Copolymer of hydroxyalkyl methacrylate and polyvinylpyrrolidone

Abstract

A polymeric plastic material suitable for contact lenses, dental liners and other prosthetic devices, intrauterine devices, and other devices to be used in or in the treatment of the body. It is made from a monomer having the ##STR1## wherein n is 2 or 3, polymerized with polyvinyl pyrrolidone or polyvinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer. The application also discloses procedures for making contact lenses, dental liners, and intrauterine devices from such polymeric material.

I claim: 
     
       1. A water-insoluble polymeric material, which material is swellable in water to a limited extent, consisting essentially of a monomer having the formula ##STR3## wherein n is 2 or 3 graft polymerized upon about 1 to 70 percent by weight of polyvinylpyrrolidone or of vinylpyrrolidone-vinylacetate copolymer. 
     
     
       2. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein the value of small n is 2. 
     
     
       3. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein the amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone or of said copolymer is about 10 to 50 percent. 
     
     
       4. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein said monomer is graft copolymerized with polyvinylpyrrolidone. 
     
     
       5. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein said monomer is graft copolymerized with said vinyl copolymer. 
     
     
       6. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein the molecular weight of the polyvinylpyrrolidone or copolymer is about 10,000 to 160,000. 
     
     
       7. A polymeric material as described in claim 5 wherein the polyvinyl copolymer has a ratio of polyvinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate of about 25/75 to about 75/25. 
     
     
       8. A polymeric material as described in claim 1 wherein the monomer has the formula described in which n is 2, the polyvinylpyrrolidone having molecular weight from about 20,000 to 60,000 is used as the basis for graft polymerization and the amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone is about from 5 to 30 percent by weight. 
     
     
       9. A contact lens made from the polymeric material described in claim 1. 
     
     
       10. A dental prosthetic device having as a liner adapted to contact the body, material described in claim 1. 
     
     
       11. An intrauterine device constructed of polymeric material described in claim 1.