Lens with colored portion and coated surface
View Patent ↗A lens with a colored portion is composed of a lens-forming polymer having a front lens surface and a back lens surface. A colorant is applied to at least one of these surfaces, and these surfaces may be coated with a coating layer composed of a material different than the lens-forming polymer. In the case of a cosmetic contact lens, the colorant may be applied in an annular ring pattern corresponding to an iris, so that the colorant pattern masks and changes the apparent color of the natural iris when the contact lens is worn.
1. A contact lens comprising a lens-forming polymer, a front lens surface, and a back lens surface, wherein a colorant is applied to the front lens surface exterior or the back lens surface exterior, and the colorant and colorant-containing surface are coated with a coating layer composed of a material different than said lens-forming polymer such that the coating layer covers the colorant and the colorant-containing surface, wherein the coating layer is applied to the colorant-containing surface by at least one of a plasma oxidation or a plasma deposition, and wherein the coating layer has a smoother external surface than the lens surface having colorant applied thereto.
2. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is applied to the front lens surface exterior, and the coating layer covers the colorant and the front lens surface.
3. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is applied to the back lens surface exterior, and the coating layer covers the colorant and the back lens surface.
4. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is applied in a pattern corresponding to an iris.
5. The contact lens of claim 4 , wherein the colorant is applied in an annular pattern corresponding to an iris.
6. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is opaque so as to mask and change the apparent color of the natural iris when the contact lens is worn.
7. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the lens-forming polymer is a hydrogel.
8. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is more hydrophilic than the lens-forming polymer.
9. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is more lubricious than the lens forming polymer.
10. A contact lens comprising a lens-forming polymer, a front lens surface with a first colorant applied to the front surface exterior, and a back lens surface with a second, different colorant to the back surface exterior, wherein the front lens surface and first colorant are coated with a front coating layer and the back lens surface and second colorant are coated with a back coating layer, said front and back coating layers composed of a material different than said lens-forming polymer, wherein the coating layers are applied to the front and back lens surfaces by at least one of a plasma oxidation or a plasma deposition, and wherein the front and back coating layers have smoother external surfaces than the front and back lens surfaces having colorant applied thereto.
11. The contact lens of claim 10 , wherein the one of the first and second colorants is translucent, and the other of the first and second colorants is opaque.
12. The contact lens of claim 10 , wherein the first and second colorants are applied in a pattern corresponding to an iris.
13. The contact lens of claim 12 , wherein the first and second colorants, in combination, form an annular ring pattern corresponding to an iris.
14. The contact lens of claim 13 , wherein the first and second colorants, in combination, mask and change the apparent color of the natural iris when the contact lens is worn.
15. The contact lens of claim 10 , wherein the front and back coating layers are more hydrophilic than the lens-forming polymer.