Intraocular lenses made from polymeric compositions

Details Intraocular lenses made from polymeric compositions Intraocular lenses made from polymeric compositions

2001-02-23

2004-03-30

Zalukaeva, Tatyana (Department: 1713)

Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser

Synthetic resins

Polymers from only ethylenic monomers or processes of...

C526S303100, C526S307100, C526S318000, C526S318100, C526S318440, C526S320000, C526S329200, C623S006110, C623S006560

Reexamination Certificate

active

06713583

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ophthalmic lenses made from polymeric compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to ophthalmic lenses, preferably deformable intraocular lenses, having reduced surface tackiness made from acrylate and/or methacrylate-based polymeric compositions.
Intraocular lenses (IOLs) have been known for a long time, since shortly after the end of World War II. Such a lens is surgically implanted into a mammalian eye, e.g., human eye, to replace a damaged or diseased natural lens of the eye and restore the patient's vision.
Although IOLs are made from “hard” or “rigid” polymeric or glass optical materials, such as polymethyl methacrylate (which has a refractive index of 1.49), soft resilient polymeric materials, such as silicones, have been increasingly used, for the reasons discussed below, in ophthalmic applications.
Since soft IOLs are deformable, for example, foldable or rollable, for implantation, a smaller incision can be surgically cut in the eye than for the implantation of “hard” IOLs of the same optical power. The smaller the incision, the less trauma the patient's eye experiences and the faster post-operative healing occurs. An incision of about 3 mm is ideal since this size incision is presently required to remove the natural lens after it has been broken up, for example, emulsified in a conventional phaceoemulsification procedure. In contrast the typical IOL optic has a diameter of about 6 mm.
The size and mechanical characteristics of the deformable IOLs play an important role. As is well understood by those skilled in the art, for successful implantation, the deformable IOL must have sufficient structural integrity, elasticity and elongation and be small enough in size to permit deforming for insertion through a small incision. After insertion, the lens must, of course, regain its original shape and have sufficient structural integrity to retain such shape under normal use conditions.
In general, the thinner the deformable IOL the smaller the incision in the eye that is required. On the other hand, in order to function optically as an IOL, the lens must have sufficient optical refractory power. Also, the higher the optical refractive index of the material making up the IOL, the thinner the IOL can be and still obtain the same optical refractory power.
Deformable IOLs made of acrylic materials can be quite tacky in nature, which tackiness inhibits deforming to a sufficiently small size for insertion through a very small incision and/or may cause handling problems
Gupta U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,750 discloses IOLs with optics made of copolymers of methacrylate esters which form homopolymers that are relatively hard at room temperature and acrylate esters which form homopolymers that are relatively soft at room temperature. Such copolymers are cross-linked with a diacrylate ester to produce an acrylate material which preferably includes a constituent derived from a fluoroacrylate to reduce surface tackiness. None of the specific monomers disclosed in this patent provide homopolymers which have a refractive index of at least about 1.50.
Weinschenk, III U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,073 discloses acrylic-based intraocular lenses which optionally include a constituent derived from a hydrophilic monomeric component. This constituent is effective to reduce the tackiness of the copolymer. However, such hydrophilic constituent may cause a disadvantageous decrease in the index of refraction of the final IOL optic in that some water is included within the copolymer.
LeBoeuf et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,774 discloses plasma treatment of the polymer surface to reduce tackiness associated with certain acrylic polymers, particularly those polymers useful in intraocular lenses. However, such plasma treatment does involve an additional manufacturing step. Also, the non-homogeneous intraocular lens which results from the surface being treated with plasma has the potential of causing problems in the eye.
It would be advantageous to provide ophthalmic lens materials of construction which have good optical properties, including optical clarity and high refractive index (index of refraction) and, in addition, have reduced tackiness without the disadvantages of the prior art materials noted above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
New polymeric materials and ophthalmic lenses, for example, IOLs, produced from such polymeric materials have been discovered. The present polymeric materials are derived from a combination of monomers and provide very useful optical properties in terms of optical clarity and high index of refraction and can be formed into ophthalmic lenses, for example, optics of IOLs which are effectively deformable, preferably foldable, for insertion through small surgical incisions, preferably on the order of about 3 mm or less (in maximum transverse dimension). Importantly, the present compositions and ophthalmic lenses have reduced surface tackiness without requiring the presence of fluoroacrylates, hydrophilic components and without requiring plasma treatment. By selecting the monomeric components used to produce the present compositions and ophthalmic lenses in accordance with the present invention, reduced surface tackiness is achieved with little or no adverse impact on the optical clarity, refractive index, homogeneity, biocompatability, deformability, and cost of production of such compositions and ophthalmic lenses. The present compositions and lenses can be produced using conventional techniques, e.g., conventional polymerization techniques. Thus, the present invention is very effective and easy to practice and results in polymeric compositions and ophthalmic lenses which have outstanding properties.
In one broad aspect of the present invention, ophthalmic lens bodies are provided which comprise cross-linked polymeric materials or compositions. Such materials comprise a first constituent derived from a first monomeric component selected from acrylates, methacrylates and mixtures thereof. A second constituent is included and is derived from a second component in an amount effective as a cross linker in the cross-linked polymeric material. The cross-linked polymeric material has branched chain alkyl groups in an amount effective to reduce the tackiness of the cross-linked polymeric material relative to a substantially identical cross-linked polymeric material without the branched chain alkyl groups. It has been found that the inclusion of branched chain alkyl groups, for example, in the first monomeric component, or portion thereof, unexpectedly provides reduced surface tackiness to the cross-linked polymeric material. Thus, this reduced tackiness is obtained without requiring the presence of a fluoroacrylate or a hydrophilic component and without requiring treating, for example, plasma treating, the surface of the polymeric material.
The present ophthalmic lens bodies may be in the form of optics of IOLs, contact lenses, corneal implants (for example, corneal onlays and corneal inlays) and other ophthalmic lens bodies. The present lens bodies are particularly useful as optics of IOLs, more preferably deformable IOLs. Because a deformable IOL is adapted to be deformed, that is rolled, folded or otherwise deformed, prior to insertion into the eye, it is important that the IOL optic have a relatively reduced degree of surface tackiness to provide for effective deforming for insertion and/or to allow the optic to effectively regain its original shape in the eye.
The term “branched chain alkyl groups”, as used herein, refers to alkyl groups which are non-linear. Thus, at least one, and preferably more than one, carbon atom in the alkyl group is located in one or more branches, rather than being located in a single linear portion of the alkyl group. Also, cycloalkyl groups are, by definition, branched chain alkyl groups. The branched chain alkyl group may be of any size suitable to function as described herein. Preferably, the branched chain alkyl group has about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and more preferably about 6 to about

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