Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Physical type apparatus – Apparatus for treating solid article or material with fluid...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-05-08
Thornton, Krisanne (Department: 1744)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Physical type apparatus
Apparatus for treating solid article or material with fluid...
C422S030000, C422S040000, C422S292000, C514S839000, C514S840000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228333
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns an apparatus as set forth in the classifying portion of claim
1
.
In an apparatus of that kind which is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,784, it is known, for contact lens care, for catalytically active platinum metal to be deposited in the form of a layer, for example by sputtering, on a support of polymer material, for the purposes of hydrogen peroxide decomposition, in an aqueous care solution. Difficulties are encountered here in regard to adequate adhesion between the catalytically active platinum layer and the plastic support. Relatively large amounts of platinum are required for the deposit of the catalytic platinum layer.
It is known from German patent specification DE 24 25 714 B2 for contact lenses and in particular soft contact lenses to be sterilised by means of hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous, in particular 3% aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution. To remove residues of hydrogen peroxide, they are decomposed by means of a decomposition catalyst to water and oxygen. That decomposition operation can also be conducted in the treatment bath for the contact lens sterilisation and disinfecting treatment.
The catalyst has a catalytically inactive carrier material on which a catalytically active layer is disposed. In the known catalyst that layer is formed from electrolytically deposited platinum black.
It is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,352, after the sterilisation of contact lenses by means of hydrogen peroxide, for residues of the hydrogen peroxide to be decomposed by means of a suitable catalyst, the catalyst material being applied to a carrier or substrate of plastic material.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification with which improved adhesion between the platinum layer and supports is achieved.
In accordance with the invention that object is attained by the characterising portion of claim
1
.
The platinum layer can be applied in the form of an extremely thin film to the preferably roughened surface of the shaped body of glass or the TiO
x
N
y
-support, the film preferably imitating the surface roughness. That not only provides for improved adhesion between the catalytically active platinum film and the support, but in addition a reduced amount of platinum metal is required in the layer-formation procedure. A sufficiently large catalytically active surface layer is produced on the shaped body with a small volume in respect of the shaped body or a reduced surface area in terms of the shaped body. A preferred thickness for the platinum layer is in the range of from 0.1 to 1 g/m
2
.
The surface roughness is preferably produced by mechanical surface treatment, in particular by particle blasting. Preferably the blasting process is a sand blasting process for use in roughening the surface of the support. The shaped body can comprise a suitable material. Preferably however glass is used as the material for the shaped body. It has been found that a glass surface which is roughened by sand blasting affords excellent adhesion in relation to the platinum layer, in particular when it is applied by sputtering. An extremely thin layer can be produced by sputtering on the glass surface which is roughened by sand blasting.
That platinum layer which is produced by sputtering is obtained by a platinum target being bombarded with high-energy ions of an inert substance, for example argon, neon and the like, so that platinum is deposited in pure form as a platinum layer on the shaped body. The shaped body provided with TiO
x
N
y
can comprise plastic material or another suitable carrier material such as ceramic and the like. The platinum layer which is deposited by sputtering has a high level of adhesion on the shaped body which is roughened in particular by sand blasting and can be formed as a thin film of uniform thickness. The uniform thin layer with a high degree of purity can be applied reproducibly in terms of its thickness in a controlled manner by suitable process control in the sputtering operation. In particular the size of the platinum layer may be such that it can be used upon use of the catalyst in an aqueous, in particular 3% hydrogen peroxide care system for contact lenses. The layer may be of such a nature that a sufficient sterilisation effect is achieved by the hydrogen peroxide on the contact lenses to be treated, in particular soft contact lenses, with subsequent decomposition of any residual hydrogen peroxide still present in the treatment solution.
The catalytically active apparatus may preferably be a component of a contact lens care system in which the contact lens is disposed in a container and the contact lens care and sterilisation procedure is effected in that container by means of aqueous care agent solution with a 3% hydrogen peroxide content. The platinum layer is adjusted in such a way that the hydrogen peroxide has a sufficient period of action for disinfecting the contact lenses to be treated in the container and that subsequently to the disinfecting treatment residual hydrogen peroxide is effectively broken down into the constituents water and oxygen.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4826658 (1989-05-01), Kay
patent: 5270002 (1993-12-01), Neff, II et al.
patent: 5275784 (1994-01-01), Perlaky
patent: 5468448 (1995-11-01), Nicolson et al.
patent: 5650126 (1997-07-01), Taoda et al.
patent: 3843746 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 42 43 410 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 195 22 950 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 93/06870 (1993-04-01), None
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
MDLE Medical Device Laboratories Europe GmbH
Thornton Krisanne
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