styrene, butoxy styrene, and the like can be mentioned.

[0093] As the siloxane monomer, any appropriate monomer can be used as long as it has a siloxane bond (Si-O-Si) and a polymerizable group. By including a siloxane monomer in the monomer component, a polymer material having high oxygen permeability can be appropriately obtained. The number of siloxane bonds possessed by the siloxane monomer is, for example, 1 to 100, and can be 2 to 20, 2 to 10, or 2 to 5. The number of siloxane bonds described above is not the number of repetitions of the siloxane bond in one chain, but refers to the total number of all siloxane bonds within the monomer molecule. The number of polymerizable groups possessed by the siloxane monomer can be one, or two or more. The siloxane monomer can be used alone only one kind, or two or more kinds in combination.

[0094] As the siloxane monomer, a monomer used for an ophthalmic device in the past can be mentioned, for example, the siloxane monomers described in paragraphs 0039 to 0044 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-503631, the siloxane monomers described in paragraphs 0060 to 0065 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-40598, and the siloxane monomers described in paragraphs 0024 to 0037 of WO 2015 / 92858.

[0095] As other specific examples of the siloxane monomer, there can be mentioned (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsiloxydimethylsilylmethyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsiloxydimethylsilylpropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid tris(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid mono[methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)siloxy]bis(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid tris[methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)siloxy]silylpropyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid tris(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid mono[methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)siloxy]bis(trimethylsiloxy)silylpropyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsilyl ethyltetramethyldisiloxypropyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsilyl methyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsilyl propyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsilyl propyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid trimethylsiloxydimethylsilyl propyl glyceride, (meth)acrylic acid methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)silyl ethyltetramethyldisiloxy methyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid tetramethyltriisopropylcyclotetrasiloxanyl propyl ester, (meth)acrylic acid tetramethyltriisopropylcyclotetramethylenesiloxy bis(trimethylsiloxy)silyl propyl ester, and the like siloxane-containing (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters;trimethylsilylstyrene, bis(trimethylsilyl)methylsilylstyrene, (trimethylsilyl)dimethylsilylstyrene, tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silylstyrene, [bis(trimethylsilyloxy)methylsilyl]dimethylsilylstyrene, (trimethylsilyl)dimethylsilylstyrene, heptamethyltrisiloxanylstyrene, nonamethyltetrasiloxanylstyrene, pentadecamethylheptasiloxanylstyrene, heneicosamethyldecasiloxanylstyrene, heptadecamethyltridecasiloxanylstyrene, triaconta- methylpentadecasiloxanylstyrene, trimethylsilylpentamethyldisiloxy- methylsilylstyrene, tris(pentamethyldisiloxy)silylstyrene, tris(trimethylsiloxy)siloxybis(trimethylsiloxy)silylstyrene, bis(heptamethyltrisiloxy)methylsilylstyrene, tris[methylbis(trimethylsiloxy)siloxy]silylstyrene, hepta(trimethylsiloxy)trisilylstyrene, trimethylsiloxybis[tris(trimethylsiloxy)siloxy]silylstyrene, nona(trimethylsiloxy)tetrasilylstyrene, bis(tridecaphenyl- disiloxy)methylsilylstyrene, heptamethylcyclotetrasiloxanylstyrene, heptamethylcyclotetrasiloxybis(trimethylsiloxy)silylstyrene, tripropyl- tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxanylstyrene, trimethylsilylstyrene, and the like siloxane-containing styrene derivatives; bis(3-(trimethylsilyl)propyl) fumarate, bis(3-(pentamethyldisiloxy)propyl) fumarate, bis(tris(trimethylsiloxy)propyl) fumarate, and the like siloxane-containing fumarate diesters. Among these, from the viewpoint of easily achieving both high oxygen permeability and hardness, a siloxane-containing styrene derivative can be preferably used.

[0096] As further specific examples of the silicone monomer, mention can be made of mono(meth)acryloyloxypropyl-terminated mono-n-butyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloyloxypropyl-terminated mono-n-methyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloyloxypropyl-terminated mono-n-butyl-terminated polydiethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloyloxypropyl-terminated mono-n-methyl-terminated polydiethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloylaminopropyl-terminated mono-n-butyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloylaminopropyl-terminated mono-n-methyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloylaminopropyl-terminated mono-n-butyl-terminated polydiethylsiloxane, mono(meth)acryloylaminopropyl-terminated mono-n-methyl-terminated polydiethylsiloxane, and the like. In these silicone monomers, the number of repetitions of (Si-O) can be, for example, 4 to 20, preferably 4 to 12, and more preferably 4 to 10.

[0097] The mixing ratio of the hydrophilic monomer in the monomer component other than the crosslinkable monomer is, for example, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, preferably 50% by weight or more, and more preferably 60% by weight or more, and can be, for example, 100% by weight or less, and further can be, for example, 95% by weight or less, or 90% by weight or less.

[0098] The mixing ratio of the hydrophobic monomer in the monomer component other than the crosslinkable monomer is, for example, 5% by weight or less, and preferably 3% by weight or less, and can be 0% to 1% by weight.

[0099] The mixing ratio of the silicone monomer in the monomer component other than the crosslinkable monomer is, for example, 60% by weight or less, preferably 50% by weight or less, and more preferably 40% by weight or less, and can be 30% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, or 15% by weight or less. Further, the lower limit of the mixing ratio of the silicone monomer described above can be 0% by weight or more, 3% by weight or more, or 5% by weight or more.

[0100] The mixing ratio of the crosslinkable monomer in the monomer component is, for example, 0.05% by weight or more, and further, for example, 0.1% by weight or more, and typically can be 10% by weight or less, for example, 3% by weight or less, preferably 1% by weight or less, and more preferably 0.8% by weight or less.

[0101] By changing the kind and / or blending ratio of each of the above monomers, the mechanical strength, water content, relaxation modulus, tan δ, resilience, and the like of the contact lens can be adjusted. The properties of the obtained polymer can vary depending on the kind of monomer, etc., but by increasing the blending ratio of the hydrophilic monomer, decreasing the blending ratio of the hydrophobic monomer, and the like, a contact lens having the above-mentioned desired range of mechanical strength, water content, relaxation modulus, tan δ, resilience, and the like can be appropriately obtained. For example, by increasing the blending ratio of the hydrophilic monomer and / or decreasing the blending ratio of the hydrophobic monomer, the mechanical strength, relaxation modulus, and tan δ can be decreased, and the water content and resilience can be increased. In addition, if the blending ratio of the siloxane monomer is high, the oxygen permeability can be improved, on the other hand, the tendency for the deformation of the contact lens to be observed after deformation to remain as wrinkles. Thus, by including the siloxane monomer in the above-mentioned blending ratio, it is possible to ensure a preferable oxygen permeability while achieving a desired relaxation modulus, tan δ, resilience, and the like to suppress the generation of wrinkles or quickly eliminate wrinkles, as a result, a contact lens package that is excellent in wearing feeling and has improved blur at the initial stage of wearing can be appropriately obtained.

[0102] The monomer component can further include a functional monomer. As the functional monomer, a polymerizable ultraviolet absorber, a polymerizable pigment, a polymerizable ultraviolet-absorbing pigment, and the like can be given. As specific examples thereof, reference can be made to

[0087] to

[0089] of WO2022 / 044117. In addition, various functional monomers are commercially available, and can be appropriately selected from among them according to the purpose. Note that the functional monomer is a monomer that imparts a prescribed function to the obtained polymer, and is not included in the above-mentioned hydrophobic monomer, hydrophilic monomer, crosslinkable monomer, and siloxane monomer.

[0103] The total blending ratio of the functional monomer in the monomer component is, for example, 5% by weight or less, preferably 0.0001% by weight to 5% by weight, and more preferably 0.05% by weight to 3% by weight.

[0104] The polymerizable composition typically includes a polymerization initiator in addition to the above-mentioned monomer component, and as needed, can further include a solvent and / or an additive. As the additive, for example, a cooling agent, a thickening agent, a surfactant, a non-polymerizable pigment, a non-polymerizable ultraviolet absorber, and the like can be given.

[0105] The blending amount of the above-mentioned additive in the polymerizable composition can be, for example, 0.01 parts by weight to 5 parts by weight, and preferably 0.01 parts by weight to 3 parts by weight, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the monomer component.

[0106] As the polymerization method, photopolymerization, thermal polymerization, and a combination thereof can be applied.

[0107] In the case where the polymerizable composition is polymerized by photopolymerization, it is preferable to irradiate light (e.g., ultraviolet rays) to the cast mold after filling or coating the polymerizable composition in the cast mold. Specifically, the contact lenses can be manufactured by any manufacturing method such as a mold casting method, a spin casting method, or the like. The material of the cast mold used in the photopolymerization is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can transmit light required for polymerization. The wavelength of the light irradiated to the polymerizable composition in the cast mold is appropriately set depending on the kind of the photopolymerization initiator used, or the like. In addition, the light intensity and the irradiation time can be appropriately set depending on the composition of the polymerizable composition, or the like.

[0108] In the case where the polymerizable composition is polymerized by thermal polymerization, it is preferable to slowly heat the cast mold after filling or coating the polymerizable composition in the cast mold. The heating temperature and the heating time when the polymerizable composition in the cast mold is heated can be appropriately set depending on the composition of the polymerizable composition, or the like.

[0109] After the polymerization, the contact lenses can be obtained by taking out the polymer material from the cast mold. As needed, the obtained contact lenses can be dipped in water, an organic solvent, or a mixture thereof, so as to dissolve out the unreacted monomer components, solvent, or the like, as a residue. The dissolution treatment of the residue can be repeated. In addition, the obtained contact lenses can be subjected to surface treatment such as plasma treatment.

[0110] As described above, the contact lens package can be obtained by joining the lid member and the bottom member at least in a prescribed region surrounding the contact lens in a state where the contact lens is disposed at a prescribed position (e.g., on the lens loading portion or the housing recess) of the bottom member. The joining of the lid member and the bottom member can be performed by, for example, heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing. The contact lens package can be sterilized as needed. The sterilization can be performed by any appropriate method such as pressurized sterilization (e.g., high-temperature steam sterilization), γ-ray sterilization, or the like.

[0111] [Method for improving recovery of wrinkles and method for suppressing generation of wrinkles]

[0112] As described above, according to the contact lens having a small relaxation modulus described above, in the case where the contact lens has been deformed (wrinkled) due to being housed in a sealed housing space in a deformed state, the wrinkles are easily eliminated over time after the opening, and thus the blurring in the initial stage of wearing can be quickly eliminated. Thus, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a method for improving the recovery of wrinkles of a contact lens at the time of opening a package of the contact lens, the method including: joining a lid member and a bottom member that face each other so as to form a housing space in which a contact lens is disposed in a sealed state, the height of the housing space being smaller than the natural rise of the contact lens, the relaxation modulus of the contact lens being 1.6 MPa or less.

[0113] As described above, according to the contact lens having a small tan δ or a large resilience, it is possible to suppress the generation of wrinkles during the period in which the contact lens is housed in the sealed housing space in a deformed state, and thus it is possible to reduce the blur at the initial stage of wearing. Thus, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of suppressing the generation of wrinkles in a contact lens in a contact lens package, the method including: joining a lid member and a bottom member to each other to form a housing space in which a contact lens is disposed in a sealed state, the height of the housing space being smaller than the natural rise of the contact lens, the method satisfying at least one of (i) and (ii) below: (i) the tan δ of the contact lens in stretching obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C is 0.1 or less; and (ii) the proportion of energy released in order to contract from a stretched state to a state having a stretching ratio of 0% with respect to the energy absorbed when the contact lens is stretched at a stretching ratio of 100% in an aqueous medium at 35°C is 90% or more.

[0114] Example

[0115] Hereinafter, the present application will be specifically described by way of examples, but the present application is not limited to these examples. Note that, unless otherwise specified, "parts" and "%" in the examples and comparative examples are on a weight basis.

[0116] [Experimental Example 1-7]

[0117] A lid member and a bottom member as shown in Figures 1A-1D were prepared. Specifically, the lid member was composed of an aluminum vapor-deposited PP film having flexibility. The bottom member was composed of a support base material composed of an aluminum vapor-deposited PP film having flexibility and a lens loading base material fixed to the aluminum vapor-deposited surface by an adhesive. The lens loading base material was made of PP and had a circular plate-shaped lens loading portion having a through hole and a rim portion formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof.

[0118] As the contact lens, a contact lens obtained by polymerizing the monomer components shown in Table 1 was used.

[0119] After 1 drop of physiological saline was pipetted onto the lens loading portion of the support base material, each contact lens was disposed thereon with the inner surface facing downward, and 1 drop of physiological saline was further pipetted thereon.

[0120] Next, the lid member was placed so as to cover the lens loading base material and the contact lens, and the outer periphery of the lens loading base material was heat-sealed in a state in which the outer rim of the lid member was aligned with that of the bottom member. Thus, a contact lens package in which the contact lens was enclosed in a state of being flattened in the housing space between the lid member and the bottom member was obtained. The upper surface of the contact lens package was flat, and the height of the housing space was 1 mm.

[0121] Next, the contact lens package was autoclaved using a small autoclave. The sterilization temperature was 121°C, the sterilization pressure was 0.20 MPa, and the sterilization time was 20 minutes.

[0122] In Table 1, the center thickness of the contact lens is the average of the center thicknesses of three contact lenses in the wet state.

[0123] [Physical property evaluation of contact lens]

[0124] [Preparation of test sample]

[0125] The contact lens was taken out from the contact lens package after autoclaving, and cut using a processing jig in which four blades were arranged in parallel at 2 mm intervals. Thus, as shown in Figure 9 , three long contact lens pieces were prepared from one contact lens. The C of the contact lens piece passing through the center of the lens ( Figure 9 ) was used as a test sample, and a tensile test, a dynamic tensile viscoelasticity test, a resilience evaluation test, and a measurement of oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk value) were performed. The S1 or S2 of the contact lens piece at the peripheral portion ( Figure 9 ) was used as a test sample, and a stress relaxation test was performed.

[0126] [Tensile test]

[0127] In the tensile test in which the test sample was stretched at a certain speed, the stress-strain curve was obtained from the raw data of the tensile distance vs. detection load. The Young's modulus was calculated from the initial slope in the stress-strain curve (Strain range = 0-10%), and the average value of n = 3 was obtained. The measurement conditions were as follows.

[0128] • Measurement device: Viscoelasticity measuring device "RSA3" (manufactured by TA Instruments)

[0129] • Measurement environment: Distilled water at 35°C (physiological saline at 35°C for Experimental Examples 1 and 2)

[0130] • Number of test samples: n = 3

[0131] • Measurement mode: Transient

[0132] • Measurement item name: Multiple Extension Mode Test

[0133] • Tensile speed: 0.01 mm / sec, 140 seconds (140 points of data were obtained, and the sample was stretched by 1.4 mm)

[0134] • Young's modulus calculation: Strain range 0-10%

[0135] <stress relaxation test>

[0136] A strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the above-described tensile test (initial strain) was imparted to the measurement sample, and at the same time, a change (relaxation) in stress required to maintain the measurement sample to which the initial strain was imparted was started to be measured. An elastic modulus (stress / strain) after 1 second from the start of measurement was calculated as a relaxation modulus (MPa), and an average value for n = 3 was obtained. The measurement conditions were as follows.

[0137] • Measurement device: viscoelasticity measuring device "RSA3" (manufactured by TA Instruments, Inc.)

[0138] • Measurement environment: distilled water at 35°C (normal saline at 35°C for Experimental Examples 1 and 2)

[0139] • Number of measurement samples: n = 3

[0140] • Measurement mode: transient

[0141] • Measurement item name: stress relaxation

[0142] • Initial strain: a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the above-described tensile test

[0143] <dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement test>

[0144] An elastic component (E') and a viscous component (E") of the sample were calculated based on a response when a tensile strain was imparted to the measurement sample while maintaining a tensile state with a certain load. Next, a tan δ of the tensile was calculated from E" / E' at 1.0 Hz, and an average value for n = 3 was obtained. The measurement conditions were as follows.

[0145] • Measurement device: viscoelasticity measuring device "RSA3" (manufactured by TA Instruments, Inc.)

[0146] • Measurement environment: distilled water at 35°C (normal saline at 35°C for Experimental Examples 1 and 2)

[0147] • Number of measurement samples: n = 3

[0148] • Measurement mode: dynamic

[0149] • Measurement item name: dynamic frequency sweep test

[0150] • Measurement frequency: 0.628 rad / sec (=0.1 Hz) to 62.8 rad / sec (=10 Hz)

[0151] • Initial static force: A load corresponding to 75% of the linear elastic region was calculated from the Young's modulus and the cross-sectional area of the sample.

[0152] • Dynamic strain: 2.5%

[0153] • Resilience evaluation test

[0154] The sample was stretched at a certain stretching speed, and then, a stretching and contraction measurement was repeatedly performed to the original size while applying different stretching ratios, to obtain a stress-strain curve based on a plurality of stretching ratios. The measurement conditions were as follows.

[0155] The resilience was calculated according to [Formula: Resilience (%) = Area under "stress-strain curve" during contraction process ÷ Area under "stress-strain curve" during stretching process x 100], and the average value (n = 3) of the resilience at a stretching ratio of 100% was obtained.

[0156] • Measurement apparatus: Viscoelasticity measurement device "RSA3" (manufactured by TA Instruments, Inc.)

[0157] • Measurement environment: Distilled water at 35°C (physiological saline at 35°C for Experimental Examples 1 and 2)

[0158] • Number of samples for measurement: n = 3

[0159] • Measurement mode: Transient

[0160] • Measurement item name: Multiple Extension Mode Test

[0161] • Stretching speed: 0.1 mm / sec

[0162] • Stretching ratio: about 25% → 50% → 75% → 100% → 125% → 150% (end)

[0163] • Measurement of oxygen permeability coefficient (Dk value)

[0164] The oxygen permeability coefficient was calculated according to ISO 18369-4.

[0165] • Measurement of water content

[0166] The water content was measured according to ISO 18369-4.

[0167] [Degree distribution evaluation test]

[0168] The Q value was measured 15 seconds and 900 seconds after opening under the following measurement conditions for the contact lenses taken out from the contact lens package produced in the experimental examples, and the average value of n = 3 was obtained. The Q value is a quality coefficient proportional to the wave surface deformation amount in the degree unit in the analysis target area of the lens, and is a value indicating the standard deviation of the degree distribution of the area. A small Q value means that the degree unevenness of the lens surface is small. For example, Figure 10 The degree distribution of the contact lenses of which the Q value of all the annular areas was 2 or more was shown in (a), and the degree distribution of the contact lenses of which the Q value of all the annular areas was 2 or less was shown in (b), and it was found that the degree unevenness of the contact lenses of (b) was smaller than that of (a).

[0169] • Measurement device: In-water power measurement device "VC-2001" (manufactured by Visionics Corporation)

[0170] • Measurement temperature: about 20 to 25°C (room temperature adjustment)

[0171] • Environmental solution (solution in which the lens is immersed at the time of measurement): phosphate buffered physiological saline

[0172] • Analysis target area: annular area of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm in radius from the center of the lens in plan view (specifically, annular area of 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm in radius, annular area of 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm in radius, annular area of 2.5 mm to 3.0 mm in radius, annular area of 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm in radius, annular area of 4.0 mm to 5.0 mm in radius)

[0173] • Number of measurement pieces: 3 pieces per sample

[0174] [Table 1]

[0175] As shown in Table 1, according to the contact lenses in which tan δ was 0.1 or less, a Q value of 2 or less was achieved in the annular area of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm in radius 15 seconds after being taken out from the thin package (Experimental Examples 1-3 and 5). Among them, the contact lenses of Experimental Examples 3 and 5 prepared using a siloxane monomer had annular areas in which the Q value 15 seconds after being taken out exceeded 1, but the contact lenses of Experimental Examples 1 and 2 prepared without using a siloxane monomer had a Q value 15 seconds after being taken out of 1 or less in all annular areas.

[0176] In addition, according to the contact lens having a relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less after 1 second, even in the case where tan δ exceeds 0.1, a Q value of 2 or less in a ring region of a radius of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm and a Q value of 3 or less in the entire ring region of a radius of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm are achieved after 900 seconds from the removal of the contact lens from the thin type package (Experimental Example 4).

[0177] As described above, it is understood that the contact lens having a small tan δ (for example, tan δ ≦ 0.1) is housed in the thin type package, and the contact lens housed in the housing space is inhibited from being wrinkled (deformed). In addition, it is understood that the contact lens having a small relaxation modulus (for example, relaxation modulus ≦ 1.6 MPa) is housed in the thin type package, and the contact lens after the opening of the package is improved in the elimination (recovery) of the wrinkles (deformation).

[0178] Further, as shown in the following table, the contact lens having a small relaxation modulus (for example, relaxation modulus of 1.6 MPa or less or 1.3 MPa or less) is observed to have a tendency that the recovery rate of the wrinkles [decrease rate of Q value = (1 - Q value after 900 seconds / Q value after 15 seconds) x 100] between after 15 seconds and after 900 seconds is large. In addition, it is understood that the contact lens having a large resilience (for example, resilience ≦ 90%) is inhibited from being wrinkled (deformed) during the housing in the housing space.

[0179] [Table 2]

[0180] [Experimental Examples 8 to 10]

[0181] The contact lens made by polymerizing a polymerizable composition having the following composition was used to produce a contact lens package in the same manner as in Experimental Examples 1 to 7. With respect to the obtained contact lens package, the point region within 3 mm from the center of the lens in plan view was used as the measurement region, and otherwise, the power distribution was evaluated in the same manner as in Experimental Examples 1 to 7, and as a result, all of the contact lens packages of Experimental Examples 8 to 10 showed a low Q value of 2 or less, which was equivalent to or less than that of Experimental Examples 1 to 3. It is understood that, according to the contact lens package of Experimental Examples 8 to 10, the elimination (recovery) of the wrinkles (deformation) of the contact lens after the opening of the package is improved, or the contact lens is inhibited from being wrinkled (deformed) during the housing in the housing space, and thus, even in the case where the contact lens is immediately worn after the removal of the contact lens from the thin type package, the blur in the initial stage after the wearing can be improved.

[0182] [Table 3]

[0183] Industrial Applicability

[0184] The contact lens package of the embodiment of the present application can be appropriately used for the manufacture and sale of contact lenses.

[0185] Symbol Explanation

[0186] 10 lid member

[0187] 20 bottom member

[0188] 22 support substrate

[0189] 24 lens loading substrate

[0190] 100 package

[0191] 110 accommodation space

[0192] 120 contact lenses

[0193] 200 contact lens package

Claims

1. A contact lens packaging comprising: a package having a cap and a bottom part; and a contact lens, which is housed in a deformable state within a storage space sealed by the cap and the bottom part. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.6 MPa. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of the measurement when the contact lens is subjected to a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

2. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, wherein, The loss tangent of the contact lens, determined by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C, is less than 0.

14.

3. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, wherein, The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.3 MPa.

4. A contact lens packaging comprising: a package having a cap and a bottom part; and a contact lens, which is housed in a deformable state in a storage space sealed by the cap and the bottom part. The loss tangent of the contact lens, determined by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C, is less than 0.

1.

5. The contact lens packaging according to claim 4, wherein, The stretch loss tangent of the contact lens is less than 0.

06.

6. The contact lens packaging according to claim 4, wherein, The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.8 MPa. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of the measurement when the contact lens is subjected to a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

7. A contact lens packaging comprising: a package having a cap and a bottom part; and a contact lens, which is housed in a deformable state within a storage space sealed by the cap and the bottom part. The loss tangent of the contact lens, determined by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C, is below 0.

1. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.6 MPa. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of the measurement when the contact lens is subjected to a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

8. The contact lens packaging according to claim 7, wherein, The stretch loss tangent of the contact lens is less than 0.

06.

9. The contact lens packaging according to claim 7, wherein, The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.2 MPa.

10. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, 4, or 7, wherein, The oxygen permeability (Dk / t) of the contact lens is above 24.

11. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, 4, or 7, wherein, The contact lens is a silicone hydrogel lens.

12. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, 4, or 7, wherein, The contact lens is stored in the storage space with its height less than its natural sagittal height.

13. The contact lens packaging according to claim 1, 4, or 7, wherein, The height of the storage space is less than 2mm.

14. A method for improving the resilience of contact lenses to wrinkles when the contact lens packaging is opened, comprising: Contact lens packaging is made by joining opposing cover and bottom components to form a sealed storage space in which the contact lens is placed. The height of the storage space is less than the natural sagittal height of the contact lens. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is below 1.6 MPa. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of the measurement when the contact lens is subjected to a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C.

15. A method for preventing wrinkles in contact lenses within a contact lens package, comprising: Contact lens packaging is made by joining opposing cover and bottom components to form a sealed storage space in which the contact lens is placed. The height of the storage space is less than the natural sagittal height of the contact lens. The method satisfies at least one of the following (i) and (ii): (i) The loss tangent of the contact lens obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C is less than 0.1; (ii) The proportion of energy released to shrink from the stretched state to 0% of the stretch ratio when the contact lens is stretched to 100% in an aqueous medium at 35°C is more than 90% relative to the energy absorbed.

16. A contact lens package comprising: a package having a cap portion and a bottom portion; and a contact lens housed in a storage space sealed by said cap portion and said bottom portion. The storage space is defined by the convex curved surface of the cover component protruding towards the bottom component and the concave curved surface of the bottom component protruding towards the side opposite to the cover component. The contact lens is configured such that when the packaging is opened, it adheres to the cover component or the bottom component. The contact lens packaging satisfies at least one of the following (i) and (ii): (i) The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is 1.6 MPa or less. The relaxation modulus of the contact lens is the elastic modulus after 1 second from the start of the measurement when the contact lens is subjected to a strain of 75% relative to the upper limit of the linear elastic region in the tensile test in an aqueous medium at 35°C. (ii) The loss tangent of the contact lens obtained by dynamic tensile viscoelasticity measurement in an aqueous medium at 35°C is less than 0.1.

Images