Plasma surface treatment of silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a flexible carbon coating
US6213604A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 20, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 20, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC08J2383/04
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present invention is directed to the surface treatment of silicone hydrogel contact lenses. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method of modifying the surface of a contact lens to increase its hydrophilicity by coating the lens with a carbon-containing layer made from a diolefinic compound having 4 to 8 carbon atoms. In one embodiment, an optically clear, hydrophilic coating is provided upon the surface of a silicone hydrogel lens by sequentially subjecting the surface of the lens to: a plasma oxidation reaction, followed by a plasma polymerization reaction in a the presence of a diolefin in the absence of air. Finally, the resulting carbon layer is rendered hydrophilic by a further plasma oxidation reaction or by the attachment of a hydrophilic polymer chains.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.