METHOD FOR MAKING NOVEL COMPOSITIONS CAPABLE OF POST FABRICATION MODIFICATION
The invention relates to a novel method for preparing materials whose properties can be manipulated after fabrication. In this process, a base material is created in a manner that provides spaces or voids which can then be filled with a modifying composition. The method is particularly useful in the manufacture of light adjustable optical elements such as intraocular lenses.
1 - 12 . (canceled)
13 . A method for making an adjustable material, comprising:
forming an acrylate-derived, porous base material from a composition; and
impregnating the base material with a silicon-derived and/or acrylate-derived photopolymerizable modifier by diffusing the modifier into the base material,
wherein upon stimulus-induced photopolymerization of the modifier, the refractive power of the adjustable material is changed by adjusting the refractive index, shape or both.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the base material comprises a hydrophilic material.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the stimulus is light.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the light is ultraviolet (UV) light.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the base material is formed in the shape of an optical element.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the base material is a polymer comprising poly-acrylates, poly-methacrylates, poly-vinyls, poly-siloxanes, or poly-phosphazenes.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the base material is a co-polymer further comprising polyacrylate, poly-methacrylate, polyvinyl, polysiloxane and/or poly-phosphazene.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the modifier has the general formula:
X—Y—X 1 ,
wherein Y is a siloxane group having the general formula:
wherein m and n are integers and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl, and
wherein X has the general formula:
and X 1 has the general structure:
wherein R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl and Z is a photopolymerizable group.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the photopolymerizable group is selected from the group consisting of acrylate, allyloxy, cinnamoyl, methacrylate, and vinyl.
22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the modifier is an acrylate-based modifier having the general formula:
Q-A-B-A-Q 1 ,
wherein A has the general formula selected from the group consisting of
and
wherein m and n are integers and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyls, halogenated alkyls, phenyl, hydrogen and aryl, and
wherein B is a dihalide containing acrylate initiator, and
wherein Q and Q 1 are photopolymerizable groups.
23 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the modifier has the general formula:
wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyls, halogenated alkyls, aryls and hydrogen, m and n are integers, and
wherein Q and Q 1 are photopolymerizable groups.
24 . The modifier of claim 23 , wherein the photopolymerizable groups are selected from the group consisting of acrylate, allyloxy, cinnamoyl, methacrylate, and vinyl.
25 . An apparatus, comprising:
an adjustable material comprising:
an acrylate-derived porous base material impregnated with a silicon-derived and/or acrylate-derived photopolymerizable modifier, wherein upon stimulus-induced photopolymerization of the modifier, the refractive power of the adjustable material is changed by adjusting the refractive index, or shape, or both.
26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the base material comprises a hydrophilic material.
27 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a spectacle lens, a mirror, a contact lens, a telescopic lens, a recordable needle, and an intraocular lens.
28 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein polymerization of the modifier induces changes in the properties of the adjustable material.
29 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the base material comprises at least one of poly-acrylates, poly-methacrylates, poly-vinyls, poly-siloxanes, poly-phosphazenes, or a copolymer thereof.
30 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the base material comprises a porous matrix comprising pores, wherein the pores are occupied by the modifier.
31 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the photopolymerizable modifier is polymerizable by light.
32 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the photopolymerizable modifier is polymerizable by ultraviolet light.