Process for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens

US8580163B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Novartis AG · CH

Inventors

• Roger Biel · Aschaffenburg, DE
• Gabriela Cocora · Elsenfeld, DE
• Peter Hagmann · Erlenbach a.Main, DE
• Uwe Haken · Norcross, US
• Jordan Hall · Atlanta, US
• Axel Heinrich · Aschaffenburg, DE
• Günter Lässig · Obernburg, DE
• Honghui Lu · Johns Creek, US
• Deborah J. Mulcahy · Suwanee, US
• Carlton Pope · Lithonia, US
• Daryl Reece · Atlanta, US
• Bernhard Seiferling · Goldbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 14, 2010
• Grant date: Nov 12, 2013
• Expiry date: Oct 14, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B29L2011/0016
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

There is described a process for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens and an apparatus for forming an ophthalmic lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein in a mold assembly a first and a second mold half (101, 102) are first arranged in an intermediate closed position in which the mold surfaces of the two mold halves are spaced apart from each other at a distance increase (d1) of preferably 1 to 100 μm relative to a final distance (d0) in a final closed position, and wherein, during curing of the lens forming material (202), the mold surfaces (105, 106) of the mold halves (101, 102) are actively or passively moved or moving from the intermediate closed position to the final closed position, where the distance increase (d1) is 0.