Contact Lens Polymer Composition for Comfort and Oxygen Permeability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact lenses, particularly hard and soft varieties, face challenges with initial comfort and oxygen permeability, necessitating improvements in materials and manufacturing processes to enhance physical and mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomers into the chemical structure of ophthalmic devices, such as contact lenses, and use of polymers derived from these monomers as additives in packaging solutions to modify surface properties, enhancing comfort and biocompatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If hard contact lens materials are used, then structural strength is maintained, but initial comfort and oxygen permeability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite hydrogel materials combining multiple polymer components with distinct properties. The hydrogel matrix integrates materials that provide structural integrity with those that enhance comfort and oxygen permeability, creating a composite structure that simultaneously achieves strength, comfort, and breathability that single materials cannot provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomers with specific chemical parameters (molecular weight, functional groups, hydrophilicity) that can be adjusted to optimize the balance between structural strength and comfort. By varying the monomer composition ratios and molecular characteristics, the material properties are tuned to achieve both mechanical durability and initial wearer comfort.
2Ease of operation
If soft hydrogel materials are used, then initial comfort is improved, but oxygen permeability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel composite incorporates oxygen-permeable polymer phases within the soft matrix structure. This multi-phase composite allows the material to maintain the softness and comfort of hydrogels while introducing pathways or regions that facilitate oxygen transmission, thereby resolving the contradiction between comfort and oxygen permeability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions within the contact lens material that have enhanced oxygen permeability characteristics. The N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomer incorporation creates localized zones with different permeability properties, allowing oxygen to pass through specific regions while maintaining overall material softness and comfort.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but biocompatibility and surface properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the chemical parameters of the hydrogel monomers by incorporating N-vinyl oxazolidinone groups, which alter the surface properties and biocompatibility of the material. This parameter change in monomer composition enhances cell compatibility and reduces adverse reactions while maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomer acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the bulk material properties and the surface interactions with biological tissues. This intermediate chemical structure improves biocompatibility and surface characteristics without fundamentally changing the manufacturing approach, serving as a bridge between conventional materials and enhanced biological performance.
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 use of N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomers and polymers improves the comfort and biocompatibility of contact lenses, addressing the limitations of existing materials by enhancing surface properties and oxygen permeability.
Implementation Method 1
an ophthalmic device that is a free radical polymerization product of a reactive monomer mixture comprising an N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomer
Implementation Method 2
Such packaging solution additives may absorb onto the surface of ophthalmic devices and thereby modify the surface properties of said ophthalmic devices
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomers; polymers and polymeric networks made therefrom; and the use of these materials in ophthalmic devices and/or packaging solutions for ophthalmic devices, such as contact lenses. The N-vinyl oxazolidinone monomers are of formula (I):wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are as defined herein.