Contact lens treating composition

Claim 2

A substantially isotonic contact lens treating solution consisting essentially of water, a bacteriocide that is non-irritating to the human eye, and a quaternary ammonium amphoteric surfactant selected from: ##STR8## in which R is a C 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical; R 2 is ##STR9## or ##STR10## M and M 1 are alkali metals; X is OH or a sulfate or sulfonate acid group of an anionic surface active agent; R 1 is H or ##STR11## provided, however, when R 1 is hydrogen, M 1 is absent; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; ##STR12## in which R is a hydrophobe C 6 -C 19 hydrocarbon radical; M is an alkali metal; X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; and ##STR13## in which R 1 is a C 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical, R 2 is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; Z is a sulfate or sulfonate group; M is an alkali metal radical; and X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide, said solution having a pH of about 7; said amphoteric surfactant being present in an effective amount but no more than about 1% by weight, and said bacteriocide being present in an amount between approximately 0.01% and 0.015% by weight.

Claim 3

The solution of claim 1 wherein the surfactant is selected from [2-(2-carboxyethyl) ethyl], (2-hydroxyethyl) methyloctadecylammonium methyl sulfate, potassium salt; [2-(2-carboxyethoxy) ethyl] 2-[2-(hydroxyethoxy) ethoxyethyl] methyloctadecenylammonium methyl sulfate, potassium salt; and [2-(2-carboxyethoxy) ethyl] 2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxyethyl] methyldodecylammonium methyl sulfate, potassium salt.

Claim 4

A solution according to claim 1 in which the acid group of an anionic surface-active agent in the heterocyclic compound is a lauryl sulfate or sulfonate group.

Claim 5

A substantially isotonic contact lens treating solution according to claim 2 in which the bacteriocide is benzalkonium chloride.

Claim 6

A substantially isotonic contact lens treating solution consisting essentially of water, a bacteriocide that is non-irritating to the human eye selected from an alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate, nonylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol-iodine complex or chlorohexidine, and a quaternary ammonium amphoteric sufactant selected from: ##STR14## in which R is a C 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical; R 2 is ##STR15## or ##STR16## M and M 1 are alkali metals; X is OH or a sulfate or sulfonate acid group of an anionic surface active agent; R 1 is H or ##STR17## provided, however, when R 1 is hydrogen, M 1 is absent; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; ##STR18## in which R is a hydrophobe C 6 -C 19 hydrocarbon radical; M is an alkali metal; X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; and ##STR19## in which R 1 is a c 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical, R 2 is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; Z is a sulfate or sulfonate group; M is an alkali metal radical; and X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide, said solution having a pH of about 7; said amphoteric surfactant being present in an effective amount but no more than about 1% by weight, and said bacteriocide being present in an amount between approximately 0.01% and 0.015% by weight.

Claim 7

A substantially isotonic contact lens treating solution consisting essentially of water, a bacteriocide that is non-irritating to the human eye selected from an alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, sodium ethylmercurithiosalicylate, nonylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol-iodine complex or chlorohexidine, and a quaternary ammonium amphoteric sufactant selected from: ##STR14## in which R is a C 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical; R 2 is ##STR15## or ##STR16## M and M 1 are alkali metals; X is OH or a sulfate or sulfonate acid group of an anionic surface active agent; R 1 is H or ##STR17## provided, however, when R 1 is hydrogen, M 1 is absent; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; ##STR18## in which R is a hydrophobe C 6 -C 19 hydrocarbon radical; M is an alkali metal; X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide; and n is an integer from 1 to 40; and ##STR19## in which R 1 is a c 6 -C 18 fatty acid radical, R 2 is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl; Z is a sulfate or sulfonate group; M is an alkali metal radical; and X is a lower alkyl sulfate group or halide, said solution having a pH of about 7; said amphoteric surfactant being present in an effective amount but no more than about 1% by weight, and said bacteriocide being present in an amount between approximately 0.01% and 0.015% by weight.

Claim 8

The method of treating contact lenses which comprises immersing them in the solution of claim 1 for a time sufficient to clean, wet, and soak the lenses, and then removing the lenses from the solution and placing them in the eyes of the user.

Claim 9

The method of treating contact lenses which comprises immersing them in the solution of claim 2 for a time sufficient to clean, wet, and soak the lenses, and then removing the lenses from the solution and placing them immediately in the eyes of the user.