Patent ID: 6929367

Claim:
A hydrophilic colored contact lens comprising: a non-opaque pupil section, a generally annular iris section surrounding the pupil section, and a non-opaque peripheral section surrounding the iris section; the iris section having a colored, printed, opaque, intermittent pattern of elements covering at least about 25% of the area of the iris section, the pattern leaving a portion of the iris section non-opaque within interstices of the pattern, the non-opaque portion of the iris section including generally radially elongated areas, the intermittent pattern extending across the entire area of the iris section; the iris section having an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, and including pattern elements of a first shade, pattern elements of a second shade located generally at or near the inner perimeter of the iris section, and a jagged border zone generally along an interface of the pattern elements or the first and second shades; the iris section also including pattern elements of a third shade; wherein the third shade is located at least at the outer perimeter of the iris section; wherein the pattern is printed on the lens with ink having a binding polymer; wherein the binding polymer includes functional groups selected from —COOH, —OH, and —NH 2 ; wherein some of the pattern elements of the first shade are mixed with the pattern elements of the second shade, and a noticeable change of shade occurs across the jagged border zone; wherein the minimum distance of the jagged border zone from the outer perimeter is from about 5% to about 45% of the radial width of the iris section, and the maximum distance of the jagged border zone from the outer perimeter is from about 45% to about 95% of the radial width of the iris section; wherein the elements of the pattern, are indiscernible to the ordinary viewer; and wherein the lens is capable of changing the apparent color of the iris of a person wearing the lens and imparting a very natural appearance.