US4184992A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cross-linked alkyl methacrylate-N-vinyllactam polymer composition for use in soft contact lenses
Assignee: Toray Industries Inc
•
Filing: 1977-11-03
•
Granted: 1980-01-22
•
Expires: 1997-11-03
Abstract
Abstract Provided is a cross-linked polymer composition which can be in a transparent polymeric gel form having an equilibrium water content of at least 60 wt.% for use in soft contact lenses. The cross-linked polymer composition is prepared by polymerizing, using a bulk polymerization procedure, a monomer mixture comprising an alkyl methacrylate and an N-vinyllactam in the presence of a cross-linking agent comprising at least one compound selected from vinyl acrylate, vinyl methacrylate, triallyl isocyanurate and vinyl carboxylates expressed by the formula: R--COOCH═CH.sub.2).sub.n where R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and n is an integer of 2, 3 or 4.
Inventors
- 👤 Shuntaro Hosaka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 21:06
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08F; C08F226/00; C08F226/06; C08F220/00; C08F220/02; C08F220/10; C08F220/12; G; G02; G02B; G02B1/00; G02B1/04; G02B1/041; G02B1/043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A cross-linked polymer composition providing a transparent polymeric gel having an equilibrium water content of at least 60% by weight based on the weight of the polymeric gel for use in soft contact lenses, which polymer composition is prepared by polymerizing, using a bulk polymerization procedure, a monomer mixture consisting essentially of an alkyl methacrylate and an N-vinyllactam in the presence of at least one cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of vinyl acrylate, vinyl methacrylate, triallyl isocyanurate and vinyl carboxylates expressed by the formula: R--COOCH═CH.sub.2).sub.n where R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and n is an integer of 2, 3 or 4.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A cross-linked polymer composition providing a transparent polymeric gel having an equilibrium water content of at least 60% by weight based on the weight of the polymeric gel for use in soft contact lenses, which polymer composition is prepared by polymerizing, using a bulk polymerization procedure, a monomer mixture consisting essentially of an alkyl methacrylate and an N-vinyllactam in the presence of at least one cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of vinyl acrylate, vinyl methacrylate, triallyl isocyanurate and vinyl carboxylates expressed by the formula: R--COOCH═CH.sub.2).sub.n where R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and n is an integer of 2, 3 or 4.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein the alkyl methacrylate is methyl methacrylate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein the N-vinyllactam is N-vinylpyrrolidone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein said monomer mixture consists essentially of 10 to 40% by weight of an alkyl methacrylate, 60 to 80% by weight of N-vinyllactam and 0 to 20% by weight of at least one other copolymerizable monoethylenically unsaturated monomer, based on the weight of the monomer mixture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein the amount of said cross-linking agent is from 0.01 to 5.0% by mole per mole of the monomer mixture.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein said polymer composition is polymerized in the presence of said cross-linking agent a further cross-linking agent consisting essentially of at least one polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate expressed by the formula: ##STR3## wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 6.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The composition according to claim 6 wherein the amount of the polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate is less than 50% by mole based on the total amount of the cross-linking agent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The composition according to claim 1 which has an extraction retention of 85% to 95% by weight as measured after immersion in water at 100° C. for 16 hours.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein said bulk polymerization is carried out in the presence of a thermally decomposing-type polymerization initiator.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein said bulk polymerization is carried out while the polymerization temperature is increased with the initial and final polymerization temperatures being from 10° to 50° C. and from 90° to 160° C., respectively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The composition according to claim 1 wherein said bulk polymerization is carried out within a tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
A soft contact lens, wearable continuously for a long period of time, which consists essentially of a transparent polymeric gel having an equilibrium water content of at least 60% by weight, based on the weight of the polymeric gel, said polymeric gel consisting essentially of the cross-linked polymer composition defined in claim 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-01-21 | 1983-07-23 | 1984-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-01-21 | 1987-07-23 | 1988-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-01-21 | 1991-07-23 | 1992-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |