Patent ID: 8622543

Claim:
A method for making a colored silicone hydrogel contact lens, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a contact lens constructed of a silicone hydrogel; (b) applying a colored coat to at least a portion of a surface of the lens with an ink, wherein the ink comprises at least one colorant and a photo-curable or thermo-curable silicone-containing binder polymer including ethylenically unsaturated groups and segments derived from at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromer; and (c) curing the ink, thereby causing the color coat to adhere to the lens wherein the silicon-containing binder polymer is a obtained by (1) copolymerizing a polymerizable composition to obtain a silicone-containing polymer, wherein the polymerizable composition comprising: (a) at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer devoid of functional group other than an ethylenically unsaturated group, (b) at least one functionalizing vinylic monomer containing at least one first functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl group, primary amino group, secondary amino group, carboxylic group, epoxy group, aldehyde group, acid halide group, isothiocyanate group, isocyanate group, halide group, acid anhydride group, and combinations thereof; (c) at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromer; and (d) optionally one or more components selected from the group consisting of a polymerization initiator, a chain transfer agent, wherein the silicone-containing polymer comprises first functional group(s) derived from functionalizing vinylic monomer, and (2) introducing the ethylenically unsaturated groups to the silicone-containing polymer to form the photo- or thermo-curable silicone-containing binder polymer by reacting the silicone-containing polymer with an ethylenically functionalizing agent including ethylenically unsaturated groups and a second functional group, wherein the first functional group of the silicone-containing polymer and second functional group of the ethyleniacally functionalizing agent react with each other to form a covalent linkage.