There are described a method for applying a coating to a surface of an ophthalmic lens mold. The mold includes male and female (20) mold halves, with each of the mold halves being provided with a lens forming surface (21). The method includes applying a temporary coating to at least a portion of at least one of the male and female mold halves (20), the temporary coating being capable of reducing adhesive forces between a lens forming material and the lens forming surface (21); and drying the temporary coating applied to the portion of the lens forming surface (21).
Also described is a device (1) for applying such temporary coating to the portion of the lens forming surface (21) of the ophthalmic lens mold.

HEMA-compatible siloxane monomers are described that can be used to manufacture contact lenses that combine the attributes of HEMA-based contact lenses with the high oxygen permeability of silicone hydrogel lenses. Optically clear silicone hydrogel contact lens can be manufactured that comprise a polymeric lens body that is the reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising: a) at least 25 wt. % of at least one hydroxyalkyl methacrylate; and b) at least 20 wt. % of at least one HEMA-compatible polysiloxane.

A method for cleaning a molding insert for injection-molding of single-use ophthalmic lens molds comprises the steps of providing an insert holder and a molding surface of the molding insert faces away from the insert holder. A dry ice nozzle comprises an inlet for the supply of dry ice, a nozzle channel comprising a longitudinally extending diverging inner wall portion terminating in an outlet opening of the nozzle channel, and a nozzle housing with a circumferentially running distal end wall. The nozzle housing further comprises a housing wall portion extending away from the distal end wall to define an exhaust channel. The method further comprises positioning the dry ice nozzle on the insert holder, supplying dry ice particles to the nozzle inlet to generate a jet of dry ice particles impinging on the molding surface of the molding insert, and removing exhaust gases.

HEMA-compatible siloxane monomers are described that can be used to manufacture contact lenses that combine the attributes of HEMA-based contact lenses with the high oxygen permeability of silicone hydrogel lenses. Optically clear silicone hydrogel contact lens can be manufactured that comprise a polymeric lens body that is the reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising: a) at least 25 wt. % of at least one hydroxyalkyl methacrylate; and b) at least 20 wt. % of at least one HEMA-compatible polysiloxane.

Ophthalmic device molds made from at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, ophthalmic devices such as ocular inserts and contact lenses and including silicone hydrogel devices formed using these molds, packaged ophthalmic devices present in a solution comprising the at least one water-soluble vinyl alcohol copolymer, and related methods are described. The methods of manufacturing ophthalmic devices can use wet demolding processes, or wet delensing processes or both wet demolding and wet delensing processes involving dissolving the molds in water or an aqueous solution.

A mould for the production of a contact lens, the mould comprising a first mould half shaped to provide the front surface of the contact lens; and a second mould half shaped to provide the rear surface of the contact lens, wherein the first and second mould halves form a mould cavity, wherein the first mould half has a first rim and the second mould half has a second rim, and the first and second rims fit together to provide a seal for the mould cavity, wherein the first rim is inclined at an angle of x relative to an axis passing through the centre of the first and second mould halves, wherein x is from 30 to 60, and wherein the second rim is inclined at an angle of x-y relative to the axis passing through the centre of the first and second mould halves, where y is from 0 to 4, and wherein the first and second rims provide a guide for the mould halves, a method of making a contact lens using the mould and a method of making a mould.

A method and assembly for removing an intraocular lens from an injection molded mold half. With the method and the assembly, first spill ring material is removed from the mold half. Subsequently, the mold/lens-assembly is subjected to an oscillating mechanical load without substantial deformation of at least a part of the mold half that is in direct contact with the lens body. The oscillating mechanical load has an oscillation frequency which is in a range that excites the mold/lens-assembly to break bonds between the intraocular lens and the mold half. After that, a static mechanical push force is exerted on the bottom side of the mold half to at least partly separate the intraocular lens from the mold half.

A sealing device for sealing a sealing foil onto a top surface of a primary packaging shell for a contact lens. The sealing device comprises a shell support and a sealing head comprising a contact surface facing downwardly. The sealing device comprises at least one linear actuator for performing a vertical relative movement of the shell support and the sealing head to press the sealing foil against the top surface of the primary packaging shell. The sealing device comprises a foil holder for holding the sealing foil in a vertical gap between the contact surface of the sealing head and the top surface of the primary packaging shell. The sealing foil is sealed to the top surface of the primary packaging shell when the shell support and the sealing head move towards each other.

A contact lens mold half injection molding machine (60) comprises a plurality of tool cavities (54a, 54b), each tool cavity defining a space into which molten polymer can be injected so as to form a contact lens mold half (2, 4). The machine (60) also comprises an injection unit (103) in communication with the tool cavities (54a, 54b), the injection unit (103) being configured to melt a polymer and inject it into the tool cavities (54a, 54b). Further, the machine (60) comprises a controller (150). The plurality of tool cavities (54a, 54b) comprises a first subset of tool cavities (54a) and a second subset of tool cavities (54b). The machine (60) is configurable to injection mold contact lens mold halves (2, 4), by injecting molten polymer into the tool cavities (54a, 54b) and allowing the polymer to solidify, with one or more process parameters differing in value between the first subset of tool cavities and the second subset of tool cavities.

Provided herein are systems and methods for additive manufacture of a customized ocular contact lens for a subject in a fast and convenient manner. In various aspects disclosed herein, methods disclosed herein provide for the imaging of the outer surface of a subject's cornea, designing a customized ocular contact lens based on the data from the imaging of the cornea, including determining anterior and posterior surfaces of the ocular contact lens, manufacturing the ocular contact lens using additive manufacturing, verifying the fit of the customized ocular contact lens on the subject's cornea, and verifying the optical power of the customized ocular contact lens. These features allow for the fast and convenient production of an ocular contact lens customized to a subject's cornea and manufactured to a specified optical power.