A diagnostic station for inspecting an article transport vehicle movable along a guideway has a diagnostic module associated with the guideway and configured to receive the article transport vehicle when the article transport vehicle is in an inspection position along the guideway. The diagnostic module has at least one of the following: a grip testing substation having at least one force sensor configured for measuring a force exerted by a closure mechanism of the article transport vehicle in a closed position, a pressure testing substation in communication with a source of pressurized air and configured for pressurizing and depressurizing the closure mechanism, and an optical inspection substation having at least one camera configured for capturing image data of the article transport vehicle.

A modular production line for the production of contact lenses comprises at least three separate modules: a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP). The modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between the individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the lenses from a preceding module to a subsequent module. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) which are grouped to form a plurality of individual manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) arranged in a closed loop. Reusable male and female molds (212, 112) are transported through the manufacturing stations of the manufacturing units, and each manufacturing unit (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) comprises a plurality of the manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352). A plurality of transfer robots (36) is provided, each transfer robot (36) of the plurality of transfer robots (36) being arranged at a location between two manufacturing units (30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) to transfer the reusable molds from one manufacturing unit to the other manufacturing unit.

A method of removing a liquid from a container (1) for accommodating an ophthalmic contact lens, in particular a soft contact lens, during transporting the container (1) from a liquid bath (13) to a subsequent processing station (14), the method including the steps of: transporting the container (1) from the liquid bath to the subsequent processing station, generating suction (20), and applying the suction (20) to a bottom (11) of the container (1) during the step of transporting the container (1) from the liquid bath to the subsequent processing station, thereby removing the liquid from the container (1).

A system and method for automated production of a hybrid lens product comprising a lens insert embedded within a lens body. The system preferably includes a first carrier for holding at least one first mold half, a second carrier for holding at least one lens insert, and a third carrier for holding at least one second mold half. The system preferably also includes an automated movement enabling pick-and-place subassembly for positioning a lens insert within a first mold half, and for engaging a second mold half with a first mold half.

An accommodating contact lens module is provided for use with an accommodating contact lens. Components of the accommodating contact lens module can be manufactured and assembled with low distortion optics to provide improved vision. The module comprises a self-supporting module capable of being grasped by one of the components and placed in a mold without distorting the optical components of the module when placed. The module is compatible with soft contact lens materials, and compatible with soft contact lens manufacturing processes such as molding of hydrogels and silicones. The module may comprise one or more of many components that can be placed in the mold together. These components can be placed in the mold for encapsulation in order to provide accurate optical correction of the eye of the subject, for both far vision and near vision. In many embodiments, the module is inspected prior to placement in the mold.

A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens using a first mold portion and a puck assembly. The puck assembly comprises a carrier puck. The puck assembly supports at least one of the first mold portion and the lens during at least two of the following ophthalmic lens manufacturing steps: assembling the first mold portion and a second mold portion into a mold assembly including a lens-defining cavity containing a lens precursor material; curing the lens precursor material in the mold assembly to form a lens; separating the mold assembly such that the lens remains attached to the first mold portion; detaching the lens from the first mold portion; extracting unwanted material from the lens; hydrating the lens; inspecting the lens, and packaging the lens.

A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a ballast portion such that said ballast portion causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder axis angle in toric lens production by modifying the target cylinder angle for mold rotation by eliminating the accumulative cylinder axis error from all previous steps including tool making, tool assembly, and molding. The amount modifying the target angle is determined by accurately determine the true cylinder axis on the corresponding mold by using a high-resolution interferometer, such as FISBA FS10M or equivalent models from Trioptics Shape vertical series.

A method of removing a liquid from a container (1) for accommodating an ophthalmic contact lens, in particular a soft contact lens, during transporting the container (1) from a liquid bath (13) to a subsequent processing station (14), the method including the steps of: transporting the container (1) from the liquid bath to the subsequent processing station, generating suction (20), and applying the suction (20) to a bottom (11) of the container (1) during the step of transporting the container (1) from the liquid bath to the subsequent processing station, thereby removing the liquid from the container (1).

A production line (PL) for the production of ophthalmic lenses (7) comprises a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP) in which the lenses identified by the inspection module (IM) as being acceptable are packed into primary packages.

The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352). At least one of these manufacturing stations (310; 320, 321, 322, 330, 331) is configured to apply a lens identification code (70, 71, 72) to the respective lens. The lens identification code (70, 71, 72) includes information indicative of the type of the respective lens.

Either the inspection module (IM) or the packaging module (PP) includes a lens detection station (502, 604) configured to read the lens identification code (70, 71, 72) applied to the respective lens and to detect the type of the lens from the lens identification code (70, 71, 72) read from the respective lens in order to determine whether the type of lens detected actually is the type of lens which is expected to be detected by the lens detection station (502, 604) at that time.

A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers (1, 2) which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) comprises a frame (10, 20) having a predetermined number of mounting sites (100, 200) arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) further comprises a predetermined number of molds (112, 212) removably mounted to the frame (10, 20) at the mounting sites (100, 200), the molds being reusable male or female molds (212, 112). Two lens mold carriers (1, 2) are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers (1, 2) the male and female molds (212, 112) are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses. The manufacturing stations comprise a mold changing station (300, 301, 302) configured to be capable of removing a mold from its mounting site (100, 200) and mounting a different mold at the said mounting site (100, 200), or configured to change the rotational position of a mold (112, 212) mounted to the frame (10, 20), or both.