Method of making intraocular and contact lens constructions

Claim 1

The method of making a unitary lens and haptic construction integrally formed from the same single composite laminated sheet of two different materials at least one of which materials is transparent and of optical quality and constitutes a relatively thick rigid first ply of said single sheet, the other ply material of said single sheet being relatively thin compared to the thickness of said first ply, said construction comprising a relatively thick rigid central lens component formed exclusively of said first ply material and having a generally circular periphery, and a relatively thin pliant generally annular and radially outwardly extending haptic component formed exclusively of said other ply material in peripherally continuous retained laminated overlap with at least the rim region of said lens component; which method comprises selecting the composite laminated sheet for thickness in said first ply at least sufficient to accommodate ultimate thickness of the lens component and for thickness in said other ply at least sufficient to accomodate ultimate thickness of the haptic component, masking the outer surface of said first ply with a first pattern to determine selective removal of first ply material in the generally annular included area of the haptic component to exclusion of a central circular area sized for area accommodation of the lens component, masking the outer surface of said other ply with a second pattern that is in concentrically aligned register with the center of the first pattern, the second pattern being configurated to mask a narrow annulus of rim overlap with said central circular area and to mask haptic outward leg-defining formations contiguous to said narrow annulus and within the generally annular included area of the haptic component, subjecting each of the masked sides of the composite sheet to an eroding environment which is specific to the applicable masked ply, the erosion exposure of the masked first ply being sufficient to erode through first-ply thickness, the erosion exposure of the masked other ply being sufficient to erode through other-ply thickness, removing the masks, and thereafter forming a lens curvature in at least one of the surfaces of the lens component.

Claim 2

The method of making a unitary lens and haptic construction integrally formed from the same single composite laminated sheet of two different materials at least one of which materials is transparent and of optical quality and constitutes a relatively thick rigid first ply of said single sheet, the other ply material of said single sheet being relatively thin compared to the thickness of said first ply, said construction comprising a relatively thick rigid central lens component formed exclusively of said first ply material and having a generally circular periphery, and a relatively thin pliant generally annular and radially outwardly extending haptic component formed exclusively of said other ply material in peripherally continuous retained laminated overlap with at least the rim region of said lens component; which method comprises selecting the composite laminated sheet for thickness in said first ply at least sufficient to accommodate ultimate thickness of the lens component and for thickness in said other ply at least sufficient to accomodate ultimate thickness of the haptic component, masking the outer surface of said first ply with a first pattern to determine selective removal of first ply material in the generally annular included area of the haptic component to exclusion of a central circular area sized for area accommodation of the lens component, masking the outer surface of said other ply with a second pattern that is in concentrically aligned register with the center of the first pattern, the second pattern being configurated to mask a narrow annulus of rim overlap with said central circular area and to mask haptic outward leg-defining formations contiguous to said narrow annulus and within the generally annular included area of the haptic component, subjecting each of the masked sides of the composite sheet to an eroding environment which is specific to the applicable masked ply, the erosion exposure of the masked first ply being sufficient to erode through first-ply thickness, the erosion exposure of the masked other ply being sufficient to erode through other-ply thickness, removing the masks, and thereafter forming a lens curvature in at least one of the surfaces of the lens component.