Provided is a method for manufacturing photoabsorbing contact lenses and photoabsorbing contact lenses produced thereby. The method comprises: (a) providing a mold assembly comprised of a base curve and a front curve, the base curve and the front curve defining and enclosing a cavity therebetween, the cavity containing a reactive mixture, wherein the reactive mixture comprises at least one polymerizable monomer, a photoinitiator which absorbs at an activating wavelength, and a photoabsorbing compound which displays absorption at the activating wavelength; and (b) curing the reactive mixture to form the photoabsorbing contact lens by exposing the reactive mixture to radiation that includes the activating wavelength, wherein the radiation is directed at both the base curve and the front curve of the mold assembly, and wherein the radiation's radiant energy at the base curve is greater than the radiation's radiant energy at the front curve.

The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves autoclaving, in a sealed lens package, a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a base coating of polyacrylic acid thereon in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having epoxide groups, for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one epoxide group and one of the carboxyl groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens.

Apparatuses and methods for multistage molding of contact lenses containing low oxygen permeable components or oxygen impermeable components. Components may be embedded within a contact lens by forming a device on a polymer substrate, molding a spacer onto a male mold, bonding the device to the spacer, removing the polymer substrate, and molding the remainder of the contact lens.

Described herein is a cost-effective and time-efficient method for producing UV- and HEVL-absorbing silicone hydrogel contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and high-energy-violet light (HEVL) with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV and HEVL radiation. This invention also provides UV- and HEVL-absorbing absorbing contact lenses made according to a method of the invention.

The present disclosure relates to a membrane (140) suitable for forming at least part of a contact lens (500) by bonding to a bulk lens portion (540). The membrane has a central axis (168). The membrane comprises: a first face (142); a second face (144); and a peripheral edge (160). In a cross-sectional plane passing through and parallel to the central axis of the membrane, the thickness (148) of the membrane is at least 10 microns at a distance of 60 microns from the peripheral edge. The present disclosure also relates to a contact lens (500). The contact lens comprises a membrane (140), a bulk lens portion (540), and a bonding interface (510) between at least part of the membrane and at least part of the bulk lens portion. The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing a contact lens.

Apparatuses and methods for multistage molding of contact lenses containing low oxygen permeable components or oxygen impermeable components. Components may be embedded within a contact lens by forming a device on a polymer substrate, molding a spacer onto a male mold, bonding the device to the spacer, removing the polymer substrate, and molding the remainder of the contact lens.

In general, the disclosure relates to methods and compositions for preparing colorants useful for preparing pigmented hydrogels. The disclosure further relates to pigmented hydrogels comprising the disclosed colorants. In some instances, the colorant is an alcohol extract of an agro-material, such as turmeric, paprika, spinach, and/or pokorny woad or the colorants comprise one or more of: a carotenoid, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, a curcumoid, or indigorubin. Alternatively, the colorant can be carbon black. The disclosure further relates to contact lenses comprising the disclosed pigmented hydrogels.

A method of making a contact lens includes providing a cylindrical blank for the contact lens, the cylindrical blank including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is formed from a homogenous, optically clear material and the second portion is formed from an inhomogeneous, optically-scattering material. The method includes shaping the cylindrical blank to provide the contact lens. The contact lens includes a first region surrounded by a second region, the first region being formed from the homogenous, optically clear material and the second region being formed from the inhomogeneous, optically-scattering material.

A reversible eye enhancement contact lens comprises a main body comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the main body having a diameter, a base curve, a peripheral thickness, and a center thickness, wherein, one or more of the diameter, the base curve, the peripheral thickness, or the center thickness are configured such that a dSag is less than 1.3% when comparing a first orientation of the main body with at least a portion of the first surface abutting an eye of a wearer and a second orientation of the main body with at least a portion of the second surface abutting the eye of the wearer; the main body further comprising a first region corresponding to the scleral region of an eye; a second region corresponding to the limbal region of an eye; a third region corresponding to an iris region of an eye; wherein colorants are incorporated into the first region, the second region, the third region, or combinations thereof and configured to create a cosmetic design in the first orientation that is different than the cosmetic design in the second orientation. The cosmetic designs in the first and second orientations may differ in colorant, color, limbal design graphics, inner effect design graphics, outer effect design graphics, barrier layers, clear coat base layers, or combinations thereof. The colorants may comprise metal oxide pigments, coated metal oxide pigments, organic dyes, interference pigments, and combinations thereof.

A method for making a hydrogel, photochromic contact lens including supplying a first lens composition comprising a contact lens monomer and a photochromic material to a front contact lens mold and supplying a second lens composition to said contact lens mold wherein the viscosity of said first composition is at least about 1000 cp greater than the viscosity of said second contact lens composition, and the makeup of said second composition matches the of said first composition to reduce strain between said compositions of the resulting lens.