Patent ID: 7550519

Claim:
An ink for making colored silicone hydrogel contact lenses, comprising at least one colorant, a solvent 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, 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 groups; (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, amide 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 groups 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, wherein the ink is characterized by having capability to be cured actinically or thermally to form a colored coat on a contact lens, wherein the colored coat has good adhesion to the contact lens without being covalently attached to the lens material of the contact lens.