Polymer Composition and Methods Using Said Polymer Composition to Manufacture Ophthalmic Lens

Abstract

The present invention proposes a polymer composition of manufacturing ophthalmic lens by polymerization of polymerizable composition wherein the shrinkage phenomenon is minimized. The polymerizable composition comprised two different categories of monomers which are able during crosslinking to control and limit said chemical shrinkage. The present invention comprises also ophthalmic lens obtained from said polymer composition using a manufacturing process of casting or additive manufacturing.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A polymer composition obtained by polymerization of a polymerizable composition comprising at least:
 a monomer or oligomer (A) comprising at least one reactive group further defined as an epoxy, thioepoxy, epoxysilane, (meth)acrylate, thio(meth)acrylate, vinyl, urethane, thiourethane, isocyanate, mercapto, or alcohol group, wherein the monomer (A) shrinks during polymerization; and   a monomer (B) comprising at least a non-aromatic cyclic group wherein during polymerization the cyclic group opens and reacts with another molecule of monomer (B) and/or with a reactive group of monomer or oligomer (A);   
       wherein the monomer (B) expands during polymerization. 
     
     
         23 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , wherein monomer or oligomer (A) comprises from 99% to 1% by weight of the total weight of polymer composition and monomer (B) comprises from 99% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the polymer composition. 
     
     
         24 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , wherein monomer (B) is a cyclic group that is monocyclic or polycyclic, substituted or unsubstituted, without aromaticity properties, and further defined as a cyclic sulfate, spiroorthoester, bicyclic-ortho ester, cyclic carbonate, spiroorthocarbonate, bicyclic ketal lactone, and/or combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , wherein at least part of a reactive group of monomer or oligomer (A) reacts with at least part of a reactive group of monomer (B) after the opening of the cyclic group, to form a copolymer of monomer (A) and (B) during polymerization process. 
     
     
         26 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the reactive group of monomer or oligomer (A) reacts only with a reactive group of another molecule of monomer or oligomer (A) to form a homopolymer (A) during polymerization process; and   the reactive group resulting from the opening of the cyclic part of monomer (B) reacts only with the reactive group of another molecule of monomer (B) to form a homopolymer (B) during polymerization process;   
       wherein no phase separation appears between homopolymer (A) and homopolymer (B). 
     
     
         27 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , wherein a ratio of monomer (B) to monomer or oligomer (A) is increased proportionally with an increasing number of reactive groups present in each monomer or oligomer (A). 
     
     
         28 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , comprising an amount of monomer (B) to reduce the shrinkage of the composition to less than 5%. 
     
     
         29 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , comprising an amount of monomer (B) to reduce the shrinkage of the composition to 0%. 
     
     
         30 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , further comprising a polymerization initiator further defined as a photo-initiator, a thermal initiator, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The polymer composition of  claim 22 , comprising at least one further additive further defined as a co-initiator, inhibitor, dye, pigment, UV absorber, fragrance, deodorant, surface active agent, surfactant, binder, antioxidant, optical brightener, and/or anti-yellowing agent. 
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens comprising:
 casting a polymerizable composition of  claim 22  between two molds having surface geometries; and   polymerizing the composition photochemically or by heating to obtain an ophthalmic lens.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising annealing the ophthalmic lens. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 adding at least one functional coating and/or a functional film, on at least one face of the ophthalmic lens.   
     
     
         35 . A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens, wherein a polymerizable composition according to  claim 22  is manufactured by an additive manufacturing process comprising:
 1) constituting voxels of the polymerizable composition; 
 2) increasing viscosity of at least the constituted voxel; 
 3) optionally inter-diffusing at least a voxel, wherein viscosity is increased, into another voxel, through a physical and/or a chemical treatment; and 
 4) repeating 1), 2), and, optionally 3) in a same or different order according to reactive groups involved in monomer (A) and monomer (B) of the polymerizable composition to form a transparent ophthalmic lens. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein each voxel comprises the same polymerizable composition comprising at least a monomer or oligomer (A) and a monomer (B). 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein voxels comprise different polymerizable compositions such that some voxels comprise a first polymerizable composition comprising monomer or oligomer (A) and monomer (B), and some other voxels comprise a different polymerizable composition comprising a monomer or oligomer (A′) and monomer (B′), wherein (A′) is chemically different than (A), and (B′) is chemically different than (B). 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein increasing the viscosity comprises:
 a crosslinking process, which could be initiated by cationic reaction, by free radical reaction or by condensation reaction by applying activating light or thermal treatment to liquid composition;   an evaporation process; and/or   a process consisting of submitting a liquid composition to a temperature which is below the temperature used at the deposition step of the voxel.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein increasing the viscosity comprises evaporation of a solvent comprised in a liquid composition. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein inter-diffusing comprises:
 spontaneous inter-diffusion; and/or   induced inter-diffusion, via a process comprising exposure to radiation, mechanical agitation, decrease of molecular mass of voxel, and/or exposure to a solvent.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising applying at least one post-treatment to improve homogenization of the transparent ophthalmic lens. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the post-treatment step comprises at least one of:
 a crosslinking process initiated by cationic reaction, free radical reaction, or a condensation reaction by applying activating light or thermal treatment to the liquid composition;   an annealing process; and/or   a drying process by thermal treatment or solvent extraction.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises a 3D printing process or a stereolithography process. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 adding at least one functional coating and/or a functional film, on at least one face of the ophthalmic lens.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the functionality of the coating and/or the film is further defined as impact resistance, anti-abrasion, anti-soiling, anti-static, anti-reflective, anti-fog, anti-rain, self-healing, polarization, tint, photochromic, and/or selective wavelength filter further defined as an absorption filter, a reflective filter, an interferential filter and/or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the transparent ophthalmic lens is further defined as a blank lens, a semi-finished lens, a finished lens, or a lens adapted to a see-through head-mounted display. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the transparent ophthalmic lens is further defined as an afocal, unifocal, bifocal, trifocal, or progressive lens;   the ophthalmic lens is adapted for mounting to either a traditional frame comprising two distinctive ophthalmic lenses, one for a right eye and one for a left eye, or to a mask, visor, helmet sight or goggle, wherein one ophthalmic lens faces simultaneously a right and a left eye; and/or   the ophthalmic lens has a round geometry or a geometry fitted to the geometry of an intended frame.