Compositions and methods for cleaning contact lenses

1. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens,

comprising

an effective disinfecting amount of hydrogen peroxide and a surfactant comprising a block copolymer of hydrophobe and hydrophile blocks of the structure:

HO-(hydrophobe) x -(hydrophile) y -(hydrophobe) x -H

 wherein x and y are integers reflecting the respective hydrophile and hydrophobe blocks of said copolymer, and the hydrophile component of the block copolymer constitutes less than 50 weight percent of the block; and

being characterized by being incapable of foaming at any time within a disinfection cycle carried out in a disinfection cup having a platinum-coated plastic disk that catalytically decomposes hydrogen peroxide generating oxygen gas bubbles, so significantly to cause overflow of the composition from the disinfection cup.

2. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said hydrophile is polyoxyethylene.

3. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said hydrophobe is polyoxypropylene.

4. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of less than 1 mm.

5. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of about 0 mm.

6. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrophile constitutes from about 10 to 50 weight percent of the block copolymer.

7. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the hydrophile constitutes about 40 weight percent of the block copolymer.

8. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight of the hydrophobe block is from about 1200 and about 3100.

9. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the molecular weight of the hydrophobe is from about 1000 and about 2500.

10. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the molecular weight of the hydrophobe is approximately 1700.

11. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said surfactant is present in the range of about 0.005% to about 0.8%.

12. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said surfactant is present in the range of about 0.01% to about 0.5%.

13. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said surfactant is less than 0.1% by weight of the solution.

14. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens comprising an aqueous solution of an effective disinfecting amount of hydrogen peroxide and a polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block copolymer having the structure:

wherein x and y are integers reflecting the respective polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide blocks of said copolymer; and the polyoxyethylene component of the block copolymer constitutes less than 50 weight percent of the block copolymer;

wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of less than 1 mm.

15. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of about 0 mm.

16. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the polyoxyethylene component of the block copolymer constitutes about 40 weight percent of the block copolymer.

17. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the molecular weight of the polyoxypropylene block is from about 1200 and about 3100.

18. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the molecular weight of the polyoxypropylene block is approximately 1700.

19. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said surfactant is present in the range of about 0.005% to about 0.8%.

20. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said surfactant is less than 0.1% by weight of the solution.

21. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 14 , wherein hydrogen peroxide is present in a concentration of about 0.5% to about 6% by weight.

22. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 21 , wherein hydrogen peroxide is present in a concentration of 2% to 6% by weight.

23. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer; wherein said stabilizer comprises a diphosphonic acid alkanol.

24. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 23 , wherein said stabilizer comprises diethylene triamine penta-(methylenephosphonic acid) or a occularly compatible salt thereof; wherein said stabilizer is about 0.006 and about 0.02% by weight of the composition.

25. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 22 , further comprising a buffer to maintain said composition at a pH of about 4 to about 9.

26. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 25 , wherein said buffer is selected from the group consisting of basic acetates, phosphates, borates, nitrates, sulfates, tartrates, lactates, carbonates, bicarbonates, and mixtures thereof; wherein said buffer is present in the range of 0.001% to 2%.

27. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 26 , wherein said phosphate buffer is selected from the group consisting of monobasic phosphates, dibasic phosphates, and mixtures thereof; wherein said phosphate buffer is present in the range of from about 0.05% to about 0.30%.

28. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 27 , further comprising a tonicity component to provide the solution with a tonicity of from 50 to 400 mosmol/kg; wherein said tonicity component is selected from the group consisting of water soluble salts compatible with ocular tissue.

29. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens comprising an aqueous solution of:

an effective disinfecting amount of hydrogen peroxide;

a buffer compatible with ocular tissue;

a hydrogen peroxide stabilizer comprising a diphosphonic acid alkanol;

a tonicity component; and

polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block copolymer having the structure:

 wherein x and y are integers reflecting the respective polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide blocks of said copolymer,

wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of less than 1 mm.

30. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 29 , wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of about 0 mm.

31. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 30 , wherein the polyoxyethylene component of the block copolymer constitutes less than 50 weight percent of the block copolymer.

32. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 30 , wherein said stabilizer comprises diethylene triamine penta-(methylenephosphonic acid) or a occularly compatible salt thereof and is present in the composition in an amount between about 0.001 and about 0.03% by weight of the solution.

33. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 30 , wherein said buffer is selected from the group consisting of sodium dibasic phosphate (Na 2 HPO 4 , sodium monobasic phosphate (NaH 2 PO 4 ), potassium monobasic phosphate (KH 2 PO 4 ), and mixtures thereof; and said phosphate buffer is present in the range of from about 0.05% to about 0.30%.

34. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 30 , wherein said tonicity component is sodium chloride and provides said solution with a tonicity of from 250 to 350 mosmol/kg.

35. A composition for disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 29 , comprising from 2 to 6% hydrogen peroxide; and between 0.01% and 0.10% polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block copolymer;

wherein the polyoxyethylene component of the block copolymer constitutes about 40 weight percent of the block copolymer; and

wherein the molecular weight of the polyoxypropylene block of the copolymer is approximately 1700.

36. A method of disinfecting a contact lens comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting a contact lens with an aqueous solution of an effective disinfecting amount of hydrogen peroxide and a polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene block copolymer having the structure:

 wherein x and y are integers reflecting the respective polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide blocks of said copolymer; and the polyoxyethylene component of the block copolymer constitutes less than 50 weight percent of the block copolymer;

 wherein said block copolymer has a Ross-Miles foam height (ASTM designation D-1173-53; 0.1%, at 50° C.) of less than 1 mm; and

(b) neutralizing said hydrogen peroxide by catalytic decomposition.

37. A method of disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 36 , wherein said step of neutralizing comprises contacting said solution with a metal catalyst.

38. A method of disinfecting a contact lens as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the lens is ready for insertion into the eye without a step of manually rubbing the lens.