A method for sterilizing an ophthalmic lens with long-term inhibition against regrowth of micro-organisms includes the step of placing the ophthalmic lens in a sealed container containing a care solution. A photocatalytic agent coated in an inner surface of the container is exposed to ultraviolet light, to cause the photocatalytic agent to undergo a photocatalytic reaction under the ultraviolet light, which causes destruction of micro-organisms on the ophthalmic lens.

A silicone hydrogel composition for an ophthalmic lens comprises tetraethoxysilane, 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, a zwitterionic compound, a cross-linking agent, and an initiator. The disclosure also provides the ophthalmic lens, and a method manufacturing for the ophthalmic lens.

The invention relates to a soft hydrogel contact lens, especially a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which has a capability of delivering a hydrophobic comfort agent into the eye of a wearer. The hydrophobic comfort agent includes without limitation a monoglyceride, a diglyceride, a triglyceride, a glycolipid, a glyceroglycolipid, a sphingolipid, a sphingo-glycolipid, a phospholipid, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol, a hydrocarbon having a C.sub.12-C.sub.28 chain in length, a mineral oil, a silicone oil, or a mixture thereof. It can be released from the soft hydrogel contact lens into the eye of a wearer when being worn so as to strengthen and stabilize the tear film lipid layer and alleviate the dryness of the eye.

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.

A hydrogel formulation has been developed that can be cast to form a hydrophilic cross-linked network with water content of 30-60% by weight that undergoes a volume expansion less than 5% when equilibrated in water or an aqueous solution of ionic species. This hydrogel formulation was used to cast a soft contact lens incorporating an insert that may be a sealed module filled with a fluid. Diameter of lenses cast without an insert measured within 0.5-5.0% of the target diameter after hydration. The interface between the hydrogel and the insert in lenses cast with an insert remaining stress free after hydration, when the lens was inspected under a microscope. The formulation comprises and may consist of a mixture of hydrophilic mono-functional monomers, cross-linking agents, a photo-curing catalyst and a diluent.

A contact lens is provided as a hydrate of a copolymer of at least three components including (I) a both terminal-polymerizable silicone oligomer component that forms a hydrophobic region (A) in the copolymer, (II) a hydrophilic component that forms a hydrophilic region (C) in the copolymer, and (III) a hydrophobic monomer component having a molecular weight of at most 700 that forms the hydrophilic region (C) together with the component (II) and also contributes to form an intermediate region (B) which does not solvate with a hydrophilic solvent between the hydrophobic region (A) and hydrophilic region (C), wherein the intermediate region (B) shows a volume rate of 5 to 40% with respect to the region (A) in the copolymer, and the contact lens is transparent and free from bubbles therein.

A surface-modified contact lens, having a surface contact angle hysteresis of less than 15?, includes a lens body and a first surface modification layer disposed on a surface of the lens body. The first surface modification layer comprises a first reactive hydrophilic polymer. The surface of the lens body has a first functional group or a second functional group, and the first reactive hydrophilic polymer has a third functional group or a fourth functional group. A first covalent cross-link bond is formed between the surface of the lens body and the first surface modification layer. The first covalent cross-link bond is formed by reacting the first functional group or the second functional group of the surface of the lens body with the third functional group or the fourth functional group of the first reactive hydrophilic polymer.

The invention is related to a contact lens, especially a SiHy contact lens, which comprises a lens bulk material covered with an outer surface hydrogel layer thereon and has a posterior surface and an opposite anterior surface. The outer surface hydrogel layer consists of an anterior outer hydrogel layer and a posterior outer hydrogel layer. A contact lens of the invention is characterized by having a difference in surface softness between its posterior (BC) and anterior (FC) surfaces.

The invention relates to a soft hydrogel contact lens, especially a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which has a capability of delivering a hydrophobic comfort agent into the eye of a wearer. The hydrophobic comfort agent includes without limitation a monoglyceride, a diglyceride, a triglyceride, a glycolipid, a glyceroglycolipid, a sphingolipid, a sphingo-glycolipid, a phospholipid, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol, a hydrocarbon having a C.sub.12-C.sub.28 chain in length, a mineral oil, a silicone oil, or a mixture thereof. It can be released from the soft hydrogel contact lens into the eye of a wearer when being worn so as to strengthen and stabilize the tear film lipid layer and alleviate the dryness of the eye.

Provided is a gel that has excellent surface hydrophilicity, lubricity and antifouling property, and that is useful as, for example, a contact lens material.

A gel including: a polymer a having 2.5 to 95 mass % of the following repeat unit (A), and 2.5 to 95 mass % of the following repeat unit (B), and a polymer b obtained through polymerization of a hydrophilic monomer with a crosslinking agent. (A) Hydrophilic repeat unit (B) Repeat unit having a polyoxyalkylene group at a side chain thereof, the side chain having a terminal formed of an alkyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkanoyl group having 5 to 30 carbon atoms, or an aryl group