Contact lens packaging solutions
The present invention relates to improved contact lens products which not only have an improved and sustainable wettability. The contact lens product of the invention comprises a soft hydrogel contact lens immersed and autoclaved in a packaging solution including a polyoxyethylene-polyoxybutylene block copolymer and a high molecular weight copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone and at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer. The present invention also provides methods for making contact lens products of the invention.
1. An ophthalmic product, comprising a sealed and sterilized package which includes a first packaging solution and a soft hydrogel contact lens which has been immersed and autoclaved in the first packaging solution in the sealed package,
wherein the first packaging solution is a first buffered saline which includes a surfactant which is a poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer and from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of a lubricant which is a copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone and at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer, wherein the copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone and at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer has a molecular weight of at least 50,000 Daltons, wherein the amino-containing vinylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of alkylaminoalkylmethacrylate having 8-15 carbon atoms,
alkylaminoalkylacrylate having 7-15 carbon atoms, dialkylaminoalkylmethacrylate having 8-20 carbon atoms, dialkylaminoalkylacrylate having 7-20 carbon atoms, and N-vinylalkylamide having 3-10 carbon atoms,
wherein the packaging solution has a pH of from about 6.0 to about 8.0, an osmolality of from about 200 to about 450 mOsm/kg, and a viscosity of up to about 5.0 centipoises at 25° C.,
wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a reduction-in-water-contact-angle, designated as R WCA , of at least about 40%, wherein
R
WCA
=
WCA
c
-
WCA
t
_
_
WCA
c
_
⨯
100
%
in which WCA c is the water contact angle of a control hydrogel contact lens immersed and autoclaved in a second buffered saline as control and WCA t is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens immersed and autoclaved in the first buffered saline, wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a sustainable wettability as characterized by having a wearing-induced increase in water contact angle, designated “Δ WCA wearing ”, of about 50% or less, wherein
Δ
WCA
wearing
_
=
WCA
16
H
_
-
WCA
OOP
_
WCA
OOP
_
in which WCA OOP is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens and is measured directly out of the package and WCA 16H is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens and is measured after being transferred from the package to a container containing 1 mL of a phosphate buffered saline (pH=7.0 to 7.4) and then fully immersed and gently agitated in the phosphate buffered saline for 16 hours at 34° C.
2. The ophthalmic product of claim 1 , wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a sustainable wettability characterized by having a blinking-induced increase in water contact angle, designated “Δ WCA blinking ”, of about 250% or less, wherein
Δ
WCA
blinking
_
=
WCA
10
_
-
WCA
0
_
WCA
0
_
in which WCA 0 is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens which is measured directly out of the package, and WCA 10 is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens which is measured after 10-cycles of wetting/drying treatment.
3. The ophthalmic product of claim 2 , wherein the amino-containing vinylic monomer is dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate or dimethylaminoethylacrylate.
4. The ophthalmic product of claim 3 , wherein the poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer is a di-block copolymer of formula (I)
(EO) m (BO) n (I)
wherein m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000 and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to 1000, provided that the value of m/n is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
5. The ophthalmic product of claim 4 , wherein the di-block copolymer has formula (II)
wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl; m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000; and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to 1000, provided that the value of m/n is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
6. The ophthalmic product of claim 5 , wherein in formula (II) R is methyl; m has an average value of 45; and n has an average value of 10.
7. The ophthalmic product of claim 5 , wherein the packaging solution comprises from about 0.001% to about 1% by weight of the poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer.
8. The ophthalmic product of claim 7 , wherein the hydrogel contact lens is a silicone hydrogel contact lens.
9. The ophthalmic product of claim 8 , wherein the silicone hydrogel contact lens has a plasma coating thereon.
10. The ophthalmic product of claim 8 , wherein the silicone hydrogel contact lens has at least one property selected from the group consisting of: an oxygen permeability of at least about 60 barrers; an elastic modulus of about 1.5 MPa or less; a water content of from about 15% to about 70% by weight when fully hydrated; a water contact angle of about 40 degrees or less; and combinations thereof.
11. The ophthalmic product of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogel contact lens includes one or more leachable lubricant therein.
12. A process for making a soft hydrogel contact lens, comprising the steps of:
a) placing and sealing a hydrogel contact lens in a package containing a first packaging solution, wherein the first packaging solution is a first buffered saline which includes a surfactant which is a poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer and from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of a lubricant which is a copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone and at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer, wherein the copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone and at least one amino-containing vinylic monomer has a molecular weight of at least 50,000 Daltons, wherein the amino-containing vinylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of alkylaminoalkylmethacrylate having 8-15 carbon atoms, alkylaminoalkylacrylate having 7-15 carbon atoms, dialkylaminoalkylmethacrylate having 8-20 carbon atoms, dialkylaminoalkylacrylate having 7-20 carbon atoms, and N-vinylalkylamide having 3-10 carbon atoms, wherein the packaging solution has a pH of from about 6.0 to about 8.0, an osmolality of from about 200 to about 450 mOsm/kg, and a viscosity of up to about 5.0 centipoises at 25° C.; and
b) autoclaving the sealed package with the hydrogel contact lens therein for at least about 30 minutes to obtain the soft contact lens,
wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a reduction-in-water-contact-angle, designated as R WCA , of at least about 40%, wherein
R
WCA
=
WCA
c
-
WCA
t
_
_
WCA
c
_
⨯
100
%
in which WCA c is the water contact angle of a control hydrogel contact lens immersed and autoclaved in a second buffered saline as control and WCA t is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens immersed and autoclaved in the first buffered saline, wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a sustainable wettability as characterized by having a wearing-induced increase in water contact angle, designated “Δ WCA wearing ”, of about 50% or less, wherein
Δ
WCA
wearing
_
=
WCA
16
H
_
-
WCA
OOP
_
WCA
OOP
_
in which WCA OOP is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens and is measured directly out of the package and WCA 16H is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens and is measured after being transferred from the package to a container containing 1 mL of a phosphate buffered saline having a pH of 7.0 to 7.4) and then fully immersed and gently agitated in the phosphate buffered saline for 16 hours at 34° C.
13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the soft hydrogel contact lens has a sustainable wettability as further characterized by having a blinking-induced increase in water contact angle, designated “Δ WCA blinking ”, of about 250% or less, wherein
Δ
WCA
blinking
_
=
WCA
10
_
-
WCA
0
_
WCA
0
_
in which WCA 0 is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens which is measured directly out of the package, and WCA 10 is the water contact angle of the hydrogel contact lens which is measured after 10-cycles of wetting/drying treatment.
14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the amino-containing vinylic monomer is dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate or dimethylaminoethylacrylate.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer is a di-block copolymer of formula (I)
(EO) m (BO) n (I)
wherein m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000 and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to 1000, provided that the value of m/n is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the di-block copolymer has formula (II)
wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl; m is an integer having an average value of 10 to 1000; and n is an integer having an average value of 5 to 1000, provided that the value of m/n is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
17. The process of claim 16 , wherein in formula (II) R is methyl; m has an average value of 45; and n has an average value of 10.
18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the packaging solution comprises from about 0.001% to about 1% by weight of the poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymer.
19. The process of claim 16 , wherein the hydrogel contact lens is a silicone hydrogel contact lens.
20. The ophthalmic product of claim 19 , wherein the silicone hydrogel contact lens comprises a plasma coating thereon, and/or includes one or more leachable lubricant therein.