ANTIMICROBIAL OPHTHALMIC TREATMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

Abstract

An ophthalmic treatment system comprises an ophthalmic treatment solution and a biguanide antimicrobial agent in solid form and in contact with said treatment solution such as to inhibit bacterial and/or fungal growth in said solution. The biguanide is partially or wholly terminated with an amine compound.

Description

Claims

1. An ophthalmic treatment system comprising an ophthalmic treatment solution and a biguanide antimicrobial agent in solid form and in contact with said treatment solution such as to inhibit bacterial and/or fungal growth in said solution, wherein said biguanide is partially or wholly terminated with an amine compound.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said biguanide antimicrobial agent is immobilized on a solid substrate.

3. The system of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said biguanide antimicrobial agent is substantially insoluble in said solution.

4. The system of any preceding claim wherein said ophthalmic treatment solution is selected from an eye drop, a contact lens wetting solution, a contact lens cleaning solution, and a contact lens multi-purpose solution.

5. The system of any preceding claim and including a container within which said ophthalmic treatment solution and said biguanide antimicrobial agent are accommodated.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said biguanide antimicrobial agent is incorporated in one or more elements contained within, but separate from, said container.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said biguanide antimicrobial agent is provided on the internal surface of the container.

8. The system of any preceding claim wherein said biguanide is partially or wholly terminated at its cyanoguanidine end group by a primary or secondary monoamine containing about 2 to about 90 carbon atoms.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said monoamine is substituted with a functionality selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, nitro, hydroxyl, ether, sulfide, disulfide, sulfoxide and sulfone.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said functionality is chloride.

11. The system of any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein said monoamine includes octadecylamine.

12. The system of any preceding claim wherein said biguanide is a polymeric biguanide having recurring units of the general formula:

13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of X and Y is a C4 to C16 polymethylene radical.

14. The system of any preceding claim wherein said biguanide is polyhexamethylene biguanide.

15. A method of rendering an ophthalmic treatment solution resistant to bacterial and/or fungal growth comprising contacting the solution with a heterogeneous phase composition insoluble in said solution and comprising a biguanide antimicrobial agent wherein said biguanide is partially or wholly terminated with an amine compound.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said biguanide is partially or wholly terminated at its cyanoguanidine end group by a primary or secondary monoamine containing about 2 to about 90 carbon atoms.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said monoamine is substituted with a functionality selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, nitro, hydroxyl, ether, sulfide, disulfide, sulfoxide and sulfone.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said functionality is chloride.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein said monoamine includes octadecylamine.

20. The method of any one of claims 15 to 19 wherein said biguanide is a polymeric biguanide having recurring units of the general formula:

21. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one of X and Y is a C4 to C16 polymethylene radical.

22. The method of any one of claims 15 to 21 wherein said biguanide is polyhexamethylene biguanide.