The invention is generally related to colored contact lenses which comprise a hydrogel lens body having an opaque color image therein and/or thereon and a durable lubricious coating thereon. The coating comprises an anchoring layer of a polyanionic polymer having carboxyl groups and a hydrogel layer which is derived from a hydrophilic polymeric material having azetidinium groups and is covalently attached onto the anchoring layer of the polyanionic polymer through linkages each formed between one carboxyl group and one azetidinium groups. The colored contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing.

The invention is generally related to soft contact lenses which comprise a non-silicone hydrogel lens body and a hydrogel coating thereon. The non-silicone hydrogel lens body is composed of a hydrogel material which is free of silicone and comprises at least 50% by mole of repeating units of at least one hydroxyl-containing vinylic monomer. The hydrogel coating comprises a first polymeric material having first reactive functional groups and a hydrogel layer derived from a second polymeric material having second reactive functional groups, and the hydrogel layer is covalently attached onto the anchor layer through linkages each formed between one first reactive functional group and one second reactive functional group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity better than the lubricity of the non-silicone hydrogel lens body and has a friction rating of about 2 or lower after 7 cycles of manual rubbing, a water content of from about 10% to about 85% by weight and an elastic modulus of from about 0.2 MPa to about 1.5 MPa when being fully hydrated at room temperature.

A method for preparing an optical element which colors in a non-uniform linear pattern is provided. The method includes (I) providing an optical element which previously has been treated with a photochromic composition containing at least one first photochromic material, the photochromic composition having an absorbance spectrum in the region of photochromic activation; (II) preparing at least one light-absorbing composition containing ultraviolet light absorber, a second photochromic material which is the same or different than the first photochromic material, or mixtures thereof, where the light-absorbing composition has an absorbance spectrum overlapping with that of the photochromic composition in the region of photochromic activation; (III) depositing the light-absorbing composition over the surface of the photochromic optical element in a controlled, predetermined pattern using an inkjet printing apparatus to provide a linearly gradient color pattern upon exposure to actinic radiation; (IV) and drying the composition. An optical element also is provided.

A method for coloring an optical element in a non-uniform linear pattern is provided. The method includes (a) preparing at least one colorant composition containing at least one photochromic material; (b) depositing the colorant composition on at least one surface of the optical element in a controlled, predetermined pattern using an inkjet printing apparatus to provide a linearly gradient color pattern on the optical element when the optical element is exposed to actinic radiation; and (c) drying the colorant composition on the surface of the optical element. An optical element prepared by the method also is provided.

A method for making a colored film includes following steps of providing a mixture comprising a hydrophilic monomer, a functionalized vinylic monomer, a clay, a cross-linking agent, and an initiator; mixing a pigment and a solvent with the mixture to form a colored material; and placing the colored material into a mold, and exposing the colored material to ultraviolet radiation or heating the colored material, to cause the hydrophilic monomer, the functionalized vinylic monomer, the cross-linking agent, and the initiator in the colored material to undergo a polymerization reaction to form a cross-linking network, and the clay in the colored material to be dispersed in the cross-linking network, thereby forming the colored film. The disclosure also provides a colored film made by above method, a colored material making for the colored film, and an ophthalmic lens.

A toric contact lens (1) having a front surface and a rear surface, one of said front and rear surfaces includes a toric optical zone and a lens edge surrounding the contact lens (1). The contact lens further has a ballast axis (3) and includes at least one ballast mark (41, 42, 43) identifying the position of the ballast axis (3). Each ballast mark (41, 42, 43) includes a one-dimensional dot pattern (5) having a lens identification code and being arranged to extend radially towards the lens edge at an angular position relative to the position of the ballast axis (3). The angular position of the one-dimensional dot pattern identifies the position of the ballast axis.

The present invention provides an ink and a method of using the ink for making colored contact lenses. The ink comprises at least one colorant, a silicone-containing binder polymer, a solvent, a vinylic-monomer mixture, and optionally a photoinitiator or thermal initiator. The silicone-containing binder polymer is a copolymerization product of a polymerizable mixture including (i) at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer; (ii) at least one functionalizing vinylic monomer containing at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl group OH, amino group NHR (wherein R is hydrogen or C1 to C8 alkyl), carboxylic group COOH, epoxy group, amide group CONHR, and combinations thereof; (iii) at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromere.

A method for manufacturing a contact lens having a multilayer structure using a mold, includes: (a) charging a first polymerizing composition into a space formed by combining a first mold with a second mold, and polymerizing a first semi product having a thinner thickness and a smaller outer diameter than those of a contact lens immediately before being removed from the molds after all polymerizing processes; (b) opening the first and second molds; and (c) charging a second polymerizing composition into a space formed by combining a third mold with one of the first and second mold, the first semi product fixed onto the one of the first and second molds, and polymerizing the second polymerizing composition.

A method of manufacturing an optical article includes supplying a first coating composition and supplying one or more additional coating compositions to an ultrasonic discharge nozzle of a coating apparatus. At least one of the first coating composition and the one or more additional coating compositions is a photochromic coating composition. The method includes mixing the first coating composition and the one or more additional coating compositions at the ultrasonic discharge nozzle of the coating apparatus, and applying the mixture of the first coating composition and the one or more additional coating compositions to at least a portion of the optical article so as to provide a pattern on the optical article upon exposure to actinic radiation. The mixture of the first coating composition and the one or more additional coating compositions is applied from the ultrasonic discharge nozzle as a controlled, predetermined pattern of atomized droplets.

An opaque adhesive can be used to secure the convex surface of a lens blank to a lens blocking piece. This opaque adhesive can include a resin that is curable under ultraviolet light and contains many dispersed pigment particles. The pigment particles may absorb light in the wavelength range of about 300 nm to about 800 nm such that the adhesive appears substantially opaque. A lens-on-block (LOB) system that uses the opaque adhesive to adhere a lens blank to a lens blocking piece facilitates on-block inspection of surface defects by increasing the contrast of light reflected from the surface being inspected. Put differently, the defects in the lens blank's surfaces stand out more when viewed in front of the opaque adhesive The inspection results can be used to carry out rework loops that eliminate or correct the detected defects, providing a streamlined method for on-block manufacturing of ophthalmic lenses.