The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

An oleic acid-releasing contact lens is described as well as method of manufacturing the same. The oleic acid-releasing contact lens contains oleic acid releasably adhered to the polymeric lens body, and releases from 2 μg to 25 μg oleic acid after 1 hour in a release media. The oleic acid-releasing contact lens can be comfortably worn by a symptomatic contact lens wearer, and can increase the duration of comfortable lens wearing time and/or reduce lens awareness events in a symptomatic contact lens wearer.

Provided are polymer compositions made by a process comprising: (a) providing a first reactive composition containing: (i) a polymerization initiator that is capable, upon a first activation, of forming two or more free radical groups, at least one of which is further activatable by subsequent activation; (ii) one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds; and (iii) a crosslinker; (b) subjecting the first reactive composition to a first activation step such that the first reactive composition polymerizes therein to form a crosslinked substrate network containing a covalently bound activatable free radical initiator; (c) contacting the crosslinked substrate network with a grafting composition containing one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds, wherein the contacting is conducted under conditions such that the grafting composition penetrates into the crosslinked substrate network; and (d) activating the covalently bound activatable free radical initiator at one or more selective regions of the crosslinked substrate network such that the grafting composition polymerizes with the crosslinked substrate network at the selective regions.

A contact lens having dimples on a posterior surface is described as well as cast molds and injection molding inserts for manufacturing the same. The contact lens includes a posterior surface having an optic zone, a peripheral zone, and a circumferential edge, where dimples are located in the peripheral zone, and can include at least 1000 dimples.

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 heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.

The invention is related to a hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens having a layered structural configuration: a lower water content silicone hydrogel core (or bulk material) completely covered with a layer of a higher water content hydrogel totally or substantially free of silicone. A hydrated silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention possesses high oxygen permeability for maintaining the corneal health and a soft, water-rich, lubricious surface for wearing comfort.

The invention is related to a method for producing soft contact lenses comprises a silicone hydrogel lens body and a composite coating thereon. The composite coating comprises: a plasma base coating which is chemically-attached directly onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens and functions as a fail-proof measure for ensuring the hydrophobic silicone hydrogel lens material to be shielded from any exposure to ocular environments even after at least 30 days of daily uses including daily waring and daily cleaning/disinfecting; and a relatively-durable lubricious hydrogel top coating for ensuring wearing comfort. A method of the invention comprises forming a plasma-reactive hydrophilic polymer hybrid base coating having reactive functional groups on a silicone hydrogel contact lens and heating the silicone hydrogel contact lens with the hybrid base coating in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble and thermally crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material to form a stable lubricious hydrogel coating thereon. This method has a minimized adverse impact on the mechanical properties of silicone hydrogel lens body.

The invention is related to a method for producing soft contact lenses comprises a silicone hydrogel lens body and a composite coating thereon. The composite coating comprises: a plasma base coating which is chemically-attached directly onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens and functions as a fail-proof measure for ensuring the hydrophobic silicone hydrogel lens material to be shielded from any exposure to ocular environments even after at least 30 days of daily uses including daily waring and daily cleaning/disinfecting; and a relatively-durable lubricious hydrogel top coating for ensuring wearing comfort. A method of the invention comprises forming a plasma-reactive hydrophilic polymer hybrid base coating having reactive functional groups on a silicone hydrogel contact lens and heating the silicone hydrogel contact lens with the hybrid base coating in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble and thermally crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material to form a stable lubricious hydrogel coating thereon. This method has a minimized adverse impact on the mechanical properties of silicone hydrogel lens body.

A manufacturing method of contact lenses includes a step of: hydrating a lens body. The strep of hydrating the lens body includes steps of: providing the lens body; preparing a hydration solution, wherein the hydration solution is a 5-95 v/v % alcohol ether aqueous solution; soaking the lens body in the hydration solution for at least 30 minutes; and soaking the lens body in water for at least 15 minutes to form a contact lens.

Described herein is a method for producing a contact lens comprising a central zone that has a diameter of about 13 mm or less, is concentric with the central axis of the contact lens, and possesses at least one photo functionality. The method comprises: applying a first polymerizable fluid composition containing at least one photochemically functional compound on a central portion of the molding surface of a female mold half to form a circular layer; partially curing, in situ, the circular layer in the female mold half; dispensing a second polymerizable fluid composition over the partially-cured circular layer on the molding surface of the female mold half; and a step of curing the second polymerizable fluid composition and the partially-cured circular layer immersed therein in the mold cavity formed between the the molding surfaces of the female mold half and a male mold half.