Dry Contact Lens Assembly With Sealed Cup Wetting After Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contact lenses are limited by their configuration, which restricts their development and performance, particularly in terms of sterilization and water content adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A forming method for contact lenses involving a preparation, sterilization, and wetting process, where a dry contact lens is placed in a sealed cup with a sealing layer, sterilized independently, and then immersed in a wetting liquid to achieve a higher water content, allowing for independent sterilization of the lens and liquid components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional contact lens is sealed in a space with liquid, then the lens is ready for use, but the sterilization and development options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens system is divided into separate components: a dry contact lens and a wetting liquid, each sterilized and packaged independently. The dry lens is sterilized without liquid contamination, then sealed in a cup with a sterile sealing layer. The wetting liquid is separately sterilized and injected later, allowing independent optimization of sterilization methods for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens is pre-sterilized in a dry state before final packaging, allowing for more effective and versatile sterilization methods. The sealing layer is applied in advance to create a sterile enclosed space, and the lens is prepared in a dry state that facilitates better sterilization and handling before the wetting liquid is introduced.
2Reliability
If a dry contact lens is sterilized independently, then sterilization effectiveness improves, but the lens requires additional wetting process
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct stages: dry lens sterilization, sealing layer application, and wetting liquid injection. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, with dry sterilization methods applied to the lens, followed by sterile sealing, and finally controlled wetting in a sterile environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed cup with the dry contact lens serves as an intermediary container that maintains sterility during the transition from dry sterilization to wetting. The sealing layer acts as a barrier that preserves the sterile dry state until the controlled introduction of the wetting liquid, ensuring no contamination occurs during the transition.
3Ease of operation
If the contact lens has low water content, then the lens is easier to handle and store, but the lens comfort and performance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The water content of the contact lens is dynamically adjusted by controlling the wetting process. The lens starts with low water content for easy handling and storage in a dry state, then undergoes controlled wetting by injecting a predetermined amount of wetting liquid, transforming it into a high water content state suitable for eye wear and optimal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens is prepared in a dry state with low water content before final use, making it easier to handle, store, and sterilize. The wetting process is performed as a preliminary action just before use by injecting the wetting liquid into the sealed cup, allowing the lens to achieve optimal water content for performance without compromising handling ease during storage and manufacturing.
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 method enables expanded development of contact lenses by ensuring optimal performance through independent sterilization and water content adjustment, resulting in a wet contact lens suitable for wear without cracks.
Implementation Method 1
the dry contact lens is immersed in the wetting liquid to become a wet contact lens that has a second water content greater than the first water content
Data Source
AI summary
A contact lens assembly includes a cup, a dry contact lens that is not for being worn on an eye, a sealing layer removably connected to the cup, and a wetting liquid supply. The sealing layer and the cup jointly form an enclosed space that receives the dry contact lens therein and that does not accommodate any liquid. After at least one of the sealing layer and the cup produces an opening, the cup can receive a wetting liquid from the wetting liquid supply through the opening, such that the dry contact lens is immersed in the wetting liquid to form a wet contact lens that is suitable for being worn on the eye and that has a water content greater than a water content of the dry contact lens.