COSMETIC CONTACT LENS

Abstract: A contact lens which changes the apparent color of the eye upon which it is worn is provided. The lens includes a circular transparent colored area (3). A circular semi-­ transparent area (1) is formed around the area (3) and includes a plurality of light reflecting particles (5).

Description: COSMETIC CONTACT LENS TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to contact lenses and methods for manufacturing contact lenses, and more particularly to a cosmetic contact lens which alters the apparent color of the iris. BACKGROUND ART Several lens types have been produced in an effort to achieve an apparent color change of the eye. One attempt employed a laminated structure with a painted opaque replica of the iris sandwlched between a clear and an opaque plastic member. The result is a thick heavy lens which is 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 haviny the tendency to flake and chip at the edge as shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,454,332. A third yeneration of colored lenses provided a thin layer of colored opaque markings placed in a clear material. The opaque colored marking radiated from the center of the clear material in a geometric pattern. The present invention has an advantage over previously developed lenses in that the entire lens area is transparent providing periphes vision and allowing the natural iris pattern to be risible through the lens. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a contact lens is provided. The lens includes a small amount of light reflecting finely divided particles, such as finely ground oyster shell, titanium oxide crystals, zinc oxide crystals or mica placed in a matrix of transparent colored lens material of a substantially lower refractive index so that the reflected light from the iris area will have the color of the lower refractive index media. A colored transparent central pupil area is provided so that the lens will have a natural appearance when in place on the eye. - The light entering the transparent colored pupil area will enter the eye and be absorbed and give a dark natural appearance to the pupil area. Preferably, the peripheral semi-transparent area of the lens transmits from 50 to 90 percent of the light as compared to the transparent colored central pupil area. Therefore, 10 to 50 percent of the available light is reflected by the imbedded particles and the reflected light has the color of the transparent matrix surrounding the reflecting particles. Peripheral vision is also undisturbed through use of the present lens. The macular area is responsible for the high performance visual acuity; however, the peripheral area of the retina is more sensitive to lower levels of illumination. Therefore, any loss of light in the peripheral area is not apparent to the wearer provided the transparent pupil area and semi-transparent peripheral area are the same color. A clear pupil surrounded by a blue periphery will produce a distracting blue color in the peripheral fields. This is due to color comparison between central and peripheral fields. This has been a problem with earlier attempts to make cosmetic contact lenses and is overcome by adding the transparent color to the pupil area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 shows an open top cylinder in section; FIGURE 2 shows the lens blank from the side in section; FIGURE 3 shows the open top cylinder filled with a colored transparent material in section; FIGURE 4 shows the lens blank from the front in section; FIGURE 5 shows the open top cylinder in section including a peripheral area; and FIGURE 6 shows the light reflecting particles imbedded in the transparent colored matrix. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The lens of the present invention may be in the form of hydrophilic, gas permeable or conventional hard lenses. Referring to FIGURE 1, one embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The selected monomeric material, such as hydroxyethylmethacrylate and a suitable catalyst, such as benzoyl peroxide to achieve polymerization are used. Pigments or a dye of the selected color, such as F.D. and C green, Number 6, and the preselected amount of the reflecting particles in accordance with the present invention are added to the monomer before polymerization and cast in the form of an open top cylinderical 1 having an inner hole 2. The diameter of hole 2 is approximately equal to the diameter of the intended pupil in the lens. The light reflecting particles are selected having a preferred particle size of from .1 micron to 20 micron. An increase in the quantity of reflecting particles will provide an increase in the apparent color change provided and a reduction in the visibility through the color change segment of the lens. The light reflecting particles are present in amounts ranging from .18 to 5% by weight. Typical formulations are as follows. Example 1 The following ingredients are mixed in the order given. hydroxyethylmethacrylate - monomer 100 g. ethylene dimethacrylate - crosslinker .02 g benzoyl peroxide - catalyst 30 my. F.D. and C green, Number 6-colorant 20 mg. titanium oxide - reflecting particles 35 mg. Example 2 A soft contact lens blank is prepared by casting the following mixture. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed in the order given (percent by weight). ethylene glycol nonanethacrylate - hydrophilic nonaner 92% diethylene glycol itonanethacrylate - crosslinker 3.08 methacrylic acid - hydrating agent 4.0% intraplast blue 2GLN - colorant .258 finely ground oyster shells - reflecting particles . 5% Example 3 The following ingredients are mixed in the order given (percent by weight). ethylene glycol monamethacrylate - hydrogel monomer 92% 1, 4 cyclohexanedimethyl 1,4 dimethacrylate - crosslinker 2.5% methacrylic acid 4,5% LS 597 brown - colorant .3% zinc oxide - reflecting particles .-458 2,5 dimethyl-2,5-bis(2 ethyl hexoyl peroxy) .25% hexane - initiator Referring simultaneously to FIGURES 2 and 3, a mixture of the selected monomer and colorant 3 to which a suitable catalyst has been added is placed in the cylinder 1 and allowed to polymerize. Referring now to FIGURES 2, 4 and 5, a third, clear casting or flange 4 is made from the desired monomer to which the suitable catalyst has been added and allowed to polymerize around the cylinder 1. Castiny 4 is provided to enlarge the diameter of the lens to be larger than the diameter of the iris. This enlarged diameter ensures that any colored portion of the lens does not extend beyond the lymbus which would be distracting and unacceptable in use. Cylinder 1 is cut into discs having a transparent colored center 3 which is surrounded by a colored segment having light reflecting particles imbedded in a colored transparent matrix 1. The peripheral segment 4 is composed of clear transparent material. Contact lenses are cut from these discs (lens blanks) by methods such as lathing, well known to the art. The finished xerogel lens is then hydrated for 4 hours with agitation in normal saline at 80 C to provide the hydrogel lens. Referring now to FIGURE 6, the light reflecting particles 5 are imbedded in transparent colored polymer 1. Light rays 9 and 10 not reaching one of the reflecting particles passes through the lens as colored light to illuminate the iris. The light rays 6, 7 and 8 imperging on the surface of the reflecting particles are reflected forward from the front of the lens as colored light. The eye takes on the apparent color of the reflected light. The transparent colored central area 3 passes light through the lens and into the eye through the pupil. Any required refractive power is provided in the lens to correct the refractive errors the wearer may have. The present lenses may be used as cosmetics for adding color to the eye for special events or for wear with special clothing, therefore, they may not be worn every day, but kept in storage for long periods of time. This fact brinys out the problem of sanitation in storaye and use. To overcome this problem, antimicrobial agents must be used either in the storaye solutions or incorporated in the lens material. Antimicrobial agents may be added to the monomer before polymerization and locked into the polymeric structure of the lens. These agents prevent the yrowth of micro-organisms on the lens surface and eliminate the need for disinfecting. Examples of useful antimicrobial agents are: 3 (trimethoxy-silyl) propylocta decyldimethyl ammonium chloride, known as Dow Corning 5700 and hexachlorophene. An alternative embodiment of the present method includes forming the monomer and colorant rod 3 prior to formation of cylinder 1. Rod 3 may be formed using a lathe such that the walls of rod 3 are true and smoothed. A polished surface is not required. Cylinder 1 is then cast around rod 3. Cylinder 1, as previously described, include the monomer and colorant mixture as used for rod 3 in addition to the light reflecting particles 5 (Figure 6) such as, for example, mica or finely ground oyster shells. Peripheral area 4 is then cast around cylinder 1 as previously stated. Whereas the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A contact lens which changes the apparent color of the eye upon which it is worn comprising: a circular transparent colored central area; a circular semi-transparent area surrounding said circular transparent colored central area; and said circular semi-transparent area including a transparent colored material having a plurality of light reflecting particles dispersed therein. 2. The contact lens of Claim 1 and further including: a circular clear transparent area surrounding said circular semi-transparent area. 3. The contact lens of Claim 1 wherein said circular transparent colored central area is substantially the size and shape of the pupil of the eye and said circular semi-transparent area is substantially the size and shape of the iris of the eye. 4. The contact lens of Claim 1 wherein said light reflecting particles are dispersed and spaced apart from one another, such that between about 10% to about 50% of the light entering said circular semitransparent area is reflected from the lens by said light reflecting particles. 5. The contact lens of Claim 1 wherein said light reflecting particles are dispersed and spaced apart from one another, such that light is transmitted through the lens between said light reflecting particles. 6. The contact lens of Claim 1 wherein said light reflecting particles are dispersed and spaced from one another and comprise between about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the total lens weight. 7. A method of making a cosmetic contact lens blank comprising the steps of: forming an open ended cylinder having an inside diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the desired lens pupil and an outside diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the desired lens iris from a mixture of a transparent monomer, a transparent colorant and light reflecting particles; filling the cylinder with a mixture of a transparent monomer and a transparent colorant; and cutting the cylinder into discs. 8. The method of Claim 7 and further including: casting a transparent monomer layer around the cylinder. 9. The method of Claim 7 wherein the monomer is hydroxyethyl methacrylate. 10. The method of Claim 7 wherein the colorant is F.D. and C green Number 6. 11. The method of Claim 7 wherein the light reflecting particles are finely ground oyster shells. 12. The method of Claim 7 and further including: adding antimicrobial agents to the monomer. 13. A method of making a cosmetic contact lens blank comprising the steps of: forming a transparent colored cylindrical rod from a mixture of a monomer and colorant; casting a semi-transparent cylinder around the rod, the cylinder formed from a mixture of a monomer, colorant and light reflecting particles; and cutting the cylinder into discs. 14. The method of Claim 13 and further including: casting a monomer layer around the semitransparent cylinder. 15. The method of Claim 13 wherein the monomer is hydroxethyl methacrylate. 16. The method of Claim 13 wherein the light reflecting particles are finely ground oyster shells. 17. The method of Claim 13 and further including: adding antimicrobial agents to the monomer.

Inventors: NEEFE, CHARLES WILLIAM
Applicants: NEEFE, CHARLES WILLIAM
Application year: 1984
Main classification: G02C7
IPC codes: B29D11, G02C7