Method for simultaneously cleaning and disinfecting contact lenses

Claim 1

A method for the simultaneous cleaning and disinfecting of contact lenses which method comprises contacting the lenses with an aqueous solution comprised of (1) a disinfecting composition consisting essentially of peroxidase, iodide and hydrogen peroxide with the concentration of peroxide being insufficient to function, of itself, as a bacteriocidal agent for said solution, (2) an effective amount of a proteolytic enzyme sufficient to remove protein accretions from said lenses, and (3) an effective amount of a thiol agent for controlling the color of the solution substantially independent of the cleaning action of said proteolytic enzyme with the introduction of said thiol agent being effective only after oxidation of at least 25 percent of the iodide ions said thiol agent is selected from the group consisting of: sodium thiosulfate, dithiothreitol, dithioerythritol, dithiobenzoic acid and cystamine.

Claim 2

A method for the simultaneous cleaning and disinfecting of contact lenses which method comprises contacting the lenses with an aqueous solution comprised of (1) a disinfecting composition consisting essentially of peroxidase, iodide and hydrogen peroxide with the concentration of peroxide being insufficient to function, of itself, as a bacteriocidal agent for said solution, (2) an effective amount of a proteolytic enzyme sufficient to remove protein accretions from said lenses, and (3) an effective amount of a thiol agent for controlling the color of the solution substantially independent of the cleaning action of said proteolytic enzyme with the introduction of said thiol agent being effective only after oxidation of at least 25 percent of the iodide ions said thiol agent is selected from the group consisting of: sodium thiosulfate, dithiothreitol, dithioerythritol, dithiobenzoic acid and cystamine.