Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Process disinfecting – preserving – deodorizing – or sterilizing – Using disinfecting or sterilizing substance
Patent
1987-04-14
1989-05-02
Richman, Barry S.
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Process disinfecting, preserving, deodorizing, or sterilizing
Using disinfecting or sterilizing substance
422 28, 422 29, 422292, 424613, 514840, A61L 216
Patent
active
048266582
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting contact lenses and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for neutralizing the potentially toxic residues left after the cleaning and disinfection of contact lenses.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Hydrogen peroxide is widely used to clean and disinfect contact lenses, normally generated in situ from effervescing tablets containing sodium percarbonate and citric acid. Hydrogen perioxide is effective for this purpose but any excess hydrogen peroxide can cause ocular irritation when the contact lens is re-inserted into the eye. To remove such excess hydrogen peroxide, repeated washings and rinsings of the lens are necessary but this is unacceptable in the case of soft contact lenses since undesirable leaching of isotonic solutions from the lenses can occur. An alternative procedure that has been suggested is to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide by chemical means e.g. by treating the solution with slowly released sodium nitrite or sodium sulphite. such a method however has the disadvantage of leaving the neutralizing chemicals in the lens-treating solution which may themselves cause ocular irritation.
European Published Patent Application No. 0082798A discloses a regime for the treatment of contact lenses by disinfecting and cleaning them with a hydrogen peroxide solution and then treating with catalase, firstly by adding catalase to the hydrogen peroxide solution, secondly by pouring off the hydrogen peroxide solution and adding a catalase solution or by transferring the lenses to another vessel containing a catalase solution.
The methods disclosed in that European published patent application possess the severe disadvantage that the use of catalase as a solution requires the solution to be preserved; this means that extraneous preservative is in contact with the lenses and may therefore require its own removal regime before the lenses may be safely inserted into the eyes of a wearer.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of treating a contact lens by means of hydrogen peroxide, which method comprises conducting the hydrogen peroxide treatment of the lens in the presence of an immobilized enzyme which catalyses the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of decomposing hydrogen peroxide used for treating a contact lens which method comprises contacting the hydrogen peroxide with an immobilized enzyme which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for treating contact lenses with hydrogen peroxide which apparatus includes an effective amount of an immobilized enzyme capable of catalyzing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The apparatus may comprise a container bearing a suitable quantity of a said immobilized enzyme.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying FIG. 1 shows, in a partial cross-sectional schematic view, an embodiment of the present invention whereby plural separable vials are provided with an appropriate hydrogen peroxide release agent.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The enzyme capable of causing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, generally known as a peroxidase, is preferably catalase although any other suitable enzyme may be employed for the purpose.
Immobilization of the enzyme may be by any of the techniques appropriate for this purpose. Such techniques include binding of the enzyme to a support material e.g. by adsorption, by absorption or by chemical (e.g. covalent) binding. Examples of surfaces upon which the enzyme may be adsorbed include alumina, bentonite, calcium phosphate gels. carbon, plastics, carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethylsephadex, collagen, glass and silica gel. The adsorbent surfaces may be continuous e.g. a coating upon the inside of a container or the actual material of which a said container is composed. The adsorbent
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patent: 3912451 (1975-10-01), Gaglia
patent: 3919048 (1975-11-01), Dahlmans et al.
patent: 3954965 (1976-05-01), Boghosian et al.
patent: 4585488 (1986-04-01), Giefer
patent: 4588586 (1986-05-01), Kessler et al.
patent: 4670178 (1987-06-01), Huth et al.
Johnston Jill
Richman Barry S.
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