Fluorescent corneal color change device

A daylight fluorescent cosmetic device for changing the apparent color of the eye. Fluorescent and nonfluorescent pigments are added to the monomer before being polymerized to form the hydrophilic device material. Daylight illumination activates the fluorescent pigments which radiate light of the desired color. The colored fluorescent light radiated from the cosmetic device changes the apparent color of the eye.

The desire to change and enhance the apparent color of the eye was recorded 
by the Egyptians five thousand years ago. Cosmetic eye makeup for the eye 
area accounts for the larger percentage of the cosmetic sales. 
PRIOR ART 
Several contact lenses have been produced in an effort to achieve cosmetic 
eye color change. 
One attempt employed a laminated structure with a painted opaque plastic 
member. The result was a thick heavy lens which was difficult to fabricate 
and difficult to wear. A later attempt employed a colored opaque porous 
member surrounding a clear cylinder from which the lens was cut by 
lathing. This resulted in a lens having a pupil and iris pattern and the 
porous member had tendencies to flake and chip at the edge. (U.S. Pat. No. 
3,454,332--Siegel). A third generation of colored lenses provided a thin 
layer of colored opaque markings placed in a clear material. The opaque 
colored markings radiated from the center of the clear material in a 
geometric pattern. 
STATE OF THE ART 
The manufacture of plano or zero power contact lenses is most difficult and 
expensive. A solution has been found by an ocular device with central 
visual aperture. The visual aperture being from 4.0 milimeters to 7.0 
milimeters in diameter surrounded by a circular hydrogel material. The 
edges of the central aperture are tapered on the convex surface thereby 
thinning the device around the aperture. This thinning of the aperture 
edge is necessary to prevent the tear miniscus formed by surface tension 
at the aperture edge. The edge thinning also provides a comfortable device 
and minimum of foreign body sensation as the eyelid travels over the 
aperture during the blink. 
The opening at the center to the atmosphere prevents hypoxia and the 
formation of corneal edema. The non-refraction open aperture device can be 
tolerated for extended periods of time without the edema problems 
encountered with refractive lenses. The materials used are stronger and 
more durable since no consideration of oxygen permeability is required. 
The aperture device may be tinted by dying or by adding colorant to the 
liquid monomer before polymerization. The aperture non-refractive device 
is made from any of the available soft lens materials. Materials which are 
translucent are useful as the central visual area is an open aperture. The 
material surrounding the central hole must provide comfort and the color 
required to change the apparent color of the eye. 
EXAMPLES OF THE COLORANTS 
FD and C Green #6, Leeben Color Blue LA-589, Brown LS-595, Green 16128 and 
Violet LS-611. 
The acid dyes, known as azo dyes, containing nitrogen to nitrogen bonds 
--N.dbd.N-- may be used to practice the invention as may the dyes known as 
reactive dyes and the sulphur dyes. The sulphur dyes are fixed or made 
fast by removing the sodium sulphide which made the dye soluble. Reactive 
dyes require no special fixing step, only extraction on unreacted dye, as 
they react chemically with the material and are thus made permanent. The 
properties of dyes are well known to the art. 
The addition of daylight fluorescent pigments to cosmetic devices for the 
eye add a new and striking appearance to the eye. 
Daylight fluorescent pigments are transparent organic resin particles 
containing dyes which are capable of fluorescing while in a solid state 
solution. 
Certain substances, especially a number of organic dyes, have the property 
of fluorescing under visible light at the blue end of the spectrum. The 
fluorescence of these organic dyes is associated with the individual dye 
molecules; in order for them to fluoresce efficiently, they must be 
dissolved in fairly low concentrations in a solvent for the dyes. Due to 
the nature of the dyes used, it is necessary to have an organic medium or 
carrier to put them into solution; and in order to have a pigment, it is 
necessary that this medium be a solid. The type of material which meets 
these requirements for a carrier matrix for the dyes is an organic resin. 
The physical structure of the pigments is amorphous, or non-crystalline. In 
contrast to most other pigments, they are not formed by precipitation and 
do not consist of particle agglomerates, but rather of individual 
nonporous particles of various sizes. This and the fact that they are 
powdered organic resins makes their dispersion in most media relatively 
easy. 
The particle size range of these daylight fluorescent pigments is narrowed 
by air classification after pulverizing. This results in a product which 
is practically 100 percent sub-sieve, or finer than 325 mesh (44 microns). 
Daylight fluorescent pigments are stable to indoor light or conditions of 
outdoor light other than direct sunlight. 
It is possible to mix more than one fluorescent pigment or colorant in the 
same formula, to obtain intermediate hues. 
The A, AX, T and 6T series of daylight fluorescent pigments supplied by 
Dayglo Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio present no eye toxicity when added to the 
liquid monomer and polymerized in the cosmetic device. Representive 
samples of the products produced no significant eye irritation when 
applied directly in the eye. 
The ability to fluoresce and radiate light of a specific color under 
daylight conditions provides an enhancement of the eye color not 
previously known or possible. 
EXAMPLES OF THE MONOMER MIXTURE 
(1) 
Ethylene glycol monomethacrylate: 64.8% 
Diethylene glycol monomethacrylate: 7.056% 
Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate: 0.144% 
Water: 20.9% 
Ammonium persulfate: 1.1% 
2-dimethylaminoethyl acetate: 6.0% 
(2) 
Ethylene glycol monomethacrylate: 54.7% 
Diethylene glycol monomethacrylate: 17.2% 
Diethylene glycol dimethacrylate: 0.6% 
Ammonium persulfate: 1.1% 
Dimethylaminoethyl acetate: 5.8% 
Low water content hydrophilic materials having a water content 25 to 40 
percent water by weight have provided consistently fine results. Low water 
devices are strong, durable and they resist tearing. The addition of 
methacrylic acid to the above formulas increases the water content of the 
hydrogel.

Soft refractive contact lenses are fitted having a concave radius longer 
than the convex radius of the cornea. The corrective soft contact lenses 
are also fitted with a diameter larger than the cornea. If these 
parameters are used for the aperture device, the device will not center 
around the pupil. The soft aperture fluorescent color change device is 
made having a diameter smaller than the cornea. In fitting the aperture 
device a diameter of from 10.0 milimeters to 12 milimeters has been found 
useful with a concave radius shorter than the cornea. 
THE DEVICE FUNCTIONS AS FOLLOWS 
Cosmetic contact lenses having a negative refractive power have a longer 
convex radius 2 FIG. 1 and a thick edge 1 FIG. 1. 
Positive refractive power fluorescent cosmetic contact lenses have a 
shorter convex radius 2 FIG. 2 and a thin edge 1 FIG. 2. The fluorescent 
aperture cosmetic device has a thin edge 1 FIG. 3 and a thin central edge 
2 FIG. 3. The midpoint 3 FIG. 3 is thick for stability. The cosmetic 
device contains a fluorescent pigment which emits colored light in 
presence of daylight illumination. This fluorescence imparts an apparent 
color change to the eye. 
Maximum fluorescent brightness is not the primary objective, 
non-fluorescent toning pigments are utilized to obtain strikingly 
different color effects. 
Best results are usually obtained by mixing adjacent colors in the 
spectrum. The daylight activated fluorescent pigments are most impressive 
when used with a hydrophilic material. 
Effective color mixtures are made by the use of 0.04% by weight of monomer 
Day Glo pigment A-19 Horizon Blue combined with 0.01% by weight Sunfast 
Violet 228-1158. 
The use of 0.04% by weight of the monomer Signal Green Day Glo A-18 
combined with 0.01% by weight Sunfast Blue 249-3450. 
Day Glo colors are made by the Day Glo Corp., Cleveland, Ohio. 
Sunfast colors are made by Sun Chemical Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio. 
The use of daylight fluorescent pigments with conventional prescription 
contact lenses as in FIG. 1 or 2 will produce a fluorescent glow which 
covers the entire lens area and provides an apparent eye color change. The 
open aperture cosmetic device, produces no refractive visual changes. The 
ability of the cosmetic device to radiate light of a specific color when 
illuminated by daylight white light provides a visibility apparent eye 
color change. 
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of 
construction shown and described herein for obvious modifications will 
occur to persons skilled in the art.