Claims
- 1. A packaged contact lens system containing a plurality of at least three unhydrated hydrogel lenses and comprising a gas and liquid impermeable container housing a stacked array of unhydrated hydrogel lenses, at least one first lens being placed between a second and third lens to dispose an anterior surface of the first lens adjacent to a posterior surface of the second lens and a posterior surface of the first lens adjacent to an anterior surface of the third lens so that a line passing through the center of the first lens also passes through the center of the second and third lens, said unhydrated hydrogel lenses being commonly exposed to an internal atmosphere of the container; wherein a material or divider limits physical contact between lenses in the stack to prevent them from sticking together.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stacked array of lenses is either vertically or horizontally arranged in the container.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stacked array comprises 7 to 31 lenses.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is cylindrical in shape and said line is substantially perpendicular to the face of the lens.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stack of contact lenses is shingled and said line is at an acute angle to the central axis of the lenses.
- 6. The system of claim 1, wherein physical contact between contact lenses is limited by a dry powder applied to surfaces of the stacked lenses.
- 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the particulate material is a powder that is water soluble, non-toxic, less hygroscopic than the lenses, and resistant to chemical or enzymatic attack.
- 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the powder is a cyclodextrin.
- 9. The system of claim 1, wherein physical contact between lenses is prevented or limited by a divider that is integrally molded to the inside wall of the container and supports the lens when the container is vertically positioned.
- 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the divider is a shelf comprising an annulus or portion thereof.
- 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is a gas-impermeable plastic blister-pack container and comprises a removable lid.
- 12. A container and dispensing system for unhydrated hydrogel contact lenses comprising(a) at least one container housing a stacked array of unhydrated hydrogel contact lenses, wherein at least one first lens is placed between two adjacent lenses, one on each side of the first lens, said unhydrated hydrogel lenses being commonly exposed to an internal atmosphere of the container, wherein a material or divider prevents or decreases physical contact between lenses in the stack to prevent them from sticking together, and (b) a dispenser for removing the contact lens from its container or for removing a pair of contact lenses from their containers for hydration in a lens case.
- 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispenser device employs suction to lift each lens or pair of lenses one at a time from the stacked array of lenses.
- 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispenser is capable of rotating the stacked array of lenses, so that when inverted a lens is brought to the opening of the container for withdrawal and, in its upright position, the uppermost lens can be lifted from the container.
- 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dispenser includes a wetted member.
- 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing device employs gravity to dispense each lens or a pair of lenses.
- 17. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing device uses a puff of air to dispense each lens or pair of lenses.
- 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the container comprises dividers supporting each lens and the dispensing device sequentially bends each divider holding a lens in the stacked array so that each lens or pair of lenses falls one at a time out of the container.
- 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing device drops each lens or pair of lenses one at a time into a lens holder or lens case where the lenses can be hydrated and stored.
- 20. The system of claim 12, wherein the lenses are sequentially moved to an open end of the container by a screw piston.
- 21. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispenser also comprises a pump for providing hydrating solution to a lens case.
- 22. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispensing device includes a hollow cylinder that bends each successive supporting shelf causing the supported lens to fall from the container out through an open end of the inserted cylinder into a lens case.
- 23. A method of storing soft hydrogel contact lenses in an unhydrated state comprising:a. stacking a supply of unhydrated hydrogel lenses in a gas and liquid impermeable container so that at least one first lens is adjacent two other lenses, one on each side of the first lens, wherein said hydrogel lenses are commonly exposed to an internal atmosphere within the container; and b. preventing the stacked lenses from sticking together by either preventing or limiting physical contact between lenses in the stack or by maintaining a vacuum and/or an inert atmosphere within the container until all lenses are removed from the container.
- 24. The method of claim 23, including designing and labeling the container for consumer use.
- 25. The method of claim 23, including using the container to store lenses prior to hydration in a contact lens processing and packaging plant.
- 26. The method of claim 23, including stacking the lenses in a nested array so that an anterior surface of one lens is adjacent to a posterior surface of an adjacent lens.
- 27. The method of claim 23, including forming a stacked array of lenses comprising 7 to 31 lenses.
- 28. The method of claim 23, including selecting a container that is cylindrical in shape.
- 29. The method of claim 23, including minimizing physical contact between contact lenses by applying a contact-limiting material or divider between the lenses.
- 30. The method of claim 29, including applying a dry powder to surfaces of the lenses to minimize physical contact to prevent the lenses from sticking together.
- 31. The method of claim 30, including selecting a powder that is water-soluble, non-toxic, less hygroscopic than the lenses, and resistant to chemical and enzymatic attack.
- 32. The method of claim 31, including selecting a cyclodextrin for the powder.
- 33. The method of claim 23, including limiting physical contact between the contact lenses by providing a shelf between lenses.
- 34. The method of claim 33, including configuring the shelf so that it forms an annular ring or portion thereof.
- 35. The method of claim 23, including using a gas-impermeable blister-pack container in which to store the lenses.
- 36. A method of packaging and dispensing contact lenses comprising:(a) arranging a supply of unhydrated hydrogel lenses in a stacked array inside a gas and liquid impermeable container, housing at least one first lens placed between two adjacent lenses, one on each side of the first lens, wherein said hydrogel lenses are commonly exposed to an atmosphere within the container; (b) preventing the stacked lenses from sticking together by preventing or limiting physical contact between lenses in the stack; and c. dispensing the contact lenses from the container one lens or one pair of lenses at a time.
- 37. The method of claim 36, including using suction to lift each lens or pair of lenses one at a time from the stacked array of lenses.
- 38. The method of claim 36, including dispensing each lens or pair of lenses one at a time by using gravity to make each lens or pair of lenses fall from the stacked array of lenses in the container.
- 39. The method of claim 36, including bending a shelf holding each lens in a vertical array so that each lens or pair of lenses falls from the container one at a time.
- 40. The method of claim 36, including dispensing each lens or pair of lenses from the container one at a time into a lens holder or lens case where the lenses can be hydrated and stored.
- 41. The method of claim 36, including sequentially moving the lenses to the opening of the container using a screw piston so that the lenses can be dispensed one at a time.
- 42. The method of claim 36, including using a pump to provide solution to a lens case for hydration of the dispensed lens.
- 43. The method of claim 36, including inserting a hollow cylinder into an open end of a storage container having dividers supporting stored lenses so that the inserted cylinder incrementally bends the supporting dividers one at a time allowing each successive supported lens to fall from the container out through an open end of the inserted hollow cylinder and into a lens case for hydration.
- 44. The method of claim 36, including lifting each lens one at a time from the container by inverting the container so that the uppermost lens of a stack is placed in contact with a lens-binding member of a dispensing device and then returning the container to an upright position so that the lens can be lifted out of the container.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application Serial No. 60/138,732, filed Jun. 11, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2 328 924A |
Mar 1999 |
GB |
WO 9205754 |
Apr 1992 |
WO |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/138732 |
Jun 1999 |
US |