Intraocular lenses made from polymeric compositions and monomers useful in said compositions

Abstract

Ophthalmic lenses, such as intraocular lenses, include crosslinked polymeric materials having a first constituent derived from a first monomeric component selected from the group consisting of 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or methacrylate and mixtures thereof, and a second constituent derived from a second component in an amount effective as a crosslinker in the crosslinked polymeric material. The crosslinked polymeric material has branched chain alkyl groups, in an amount effective to reduce the tackiness of the crosslinked polymeric material relative to a substantially identical crosslinked polymeric material without branched chain alkyl groups.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation in part of and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60 / 106,381 filed Oct. 29, 1998, and entitled Intraocular Lenses Made From Polymeric Compositions.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002](1) Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to ophthalmic lenses made from polymeric compositions and novel monomers useful in said compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to ophthalmic lenses, preferably deformable intraocular lenses, having reduced surface tackiness made from 2-phenylpropylacrylate and / or methacrylate-based polymeric compositions.[0004](2) Description of Related Art[0005]Intraocular lenses (IOLs) have been known for a long time, since shortly after the end of World War II. Such a lens is surgically implanted into a mammalian eye, e.g., human eye, to replace a damaged or diseased natural lens of the eye and restore the patient's vision.[0006]Although IOLs are...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017]New polymeric materials and ophthalmic lenses, for example, IOLs, produced from such polymeric materials have been discovered. The present polymeric materials are derived from 2-phenylpropyl acrylate and / or 2-phenylpropyl methacrylate monomers and provide very useful optical properties in terms of optical clarity and high index of refraction and can be formed into ophthalmic lenses, for example, optics of IOLs which are effectively deformable, preferably foldable, for insertion through small surgical incisions, preferably on the order of about 3 mm or less (in maximum transverse dimension). Importantly, the present compositions and ophthalmic lenses have reduced surface tackiness without requiring the presence of fluoroacrylates, hydrophilic components and without requiring plasma treatment. By selecting the monomeric components used to produce the present compositions and ophthalmic lenses in accordance with the present invention, reduced surface tackiness is achieved with little or no adverse impact on the optical clarity, refractive index, homogeneity, biocompatability, deformability, and cost of production of such compositions and ophthalmic lenses. The present compositions and lenses can be produced using conventional techniques, e.g., conventional polymerization techniques. Thus, the present invention is very effective and easy to practice and results in polymeric compositions and ophthalmic lenses which have outstanding properties.

[0018]In one broad aspect of the present invention, ophthalmic lens bodies are provided which comprise crosslinked polymeric materials or compositions. Such materials comprise a first constituent derived from a first monomeric component selected from acrylates, methacrylates and mixtures thereof. Such first constituent will include at least one of 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or 2-phenylpropyl methacrylate as a monomer. A second constituent is included and is derived from a second component in an amount effective as a cross-linker in the crosslinked polymeric material. The resulting crosslinked polymeric material includes 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or 2-phenylpropyl methacrylate in an amount effective to reduce the tackiness of the crosslinked polymeric material relative to a substantially identical crosslinked polymeric material without branched chain alkyl groups. It has been found that the inclusion of 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or 2-phenylpropyl methacrylate, for example, in the first monomeric component, or portion thereof, unexpectedly provides reduced surface tackiness to the crosslinked polymeric material. Thus, this reduced tackiness is obtained without requiring the presence of a fluoroacrylate or a hydrophilic component and without requiring treating, for example, plasma treating, the surface of the polymeric material.

[0019]The present ophthalmic lens bodies may be in the form of optics of IOLs, contact lenses, corneal implants (for example, corneal onlays and corneal inlays) and other ophthalmic lens bodies. The present lens bodies are particularly useful as optics of IOLs, more preferably deformable IOLs. Because a deformable IOL is adapted to be deformed, that is rolled, folded or otherwise deformed, prior to insertion into the eye, it is important that the IOL optic have a relatively reduced degree of surface tackiness to provide for effective deforming for insertion and / or to allow the optic to effectively regain its original shape in the eye.

[0022]In one embodiment the present crosslinked polymeric material has reduced tackiness relative to a substantially identical crosslinked polymeric material in which the first constituent is replaced by a constituent derived from a monomeric component having a straight chain alkyl group or phenyl-n-alkyl group having about the same number of carbon atoms as the 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or methacrylate included in the first monomeric component, i.e. an acrylate or methacrylate ester having from about 7 to about 9 carbons in the ester chain, such as, e.g. n-octyl or phenylethyl acrylate or methacrylate monomers.

[0023]Advantageously, the crosslinked polymeric material is has an index of refraction of at least about 1.50. Relatively high indexes of refraction allow the ophthalmic lenses, and in particular IOLs, to be conveniently manufactured with relatively high optical powers and the capability of being passed through scleral tunnel incisions of about 3.0 mm or even about 2.8 mm or less. Preferably, the crosslinked polymeric-material includes aryl-containing groups from the 2-phenylpropyl acrylate or 2-phenylpropyl methacrylate monomer in an amount effective to increase the index of refraction of the crosslinked polymeric material relative to the index of refraction of a substantially identical crosslinked polymeric material without the aryl-containing groups.

Problems solved by technology

Deformable IOLs made of acrylic materials can be quite tacky in nature, which tackiness inhibits deforming to a sufficiently small size for insertion through a very small incision and / or may cause handling problems..

However, such hydrophilic constituent may cause a disadvantageous decrease in the index of refraction of the final IOL optic in that some water is included within the copolymer.

However, such plasma treatment does involve an additional manufacturing step.

Also, the non-homogeneous intraocular lens which results from the surface being treated with plasma has the potential of causing problems in the eye.

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