Cast moulding technique in contact lens
The present invention relates to improvements in static cast molding of contact lenses. A method known, in general, for manufacturing contact lenses is static cast molding. Cast moulding technology of contact lenses involves depositing a curable mixture of polymerizable monomers in a mold cavity formed by two mold sections, curing the monomer mixture, and disassembling the mold assembly and removing the lens. One mold section forms the anterior lens surface (anterior mold section), and the other mold section forms the posterior lens surface (posterior mold section).
Prior to the cast molding contact lens, each of the mold sections is formed. Conventional
methods involve injection molding the molds sections from a resin in the cavity
of an injection molding apparatus. Typically, the mold sections are used only
once for casting a lens and then discarded.
Several cast molding methods have been found to offer the
potential to reduce production time and cost for the manufacture of soft
hydrogel contact lenses, since time-consuming and labor-intensive operations
are avoided, such as lathing a contact lens from a button (or lens blank) or a
semi-finished button (containing one finished surface).
However, various problems have been encountered in employing
cast molding technology for manufacturing rigid; gas permeable (RGP) contact
lenses. The design and surface quality of RGP contact lenses is more critical
to achieve proper fitting than for soft contact lenses. In contrast to RGP
contact lenses, soft contact lenses are flexible and, to a larger extent, will
conform to the shape of the cornea when placed on eye.
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