Described herein is a method for producing photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lenses in a relatively efficient and consistent manner from a polymerizable composition under a controlled thermal curing scheme. The main polymerizable components in the polymerizable composition are a high radical-reactive hydrophilic (meth)acrylamido monomer, a high radical-reactive siloxane-containing (meth)acrylamido monomer, and a polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker(s) free of low-reactive ethylenically unsaturated group as the main crosslinker. The thermal free radical initiator having a 10 hour half-life temperature (T.sub.10h?) of from about 50? C. to about 90? C. The controlled thermal curing scheme includes maintaining a first curing temperature of from about (T.sub.10h??20)? C. to about T.sub.10h?? C. for a first curing time and maintaining a second curing temperature of from about (T.sub.10h?+10)? C. to about (T.sub.10h?+35)? C. for a second curing time.

An eye-mountable device is provided that includes a plurality of rigid polymer layers separated by liquid crystal layers. Certain eye-mountable devices includes a first rigid polymer layer, a second rigid polymer layer, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second rigid polymer layers. The liquid crystal layer has a refractive index that is electrically controllable between an ordinary refractive index and an extraordinary refractive index, and the first rigid polymer layer and second rigid polymer layer include materials having a refractive index similar to the ordinary refractive index of the liquid crystal layer. The first rigid polymer layer and second rigid polymer layer may also include a combination of monomer-derived units that provide cast-moldable materials with high oxygen permeability. Methods for fabricating the eye-mountable device and for changing the focal length of the eye-mountable device are also provided.

Provided are ophthalmic devices comprised of a reaction product of a composition comprising: (i) a crosslinked substrate network containing covalently bound activatable free radical initiators; and (ii) a grafting composition containing one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds. Also provided are processes for making ophthalmic devices.

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.

Ophthalmic lenses for correcting refractive error of an eye are disclosed. Ophthalmic lenses include a deformable inner portion and a deformable peripheral portion. When disposed over the optical region of an eye, the inner portion is configured so that engagement of the posterior surface against the eye deforms the posterior surface so that the posterior surface has a shape diverging form the refractive shape of the epithelium when viewing with the eye through the ophthalmic lens. The rigidity of the inner portion is greater than the rigidity of the peripheral portion and the ophthalmic lenses are configured to allow movement relative to the eye upon blinking of the eye and to be substantially centered on the optical region of the cornea following the blinking of the eye. Methods of correcting refractive errors of an eye such as astigmatism or spherical aberration using the ophthalmic lenses are also disclosed.

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.

A contact lens having an amount of at least one cooling agent and at least one TRPV1 inhibitor releasably adhered is described as well as method of manufacturing the same. The contact lens can be comfortably worn by contact lens wearers and can increase the duration of comfortable lens wearing time and/or reduce lens awareness events and/or reduce contact lens dryness in a symptomatic contact lens wearer and further can reduce or avoid any stinging/burning sensation when the contact lens is first used or a short time thereafter.

The present invention generally relates to a method for producing inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses with a robusteness of lens shape and having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus.

The present disclosure relates generally to contact lenses having a space within the lens. In various embodiments, a contact lens comprises a posterior component having an anterior surface and an anterior component having a posterior surface. The posterior component and the anterior component can comprise various combinations of gas permeable and gas impermeable optical materials. A contact lens also comprises a space between the posterior surface and the anterior surface, with the space configured to permit diffusion of a gas from a perimeter of the space through the space and across the anterior surface of the posterior component.

A contact lens structure provides adequate corneal oxygenation while accommodating a relatively thick core with electronic devices. In one approach, an oxygen collection stratum, such as a gas-permeable outer layer coupled with an underlying air gap, collects oxygen from the ambient air. On the cornea-side, an oxygen distribution stratum, such as a gas-permeable inner layer coupled with an overlying air gap, provides distribution of oxygen to the cornea. The two strata are connected via a network of oxygen pathways, such as air shafts through the relatively impermeable core. Thus, the oxygen collection stratum collects oxygen over a portion of the outer surface of the contact lens, which is transmitted through most of the thickness of the contact lens via the oxygen pathways to the oxygen distribution stratum, where the oxygen is distributed to the cornea of the wearer.