US4494954A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for producing colored contact lens
Assignee: RICKY CONTACT LENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE Inc A CORP OF JAPAN
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Filing: 1982-12-15
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Granted: 1985-01-22
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Expires: 2002-12-15
Abstract
Abstract A uniformly colored shaped article which is resistant to discoloration and fading can be produced by immersing a shaped article, particularly a contact lens, consisting of a polymer of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylates and methacrylates in a dyeing solution prepared by dissolving a water-soluble dye in a solvent capable of swelling said polymer, to swell and color the shaped article, and then drying the swollen shaped article.
Inventors
- 👤 Taro Suminoe
- 👤 Tetsuo Ito
- 👤 Yasuhiro Kiyomatsu
- 👤 Takao Shimizu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:48
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29D; B29D11/00; B29D11/00865; B29D11/00894; B29D11/00903; B29D11/00009; B29D11/00038; D; D06; D06P; D06P1/00; D06P1/90; D06P1/92; D06P1/922; D06P1/924; D06P1/926; D06P3/00; G; G02; G02B; G02B1/00; G02B1/04; G02B1/041; G02B1/043
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A process for producing a color shaped article, comprising: (a) immersing a shaped article consisting of a substantially non-hydrous polymer of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylates and methacrylates in a dyeing solution prepared by dissolving a water-soluble dye in a solvent capable or swelling said polymer; said solvent being used alone or in combination with up to 20 parts by weight of water or up to 10 parts by weight of an aqueous alkaline reducing solution per 100 parts by weight of the solvent, (b) swelling and coloring the shaped article, and then (c) drying the swollen shaped article.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A process for producing a color shaped article, comprising: (a) immersing a shaped article consisting of a substantially non-hydrous polymer of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylates and methacrylates in a dyeing solution prepared by dissolving a water-soluble dye in a solvent capable or swelling said polymer; said solvent being used alone or in combination with up to 20 parts by weight of water or up to 10 parts by weight of an aqueous alkaline reducing solution per 100 parts by weight of the solvent, (b) swelling and coloring the shaped article, and then (c) drying the swollen shaped article.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the shaped article is a contact lens.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, i-propyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, i-butyl acrylate, t-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, i-propyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, i-butyl methacrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate and n-octyl methacrylate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a copolymer with a polyfunctional monomer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein the polymer is a copolymer with a polyfunctional monomer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein the polyfunctional monomer is a compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, allyl acrylate and vinyl-substituted benzylacrylate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein the amount of the polyfunctional monomer copolymerized is 0.1 to 50 mole % based on the total amount of the acrylates, methacrylates and the polyfunctional monomers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, ketones, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ethers and esters.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, dichloromethane, chloroform, diethyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethyl acetate, methyl formate, ethyl formate and butyl formate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the dye concentration in the dyeing solution is 0.001 to 10% by weight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 9, wherein the immersion time is 10 seconds to 2 hours.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the dye is selected from the group consisting of direct dyes, acidic dyes, basic dyes and water-soluble vat dyes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the dye is selected from the group consisting of direct dyes, acidic dyes and basic dyes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored shaped article obtained by the process according to claim 1.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 2.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 3.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 4.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 7.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 8.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
A colored contact lens obtained by the process according to claim 13.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the solvent contains 1 to 20 parts by weight of water per 100 parts by weight of the solvent.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the solvent contains 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of the aqueous alkaline reducing solution per 100 parts by weight of the solvent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the aqueous alkaline reducing solution is prepared by adding 5 to 20 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide and 3 to 20 parts by weight of sodium hyposulfite to 100 parts by weight of water.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process of claim 22, wherein the aqueous alkaline reducing solution is prepared by adding 5 to 20 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide and 3 to 20 parts by weight of sodium hyposulfite to 100 parts by weight of water.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-01-22 | 1988-07-23 | 1989-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-01-22 | 1992-07-23 | 1993-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-01-22 | 1996-07-23 | 1997-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |