Hydrophilic copolymers, the use thereof as biomedical materials and contact-optical articles produced therefrom

Claim 2

A hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer have a water absorption capacity of 25 to about 80 parts by weight based on the hydrated state, and consisting essentially copolymerized monomeric units: (A) 28 to 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) from 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of methacrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 part by weight of a polyfunctional (meth)acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl or allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 3

A hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer according to claim 1 having a water absorption capacity of 40 to 80 parts by weight, based on the hydrated state.

Claim 4

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that the content of component (A) is 45 to 65 parts by weight.

Claim 5

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that the content of component (B) is 4 to 15 parts by weight.

Claim 6

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that the content of component (C) is 20 to 51 parts by weight.

Claim 7

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that the content of component (D) is 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight.

Claim 8

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that the content of component (E) is 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight.

Claim 9

A copolymer according to claim 1, characterised in that component (C) is methyl methacrylate.

Claim 10

Contact optical articles which directly contact living tissue in use which comprise the hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer having a water absorption capacity of 25 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the hydrated state, and comprising as copolymerized monomeric units: (A) 28 to 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) from 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of methacrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 part by weight of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl or allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 11

Contact optical articles which directly contact living tissue in use which comprise the hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer having a water absorption capacity of 25 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the hydrated state, and comprising as copolymerized monomeric units: (A) 28 to 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) from 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of methacrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 part by weight of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl or allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 12

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein the content of component (A) is 45 to 65 parts by weight.

Claim 13

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein the content of component (B) is 4 to 15 parts by weight.

Claim 14

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein the content of component (C) is 20 to 51 parts by weight.

Claim 15

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein the content of component (D) is 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight.

Claim 16

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein the content of component (E) is 0.1 to 1.0 parts by weight.

Claim 17

Contact optical articles according to claim 9 wherein component (C) is methyl methacrylate.

Claim 18

Contact optical article according to claim 9 wherein the article is a hydrophilic soft lense.

Claim 19

Contact optical article according to claim 16 wherein the lense has a thickness at its center of from 0.03 to 0.15 mm for a minus lense and from 0.08 to 0.3 mm for a plus lense.

Claim 20

Contact optical article according to claim 9 wherein the article is a scleral lense.

Claim 21

Contact optical article according to claim 9 wherein the article is an aphakia lense with a center thickness of from 0.1 to 0.4 mm.

Claim 22

A cylindrical disc-shaped blank for use in the manufacture of contact optical articles which comprises a hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer having a water absorption capacity of 25 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the hydrated states, and comprising as copolymerized monomeric units: (A) 28 t 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) from 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of meth-acrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 part by weight of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl of allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 23

A cylindrical disc-shaped blank for use in the manufacture of contact optical articles which comprises a hydrophilic cross-linked copolymer having a water absorption capacity of 25 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the hydrated states, and comprising as copolymerized monomeric units: (A) 28 t 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) from 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of meth-acrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 part by weight of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl of allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 24

A blank according to claim 20 wherein the content of component (A) is 45 to 65 parts by weight.

Claim 25

A blank according to claim 20 wherein the content of component (B) is 4 to 15 parts by weight.

Claim 26

A blank according to claim 20 wherein the content of component C) is 20 to 51 parts by weight.

Claim 27

A blank according to claim 20 wherein the content of component (D) is 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight.

Claim 28

A blank according to claim 20 wherein the content of component E) is 0.1 to 1.0 parts by weight.

Claim 29

A blank according to claim 20 wherein component (C) is methyl methacrylate.

Claim 30

A process for the production of hydrophilic, cross-linked copolymers as claimed in claim 1 wherein: (A) 28 to 70 parts by weight of N-vinyl pyrrolidone, (B) 2 to 20 parts by weight of N-methyl-vinyl acetamide, (C) 10.0 to 70 parts by weight of an ester of meth-acrylic acid containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the alcohol portion, (D) 0 to 1 parts by weight of a polyfunctional (meth) acrylic acid ester cross-linking agent, (E) 0.01 to 1.5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional vinyl or allyl cross-linking agent, and (F) 0 to 30 parts by weight of monomers which copolymerize with (A), (B) and (C), are polymerized by radical polymerization in a cylindrical vessel equipped with a plunger under a pressure of about 0.4 bar provided by the plunger, under fluorescent light for about three days at about 40° C., whereupon the vessel is emptied and the polymer allowed to swell in water.

Claim 31

A process for the production of hydrophilic, cross-linked copolymers as claimed in claim 1 wherein monomers (A) through (F) are copolymerized in the presence of up to 200 parts by weight of ethylene glycol by radical polymerization at about 20° to 120° C.

Claim 32

In the method of preparing a contact lense from a polymeric blank by cutting the blank to a predetermined configuration, the improvement comprises cutting a polymeric blank as claimed in claim 20 to a center thickness of from 0.03 to 0.15 mm for a minus lense and 0.08 to 0.3 mm for a plus lense.

Claim 33

In a method of increasing the supply of oxygen to eye tissue of a contact lense wearer, the improvement compises said lense being a lense as claimed in claim 16.