RIGID GAS PERMEABLE PREPOLYMER AND RIGID GAS PERMEABLE CONTACT LENS FORMED THEREFROM

1 . A rigid gas permeable prepolymer comprising a reaction product of (a) a rigid gas permeable-forming prepolymer comprising (i) monomeric units derived from a bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group; and (ii) monomeric units derived from a hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group; and (b) a monomer having a reactive functionality complementary to one of the one or more reactive functionalities of the hydrophilic monomer and a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group complementary to an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group of a rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomer.

2 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is one or more of a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl (meth)acrylic monomer, and a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl carbamate monomer.

3 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl (meth)acrylic monomer represented by a structure of Formula I:

wherein X denotes —O— or —NR 3 —, where each R 3 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 4 alkyl group; R 1 independently denotes hydrogen or methyl; each R 2 independently denotes an alkyl radical, a phenyl radical or a group represented by the following structure:

wherein each R 2′ independently denotes an alkyl radical or a phenyl radical; and h is 1 to 10; or a bulky silicone-containing monomer represented by a structure of Formula II:

wherein X denotes —NR 3 — wherein R 3 denotes hydrogen or a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; R 1 denotes hydrogen or methyl; each R 2 independently denotes an alkyl radical, a phenyl radical or a group represented by the following structure:

wherein each R 2′ independently denotes an alkyl radical or a phenyl radical; and h is 1 to 10.

4 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is a hydrophilic monomer having one or more of a hydroxyl, amino and a carboxylic acid reactive functionality and an acrylate or methacrylate end group.

5 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), glycerol methacrylate, glycerol acrylate, polyethylene glycol methacrylate, polyethylene glycol acrylate, and N-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide.

6 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the monomer having a reactive functionality complementary to one of the one or more reactive functionalities of the hydrophilic monomer and a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group complementary to an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group of a rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomer is one or more of 2-isocyanatoethyl acrylate, 3-isocyanatopropyl acrylate, 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate, 1-methyl-2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate, 1,1-dimethy 1-2-isocyanatoethyl acrylate, and (meth)acryloyl chloride.

7 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , wherein a number of monomeric units derived from a bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is from about 30 to about 500 units and a number of monomeric units derived from a hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is from about 10 to about 100 units.

8 . The rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional monomeric units derived from one or more monofunctional silicone comonomers having an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group.

9 . A rigid gas permeable contact lens which is a polymerization product of a monomeric mixture comprising:

(a) a rigid gas permeable prepolymer comprising a reaction product of (i) a rigid gas permeable-forming prepolymer comprising (1) monomeric units derived from a bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group; and (2) monomeric units derived from a hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group; and (ii) a monomer having a reactive functionality complementary to one of the one or more reactive functionalities of the hydrophilic monomer and a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group complementary to an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group of a rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomer; and

(b) one or more rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomers having an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group.

10 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is one or more of a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl (meth)acrylic monomer, and a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl carbamate monomer, and the hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is a hydrophilic monomer having one or more of a hydroxyl, amino and a carboxylic acid reactive functionality and an acrylate or methacrylate end group.

11 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is a bulky polysiloxanylalkyl (meth)acrylic monomer represented by a structure of Formula I:

wherein X denotes —O— or —NR 3 —, where each R 3 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 4 alkyl group; R 1 independently denotes hydrogen or methyl; each R 2 independently denotes an alkyl radical, a phenyl radical or a group represented by the following structure:

wherein each R 2′ independently denotes an alkyl radical or a phenyl radical; and h is 1 to 10; or a bulky silicone-containing monomer represented by a structure of Formula II:

wherein X denotes —NR 3 — wherein R 3 denotes hydrogen or a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; R 1 denotes hydrogen or methyl; each R 18 independently denotes an alkyl radical, a phenyl radical or a group represented by the following structure:

wherein each R 2′ independently denotes an alkyl radical or a phenyl radical; and h is 1 to 10, and the hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), glycerol methacrylate, glycerol acrylate, polyethylene glycol methacrylate, polyethylene glycol acrylate, and N-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide.

12 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 10 , wherein the monomer having a reactive functionality complementary to one of the one or more reactive functionalities of the hydrophilic monomer and a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group complementary to an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group of a rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomer is one or more of 2-isocyanatoethyl acrylate, 3-isocyanatopropyl acrylate, 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate, 1-methyl-2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate, 1,1-dimethy 1-2-isocyanatoethyl acrylate, and (meth)acryloyl chloride.

13 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein a number of monomeric units derived from a bulky siloxane monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is from about 30 to about 500 units and a number of monomeric units derived from a hydrophilic monomer having one or more reactive functionalities and an ethylenically unsaturated reactive end group is from about 10 to about 100 units.

14 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomers comprise one or more vinylaromatic compounds, one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates or both.

15 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more vinylaromatic compounds comprise one or more of styrene and a C 1 to C 6 alkyl-substituted styrene, and the one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates comprise one or more C 1 to C 12 alkyl (meth)acrylates.

16 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the rigid gas permeable prepolymer is present in the monomeric mixture in an amount ranging from about 20 wt. % to about 90 wt. %, based on the total weight of the monomeric mixture, and the one or more rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomers are present in the monomeric mixture in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 80 wt. %, based on the total weight of the monomeric mixture.

17 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the monomeric mixture further comprises one or more of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, a polysiloxane prepolymer represented by a structure of Formula III:

wherein each V is an independently reactive functional end group, R 17 to R 22 are independently straight or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 30 cycloalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C 4 -C 30 cycloalkylalkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 30 cycloalkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 30 aryl group, and a substituted or unsubstituted C 7 -C 30 arylalkyl group, L is independently a linking group and x is from 5 to 100, or both.

18 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , wherein the monomeric mixture is free of any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) materials.

19 . The rigid gas permeable contact lens according to claim 9 , having one or more of an oxygen permeability of at least about 100 barrers and up to 155 barrers and a Shore D hardness of from about 55 to about 80.

20 . A method for making a rigid gas permeable contact lens, comprising:

(a) curing a monomeric mixture in a mold, the monomeric mixture comprising:

(i) a rigid gas permeable prepolymer according to claim 1 ; and

(ii) one or more rigid gas permeable contact lens-forming comonomers having an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group; and

(b) releasing the rigid gas permeable contact lens from the mold.