Soft Contact Lens Treating Solution Copolymer Adsorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treating solutions for soft contact lenses fail to provide sustained hydrophilicity and lubricity, leading to temporary improvements in wearing feeling due to insufficient copolymer adsorption on the lens surface.
Innovation Solution
A treating solution containing a copolymer formed by copolymerizing specific monomers, such as 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl 2-(trimethylammonio)ethylphosphate and polyethylene glycol methacrylate, at specific concentrations and molecular weights, is used to enhance hydrophilicity and lubricity, ensuring durable wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plasma treatment or chemical bonding is used to impart hydrophilicity to the contact lens surface, then hydrophilicity and durability are improved, but lubricity is insufficient and production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a copolymer comprising both hydrophilic units (formula 1a) and lubricious units (formula 1b) as a composite material. This single copolymer material simultaneously provides both hydrophilicity and lubricity, resolving the contradiction where separate treatments were needed for each property in prior art.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes specific parameters of the copolymer including the molar ratio of structural units (na:nb between 10:10 to 90:90) and weight-average molecular weight (10,000 to 5,000,000). These parameter optimizations ensure the copolymer achieves both sufficient hydrophilicity and lubricity while maintaining good adsorption on the contact lens surface.
2Reliability
If polyethylene glycol or cellulose-based polymers are blended into the treating solution, then hydrophilicity is improved, but the wearing feeling improvement is temporary due to insufficient adsorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the copolymer including weight-average molecular weight (10,000 to 5,000,000) and molar ratio (na:nb between 10:10 to 90:90). These optimized parameters ensure the copolymer has appropriate size and structure for strong adsorption on the contact lens surface, making the wearing feeling improvement durable rather than temporary.
Solution Approach 2:
The copolymer combines hydrophilic units (formula 1a) with lubricious units (formula 1b) in a single molecular structure. This composite structure allows the polymer to simultaneously achieve strong adsorption and provide sustained wearing feeling improvement, unlike simple polymer blends that wash off easily.
3Reliability
If complicated surface treatment steps are used to achieve excellent hydrophilicity, then durability is improved, but production equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of surface treatment into a single copolymer component that can be applied through simple immersion. This eliminates the need for complex plasma treatment equipment or multi-step chemical bonding processes, reducing production equipment complexity while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing the copolymer parameters (molar ratio na:nb between 10:10 to 90:90, molecular weight 10,000 to 5,000,000), the patent achieves excellent durability with a simple treating solution formulation. This parameter optimization allows the treatment to be effective through basic immersion rather than complex equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively imparts excellent hydrophilicity and lubricity to soft contact lenses, providing a satisfactory and long-lasting wearing feeling by ensuring strong adsorption and durability of the copolymer on the lens surface.
Implementation Method 1
adsorption of a copolymer to a contact lens surface is not sufficient
Implementation Method 2
impart excellently sustained hydrophilicity and lubricity to a surface of a soft contact lens
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a treating solution for soft contact lenses capable of simply imparting hydrophilicity and lubricity to a soft contact lens surface, and excellent durability of such hydrophilicity and lubricity thereto. The treating solution for soft contact lenses of the present disclosure is achieved by dissolving a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing at least two specific kinds of monomers in a solvent at a specific concentration.