TW202348510A - A packaged contact lens - Google Patents

Abstract

A hermetically sealed blister package for a contact lens. The blister package includes a base member (100), made of a plastics material, and a sealing member (103) joined to the base member to form a blister cavity arranged to hold an unworn contact lens and contact lens packaging solution. The base member (100) has an upper surface (130) and a lower surface (132) and includes a blister well (104) and a handle (106). The blister well (104) has a rim (101). The blister well (104) is enclosed on the upper surface (130) of the base member (100) by a sealing region (102). The handle (106) and the sealing region (102) are provided by a flange that extends out from the blister well (104). The base member (100) has a weight of 0.72g or less.

Description

Packaged contact lenses

The present invention relates to a packaged contact lens. More specifically, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a sealed blister package comprising: a base member; and a sealing member joined to the base member to form a blister cavity configured to retain a Not wearing contact lenses and aqueous solution. The present invention relates to a blister package including a base member having a weight of 0.72 g or less.

Soft contact lenses (such as hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses) are stored in an aqueous solution to keep them hydrated and in a usable condition. Contact lenses are usually packaged individually in sealed blister packs. Blister packaging provides a sterile and safe environment for unused contact lenses allowing them to be safely transported and stored until needed by an end user. A conventional blister package includes a base member made of a plastic material and a sealing member sealed to the base member to form a blister cavity. A typical prior art blister package has unused contact lenses stored in one of the blister chambers and a handle that can be held between the user's fingers and thumb. The bulb cavity is typically configured as a well in the base member capable of holding a volume of contact lens packaging solution and the contact lens itself. Contact lenses are typically packaged in blister packs in a manufacturing process that includes one of the following steps: placing the contact lens in a well with a base member, filling the well with a volume of contact lens packaging solution and sealing the well with a sealing member The contact lens and solution are sealed into the package, and the sealed blister package is then autoclaved to sterilize the contact lens and solution within the blister cavity.

Martinez US 4,691,820 discloses a molded blister package for storing and dispensing a hydrophilic contact lens, which includes a base portion having a cavity surrounded by a projecting flange and sealed to the flange to enclose the A cover piece for the cavity.

EP1752058 discloses a blister pack containing a contact lens, which includes a base member having a clamping area including a curved top surface shaped to accommodate a thumb and a curved top surface shaped to accommodate a thumb. One of the inner curves of the index finger curves the base.

WO2021260353 discloses a blister package for a contact lens, which includes a base sheet and a sealing sheet, one of which includes a bowl and the other of which includes a dome.

US10390593 discloses a blister package that includes a thermoplastic base member having a clamping portion, a distal region, a first side region extending from the proximal region to the distal region, and the first side region. A second side region opposite the region is configured to contain a packaging solution and a cavity for a contact lens.

JP2006016049 discloses a blister package for a contact lens, which includes a container body having a hemispherical recessed section, a flange section extending to the outer periphery of the recessed section, and a support section.

WO03/039969 discloses a package for contact lenses in which the overall volume of the package and the internal volume of the lens retaining cavity in the package are minimized.

The disclosure of US10390593 is considered to be recent prior art. The feature of technical solution 1 of the present invention that is different from the disclosure of US10390593 is that the base member has a weight of less than 0.75 g.

Many people use disposable contact lenses packaged in blister packs on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. This means that large quantities of blister packs are shipped every day to customers around the world. Due to the additional weight of blister packaging and contact lens packaging solutions, the costs and fossil fuel emissions associated with shipping contact lenses increase significantly. In addition, although the plastic material of the blister packaging is recyclable, it is better to recycle less plastic material rather than more plastic material.

The technical effect of weight reduction of the blister pack of the present invention is to allow the use of less material to manufacture the base member than required in US10390593, which reduces the fossil fuel emissions associated with the use of blister packs and reduces the use of blister packs The amount of material that must later be recycled. The target technical problem is how to reduce the environmental impact of the base component disclosed in US10390593.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an airtight sealed blister package having the characteristics of the following technical solution 1. Preferred but optional features are listed in the accompanying technical solution.

The reduction in the weight of the blister pack allows the environmental impact of the blister pack to be reduced by reducing the amount of fossil fuel required to transport the blister pack and reducing the amount of material that needs to be recycled once the blister pack has been used .

The bulb well may have a concave inner surface on the upper surface of the base member and a convex outer surface on the lower surface of the base member. The bulb well may have one side wall.

The sealing member is hermetically sealed to the base member at the sealing area. The sealing area may be substantially annular. The flange may be flat. The flange may have a thickness of between 0.3 mm and 1.0 mm. The flange may have a thickness of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm. The flange may have a thickness of 0.5 mm. The flange may have a thickness of 0.55 mm.

The base member may have an outer edge that is symmetrical in plan view about a line extending through the center of the handle and the center of the bulb well.

The sealing member may be a laminate structure including one or more layers of foil and a plastic material. The sealing member may be made of a plastic material. The sealing member may be made of foil. The sealing member may have a thickness from about 50 microns to about 100 microns. The sealing member may be printed with letters or numbers. The sealing member may have a thickness of between 60 microns and 70 microns. Suitable materials for the sealing member are available from AMCOR (Switzerland). The sealing member may have an area equal to the area of the top surface of the base member. The sealing member may have an area greater than the area of the top surface of the base member. The area of the sealing member may have an area smaller than the area of the top surface of the base member. The sealing member can be coupled to the base member at a sealing area.

The shape of the bulb well may be hemispherical or substantially hemispherical. The bulb well can be of an irregular shape. The bulb well may be cylindrical. The bulb well has one wall, referred to herein as one side wall. The side wall may include a flat portion adjacent the handle. The bulb well has a rim.

The base member may contain two or more stabilizing feet. The base member may include three or more stabilizing feet. The stabilizing feet may extend downwardly from the lower surface of the base member. The stabilizing feet may be vertically aligned with the perimeter of the bulb well. The stabilizing feet may extend downwardly from the lower surface of the base member such that they extend further out than the farthest extent of the bulb well. The stabilizing feet may extend downwardly from the lower surface of the base member such that they extend further than the farthest extent of the bulb well. The stabilizing feet may extend far enough to provide stability to the base member when the base member is placed upright on a flat surface. These stabilizing feet may allow the weight of the blister pack to be reduced while still providing a blister pack that is stable when placed upright on a flat surface without having to act as a stability support while maintaining sufficient structural integrity. The handle is formed to avoid problematic deformation during transportation and storage and has sufficient structural integrity to properly protect the flange of a contact lens.

The base member may include at least two side tabs. The side tabs may be positioned on either side of the bulb well, wherein the side tabs extend downwardly from the upper surface of the base member. The side tabs may have a height from 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm. The side tabs may have a height from 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm. The side tabs may have a height of 3.0 mm. The side tabs may have a height of 4.0 mm. The side tabs may have a length of 6.0 mm to 10.0 mm along the upper surface of the flange. The side tabs may have a length of 7.0 mm to 9.00 mm along the upper surface of the flange. The side tabs may have a length of 8.0 mm along the upper surface of the flange. The side tabs may increase the structural integrity of the base member. The side tabs may reduce the possibility of problematic deformation of the base member. The side tabs can increase the stability of the base member when the base member is placed upright on a flat surface. The side tabs may provide a clamping area.

The handle may include a hole extending through the flange, wherein the hole is positioned closer to an outer edge of the handle than the center of the bulb well. The hole may be located at a distance of 10.0 mm to 30.0 mm from the center of the bulb well. The hole may be located at a distance of 20.0 mm from the center of the bulb well. The hole may be a slot with a width of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. The hole may be a slot with a width of 1.1 mm. The hole may be a slot with a width of 1.0 mm. The hole may be a slot with a width of 0.9 mm. The width of the hole may be the shorter dimension of the slot. The hole may be a slot having a length of between 8.0 mm and 12.0 mm. The hole may have a slot with a length ranging from 9.0 mm to 11.0 mm. The hole may be a slot having a length of 9.0 mm. The hole may be a slot having a length of 10.0 mm. The side or length of the hole may be parallel to the end of the handle. The hole may include a notch in one side of the hole. The hole may include a notch in the longest side of the hole. The notch can be centered along the length of the hole. The notch can be eccentric along the length of the hole. The notch in the edge of the hole may protrude from the hole by 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. The notch in the edge of the hole may project 1.1 mm from the hole. The notch in the edge of the hole may have a length of 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. The notch in the edge of the hole may have a length of 2.7 mm. The handle of the sealed blister package may contain only one hole. The handle of the sealed blister package may include more than one hole. One or more holes in the handle may reduce the weight of the base member.

The blister pack may contain a contact lens. The contact lens can be a hydrogel contact lens. The contact lens may be a polysilicone hydrogel contact lens. The base member may be made of a recyclable plastic material. The base member may be made of a plastic material. The base member may be made from a recyclable thermoplastic material. This means that the base components can be recycled rather than sent to landfills. The sealing area may not be annular when viewed from a top plan view (ie, from above). The sealing area may have an apex of the handle adjacent the base member. As used herein, a vertex is understood to be that part of a geometric shape that has one of the sharpest turns relative to the rest of the shape. For example, the vertex can be a point where two or more line segments intersect. However, if the line segments are curved, it will be appreciated that the intersection points may be blended in such a way that there is a region with a radius smaller than that of a portion of the line segments away from the vertex. Having a sealing area with an apex reduces the separation force required to separate the sealing member from the sealing area. If a lower separation force is required to separate the sealing member from the sealing area, the base member may have a reduced structural integrity (i.e., be less robust (and may therefore be lighter)) without reducing the bulb The protection provided by packaging to a contact lens.

The sealing area may be annular when viewed from a top plan view. The sealing area may be annular. The sealing area can have a width from 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm. The sealing area can have a width from 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm. The sealing area may have a width of 2.0 mm. The sealing area may have a width of 1.0 mm. The sealing area may have a width of 1.7 mm. Reducing the width of one of the sealing areas improves the ease of opening the blister package while maintaining an airtight seal.

The blister well can hold a volume of 0.4 mL to 1.6 mL of contact lens packaging solution. The blister well can hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution from 0.6 mL to 1.4 mL. The blister well can hold a volume of contact lens packaging solution from 0.8 mL to 1.2 mL. The blister well can hold a volume of 0.6 mL of contact lens packaging solution. The blister well can hold a volume of 0.7 mL of contact lens packaging solution. The blister well can hold a volume of 0.8 mL of contact lens packaging solution. The base member may have a length from 40.0 mm to 50.0 mm and a width from 25.0 mm to 35.0 mm. The base member may have a length from 40.0 mm to 50.0 mm. The base member may have a length from 43.0 mm to 47.0 mm. The base member may have a length of 46.0 mm. The base member may have a length of 46.31 mm. The base member may have a width of between 25.0 mm and 35.0 mm. The base member may have a width of between 27.0 mm and 33.0 mm. The base member may have a width of between 28.0 mm and 30.0 mm. The base member may have a width of 29.0 mm. The base member has a weight of 0.72 g or less. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.72 g. The base member may have a weight from 0.40 g to 0.72 g. In one example, the base member has a weight of 0.70 g. The base member may have a weight of 0.72 g. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.70 g. The base member may have a weight of less than 0.65 g.

The bulb well may have a depth of between 5.0 mm and 8.0 mm at its center. The bulb well may have a depth of between 6.0 mm and 7.0 mm at its center. The bulb well may have a depth of 6.0 mm at its center. The bulb well may have a depth of 6.7 mm at the center.

The flange of the base member has a thickness no greater than the thickness of the side wall of the bulb well. The flange of the base member may have a thickness no greater than 95% of the thickness of the side wall of the bulb well. The flange of the base member may have a thickness no greater than 90% of the side wall of the bulb well. The flange of the base member may have a thickness no greater than 85% of the thickness of the side wall of the bulb well.

The side wall of the bulb well may have a thickness of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm. The side wall of the bulb well may have a thickness of 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm. The side wall of the bulb well may have a thickness of 0.6 mm. If the side walls of the blister well are too thin, evaporation can occur through the plastic, which causes changes in the packaging solution that may cause the contact lens to dry out and become unusable. The blister well sidewall thickness may allow the weight of the blister package to be reduced while still being thick enough to avoid any evaporation of the contact lens packaging solution. This allows the lens to remain hydrated prior to use by a contact lens wearer.

The bulb well sidewalls may facilitate retaining the base member in a base member carrier of a heat sealing system or machine. It will be appreciated that slots may be provided in the base member carrier to receive one or more side walls to provide a physical fit between the base member and the base member carrier to ensure that the upper surface of the base member remains stable And parallel to a surface of the heat sealing mold that presses a sealing member onto the top of the upper surface of the base member to seal the sealing member to the base member.

The flange of the base member may have a stiffness from 50,000 psi.mm ² to 150,000 psi.mm ² . The flange of the base member may have a stiffness from 60,000 psi.mm ² to 90,000 psi.mm ² . The flexural modulus of the base member material may range from 230,000 psi to 276,000 psi. The stiffness of the base member of the present invention is calculated by multiplying the flexural modulus of the base member material by the square of the thickness of the flange in mm. The flexural modulus can be measured using conventional equipment such as that provided by Instron (Norwood, MA, USA) or it can be provided by the plastic manufacturer as part of the plastic's technical data. The flexural modulus can be used as determined by the ISO 178 test method.

The outer edge of the handle may include a protrusion. The protrusion may have a length along the flange of 9.0 mm to 11.0 mm. The protrusion may have a length of 9.8 mm along the flange. The protrusion may extend from 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm from the edge of the base member. The protrusion may extend 2.3 mm from the edge of the base member. On the outer edge of the handle furthest from the bulb well, there may be a tab extending downwardly from the upper surface of the flange. The tab may have a length along the flange of 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. The tab may have a length along the flange of 2.2 mm to 2.4 mm. The tab may have a length along the flange of 2.3 mm. The tab may have a height of between 1.0 mm and 6.0 mm. The tab may have a height of 1.75 mm. The tab may be a larger protruding portion extending downwardly from the lower surface of the base member. The larger protrusion may extend downward along the entire width of the end of the handle. The tab is sized and configured to fit in the recess of the hole in the flange of a second base member. The tab and the larger protrusion can be sized and configured to fit in the hole in the flange of a second base member. This means that a plurality of base members can be attached together to form, for example, a base member assembly or a base member recycling unit, which means that the base members can be recycled in a recycling center.

The base member may include three stabilizing feet. The base member may include four stabilizing feet. The base member may include five stabilizing feet. The base member may include three stabilizing feet positioned approximately 120 degrees apart from each other about a vertical axis extending through the center of the bulb well. The base member may include four stabilizing feet positioned approximately 90 degrees apart from each other about a vertical axis extending through the center of the bulb well. The stabilizing feet may include a flat lower edge. The stabilizing feet may include a rounded lower edge. The stabilizing feet may include a curved lower edge.

When the base member is placed upright on a flat surface, it may have more than one point of contact with the surface. When the base member is placed upright on a flat surface, it may have more than two points of contact with the surface.

When the base member is placed upright on a flat surface, it may have more than three points of contact with the surface. When the base member is placed upright on a flat surface, it may have more than four points of contact with the surface. Multiple contact points between the base member and the flat surface may allow a force exerted by the surface on the base member to be distributed across the base member. This may reduce the stiffness required in any individual area of the base member, such as the bulb well, which may allow for a reduction in the weight of the material used to make the base member. The weight of the materials used to make the base member can be reduced without compromising the ability of the blister pack to provide adequate protection for a contact lens.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the lower surface of a first base member is placed on the lower surface of a second base member, according to the same embodiment, there may be more than one contact between the base members. point. There may be more than two contact points between the base members. There may be more than three points of contact between the base members. There may be more than four points of contact between the base members. Multiple contact points between the base members may allow a force exerted by the second base member on the first base member to be distributed across the first base member and vice versa. This can reduce the required stiffness of any individual area of a base member, such as the bulb well. The reduction in required stiffness may allow for a reduction in the weight of the materials used to make the base member. The weight of the materials used to make the base member can be reduced without compromising the ability of the blister pack to provide adequate protection for a contact lens during storage and transportation.

The bulb well may be reinforced by support ribs. The bulb well may be reinforced by two or more supports. The bulb well may be reinforced by three or more supports. The blister well can be reinforced by supports so that the thickness of the side walls of the blister well can be reduced without compromising the ability of the blister package to provide adequate protection for a contact lens.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens, which includes: according to the first aspect of the present invention, providing a base member of a blister package; placing a contact lens on the base in the bulb well of the base member; placing a volume of liquid contact lens packaging solution in the bulb well of the base member; sealing a sealing member to the sealing area of the base member; and sealing the contact lens bulb The shell package is autoclaved to sterilize the contact lens and packaging solution.

The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing area of the base member may be performed by laminating a foil laminated sealing member to a plastic base member under heat to laminated the plastic layer of the foil and The sealing areas of the base member are fused together. The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing area may be performed at a temperature of between 210 degrees Celsius and 240 degrees Celsius. The step of sealing a sealing member to the sealing area may be accomplished using a heated mold that presses the sealing member to the flange of the base member at a pressure of between 25 PSI and 60 PSI. The heated mold can press the sealing member against the flange for a time of 100 ms to 1100 ms.

Desirably, the sealing area provides a sufficient seal between the base member and the sealing member to withstand the separation forces that occur during a contact lens autoclaving procedure and for a person to peel off using the person's fingers. It's also relatively easy. If a lower separation force is required to separate the sealing member from the sealing area, the base member can be made lighter without reducing the protection provided by the blister pack to a contact lens.

For example, the sealing area may be configured to provide an average separation force of less than 15 Newtons (N). In some embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force of from about 4 N to about 14 N. In further embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force from about 6 N to about 11 N. In further embodiments, the sealing region is configured to provide a separation force of from about 8 N to about 10 N.

The peel strength can be measured using an INSTRON model 5943 machine. For these measurements, the pull angle was set to 45 degrees. Before testing the peel strength, calibrate the machine's load cell. Typically, these operating instructions are set by the manufacturer.

It can be achieved by controlling the temperature of the heat sealing head surface of the sealing member pressed against the top surface of the base member, controlling the pressure applied by the sealing head to the sealing member, or controlling the pressure applied by the sealing head to the sealing member. The timing of the sealing member, or a combination thereof, adjusts the sealing configuration, as described above.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for recycling a sealed blister package, which includes: removing the sealing member from the base member; removing the contact lens from the blister well; removing the liquid contact lens packaging solution; coupling the two base members of the two contact lens blister packages by inserting the handle end of one base member into the hole of the second base member To form a base component assembly. The method may also include the step of coupling additional base members to the base member assembly to form an assembly of at least 30 base members coupled together to form a base member recovery unit . The method may also include the step of placing the base member recycling unit in a recycling container. This may allow the base members to be recycled since the base member recovery unit has a sufficiently large ring volume to be recycled.

Of course, it will be understood that features described with respect to one aspect of the invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.

In an example embodiment of the present invention, the base member is a recyclable plastic material. The base member is sized in a manner that allows it to be lightweight while maintaining its structural integrity. The base member may include a bulb well, a handle, stabilizing feet and side tabs. The base member includes a lower surface designed to face downward during use and designed to present a hydrated contact lens to a person during use (such as when using a blister pack) to face upward when removed from the blister pack. one of the upper surfaces. The bulb well extends downwardly from an upper surface of the base member having a concave inner surface and projects downwardly from a lower surface of the base member assembly having an opposite convex outer surface. In the case where the concave inner surface of the bulb well intersects the planar upper surface of the base member, the bulb well has a peripheral edge. The periphery of the bulb well is enclosed by a sealing area on the upper surface of the base member. The sealing area in use is the area where the base member of the blister pack is airtightly sealed to the sealing member of the blister pack. A flange extends from a periphery of the bulb well to an edge of the base member. At a first end of the base member, the flange may extend to a curved edge at a constant distance from the periphery of the bulb well. At a second end of the base member, the flange may extend further than at the first end and form a handle adapted to be held between the thumb and forefinger during use. The bulb well is sized to hold a contact lens and contact lens packaging solution. A plurality of stabilizing feet may extend downwardly from a lower surface of the flange around the convex outer surface of the bulb well. When in use, the stabilizing feet may allow the base member to be placed with the lower surface of the base member contacting a surface without tilting. One side tab can extend downwardly from the edge of the flange on either side of the bulb well, so there can be a side tab extending symmetrically from the first end of the base member to the second end of the base member. piece, whose line passes through the center point of the bubble shell well. There may be a hole extending through the thickness of the handle of the base member. At the end of the handle, the base member lower surface may project downwardly below the lower surface to form a tab.

The contact lens blister package of the present invention is believed to have the lightest weight thermoplastic base member aware of the inventors. Several commercially available blister packaging plastic base components were dried and weighed, as shown in Table 1 below:

For each commercial product, five blister pack base members were weighed using a conventional scale and the average weight in grams is provided in Table 1 (weights have been rounded to two significant figures). The right row provides ranges for base member weights. Acuvue 2 and Oasys contact lens blister packaging has the lightest base component weight of 0.732 grams. Examples of blister packaging are disclosed in the following patent publications: EP1092645A1, US7213382, EP1092645A1, US7213382, US5609246, US5609246, US5609246, US5609246, US10390593, US7426993, US10390593, US74269 93. US7477366, US6398018 and US7477366. The blister base components of these patents are visually similar to actual weighing blister packages of the commercial products identified in Table 1.

The blister package of the present invention includes a base member having a weight of 0.72 g or less. For example, the base member of a blister pack has a weight ranging from 0.40 g to 0.72 g. Table 1 manufacturer product Average weight (g) standard deviation Range(g) JJVC OASYS 0.75 0.013 0.732 - 0.766 JJVC OASYS 1-DAY 1.23 0.003 1.231 - 1.238 JJVC ACUVUE 2 0.74 0.005 0.732 - 0.743 JJVC TRUEYE 1.23 0.010 1.226 - 1.247 Alcon AIROPTIX 1.02 0.007 1.014-1.030 Alcon PRECISION 1 1.04 0.011 1.021-1.052 Alcon TOTAL 1 1.07 0.011 1.051-1.081 Alcon DAILIES AQUA COMFORT PLUS 1.04 0.008 1.031-1.053 Alcon TOTAL30 1.05 0.008 1.045-1.063 B&L ULTRA 0.87 0.016 0.859 - 0.896 B&L BIOTRUE 1-DAY 1.59 0.007 1.581-1.599 B&L PUREVISION2 2.74 0.005 2.730 - 2.741 B&L INFUSE 0.84 0.011 0.829 - 0.854 CooperVision MYDAY 1.11 0.012 1.088 - 1.122 CooperVision BIOFINITY 2.05 0.020 2.035-2.085 CooperVision AVAIRA VATALITY 1.07 0.005 1.064-1.077 CooperVision CLARITI 1 DAY 0.96 0.006 0.950-0.965 CooperVision PROCLEAR 6 PACK 2.07 0.005 2.066-2.080 CooperVision PROCLEAR 1 DAY 0.99 0.021 0.960 - 1.016 CooperVision BIOMEDICS 55 6 PACK 2.08 0.011 2.071-2.093 CooperVision MISIGHT 0.97 0.019 0.954 - 0.992

The contact lens contained in the blister pack is preferably a soft contact lens. A soft contact lens can be a hydrogel contact lens since it has an equilibrium water content (EWC) of from 10% to 90%. Preferably, the soft contact lens is a silicone hydrogel contact lens (ie, a hydrogel contact lens comprising polymer units derived from at least one silicone-containing chemical).

A first example embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 5 . Figure 1A shows a base member 100 formed from a thermoplastic layer. The base member 100 has a weight of 0.72 g. The base member 100 is made of a recyclable plastic material. The base member 100 has a length of 46.31 mm at its longest point and a width of 29 mm at its widest point. The base member 100 includes a bulb well 104 and a handle 106 . Bulb well 104 is sized to accommodate a contact lens. The bulb well 104 has a side wall 105 (Fig. 3). The bulb well 104 has an edge 101 . Perimeter 101 is substantially circular spaced apart from a linear portion 154 . The handle 106 provides a gripping portion configured to be held between the thumb and fingers of a user. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the base member 100.

The base member 100 has a lower surface 132 and an upper surface 130 . The lower surface 132 and the upper surface 130 intersect at an edge 134 extending around the boundary of the base member 100 .

Bulb well 104 is formed as one of the wells in the upper surface 130 of the thermoplastic layer that extends downwardly to form a concave interior surface. The thickness of the side wall 105 of the bulb well 104 is 0.6 mm, that is, the distance between the upper surface 130 of the base member 100 and the lower surface 132 of the base member in the area of the bulb well 104 is 0.6 mm. The depth of the bulb well 104 is 6 mm at its maximum point. Bulb well 104 is sized to maintain a maximum of 1.6 mL of contact lens packaging solution.

Figure 1B shows a base member 100 and a sealing member 103. In the case where the sealing member 103 is joined to the base member 100 at a sealing area 102, the sealing area 102 is shown in dashed lines to indicate that it is between the sealing member 103 and the base member 100 and is not directly visible from above. The sealing area 102 is used to hermetically seal the base member 100 to the sealing member 103 to form a bulb cavity. The sealing area 102 has a width of 1.5 mm. Figure 2A shows a top view of the base member 100. A flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 104 to the boundary of the base member 100 . At a first end 138 of the base member 100, the flange extends out to form a curved edge at a distance of 5 mm from a perimeter of the bulb well 104. At a second end 136 of the base member 100, the flange extends further to form a substantially planar handle 106 that may serve as a clamping portion. Along the width of the base member 100, the flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 104 to form two flat edges 140 at the boundaries of the base member 100. The flat edge 140 has a length of 8 mm. The distance between the flat edges 140 is 29 mm.

Two side tabs 122 (one of which is visible in Figure 1) extend downwardly from the lower surface 132 (Figure 3) of the base member 100 from an area adjacent the flat edge 140. The side tabs 122 have a height of 4 mm and a length of 8 mm. These side tabs increase the structural integrity of the base member 100 and serve to provide a grippable portion for the user to hold between his or her fingers and thumbs when lifting the base member 100 . The side tabs 122 also serve to stabilize the base member 100 when the base member 100 is placed upright on a flat surface.

The thickness of the handle is 0.55 mm. At a distance of 8.0 mm from the second end 136 of the base member 100, there is a hole 110 extending through the thickness of the flange. Figure 2B shows the shape of the isolation hole 110. Hole 110 is a slot that is generally rectangular in shape, with a length 142 of 10.5 mm and a width 143 of 1 mm. The aperture 110 has a recess 146 on one side extending a portion of the long side of the slot facing the second end 136 (FIG. 3) of the base member 100. Notch 146 has a length of 2.7 mm and projects 1.1 mm from the slot. At the distal end of handle 106 (second end 136 of base member 100), handle 106 includes a protrusion 150 extending 2.3 mm from the edge of base member 100. When viewed from above (as shown in Figure 2A), the protrusion has a linear outer edge 152. The linear outer edge 152 has a length of 9.8 mm. There is a tab 124 extending downwardly from the flat outer edge 152 of the protrusion 150 (Fig. 4).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tab 124 has a length of 2.3 mm and extends downwardly by 1.75 mm from the upper surface of the base member 100 . Three stabilizing feet 116a to 116c extend downwardly from the lower surface 132 of the base member 100 and are vertically aligned with the periphery 101 of the bulb well 104 on the upper surface 130 of the base member. Three legs 116 a to 116 c are arranged around the convex outer surface of the bulb well 104 . At the first end 138 of the base member 100, one of the stabilizing feet 116a is positioned so that it is centered across the width of the base member. The second leg 116b and the third leg 116c are shown in FIG. 4 and are disposed on either side of a centerline extending along the length of the base member from the first end 138 to the second end 136 . The center points of the three legs 116a - 116c are positioned approximately 120 degrees apart about an axis extending vertically downward through the center of the bulb well 104 .

In a method 200 of manufacturing a packaged contact lens according to a second embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, a contact lens blister package 202 according to a first aspect of the invention is provided. The thermoplastic base member of a contact lens blister package is placed 204 in the blister well. Place a volume of liquid contact lens packaging solution into the bulb well 206 of the contact lens thermoplastic base member. A sealing member is sealed to the sealing area 208 of the thermoplastic base member. The method optionally includes the step of autoclaving 210 the sealed contact lens blister package to sterilize the contact lens and packaging solution. Figure 7 shows the steps of a method 300 for recycling the contact lens blister packaging of the present invention according to a third embodiment. The steps of the method are as follows. Sealing member 312 is removed from the thermoplastic base member. Remove the contact lens 314 from the blister well. Liquid contact lens packaging solution 316 is removed from the bulb well in the thermoplastic base member. In step 318, both thermoplastic base members align the tabs with the notches in the holes by inserting the second end of one of the thermoplastic base members into the hole of the second thermoplastic base member. And coupled together. The two base members together form a base member assembly 320. The method optionally includes step 322 of coupling additional thermoplastic base members to the thermoplastic base member assembly to form an assembly including at least 30 thermoplastic base members coupled together to form a thermoplastic base member recovery unit. The method optionally includes the step 324 of placing the thermoplastic base member recycling unit in a recycling container.

Another example embodiment of the present invention (Figs. 8A-8D) is similar to the first example embodiment of the present invention but with some alternative features. A base member 400 includes a bulb well 404 and a handle 406. The bulb well 404 has an edge 401 . The perimeter 401 is enclosed by a sealing area 402 . A flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 404 to the boundary of the base member 400 . At one end of the base member 400, a flange extends to form a handle 406. The base member 400 has a hole 410 extending through the thickness of the handle 406 . Hole 410 is a slot that is substantially rectangular in shape. Hole 410 has a length 442 of 10.5 mm and a width 440 of 1.0 mm. The long sides of hole 410 are parallel to a centerline extending along the length of base member 400 . Hole 410 has a notch 446 on one side extending a portion of one of the long sides of the slot. The notch has a length of 2.7 mm and projects 1.1 mm from the slot. The base member 400 has two larger holes 456a and 456b on either side of the hole 410. Holes 456a and 456b reduce the amount of material required to manufacture base member 400 and therefore reduce its weight. At the end of the handle 406 furthest from the bulb well 404, the handle includes a protrusion 425. Figure 8B shows this protrusion 425 from a lower surface of the base member 400. The protrusion 425 is shaped so that it can be slotted through the hole 410 of the other base member 400 according to this embodiment. Figure 8C shows how this protrusion 425 may be aligned with a hole 410 in the second base member 400. The protrusion 425 is shaped so that a first base member 400a can be positioned perpendicularly to a second base member 400b, with the protrusion 425 located in the hole 410. Projection 425 includes a tab 424 (FIG. 8B) aligned with notch 446 (FIG. 8A) in hole 410. Once the protrusion 425 of a first base member 400a is aligned with the hole 410 in a second base member 400b, the first base member 400a can be rotated 90 degrees so that the flange of the first base member 400a is parallel to the second base member 400b. The flanges and tabs 424 of the two base members are aligned with the notches 446 so that the two base members are locked together. Figure 8D shows that once the protrusion 425 of one base member 400a has been inserted into the hole 410 of the other base member 400a and the first base member 400a has been rotated 90 degrees to lock the base members 400a, 400b together, the two base members How seat members 400a, 400b may be joined together.

Another example embodiment of the present invention (Figs. 9A-9C) is similar to the first example embodiment of the present invention but with some alternative features. A base member 500 includes a bulb well 504 and a handle 506 . The bulb well 504 has a rim 501 where a concave inner surface of the well 504 intersects an upper surface of the base member. The periphery 501 of the bulb well 504 is enclosed by a sealing area 502 . The flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 504 to the boundary of the base member 500 . At one end of the base member 500, a flange extends out to form a handle 506. The base member 500 has a hole 510 extending through the thickness of the handle 506 . Hole 510 is a slot that is rectangular in shape. Hole 510 has a length 542 of 10.5 mm and a width 540 of 1.0 mm. The long sides of hole 510 are perpendicular to a centerline extending along the length of base member 500 . At the end of handle 506 furthest from well 504, the handle includes a protrusion 550 extending out in the plane of the flange. The protrusion 550 is shaped to expand outward to form a hook 551 on either side of the protrusion in the plane of the flange. Figure 9B shows the lower surface of base member 500. There is a tab 524 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the protruding end furthest from the well 504. Protrusion 550 and tab 524 are shaped to slot through a hole 510 of another base member 500 according to this embodiment. Once the protrusion 550 has been inserted through the hole 510 of the other base member 500, the tab 524 and the hook 551 are used to prevent the protrusion 550 from escaping from the hole 510. Once the protrusion 550 of one base member 500 has been inserted through the hole 510 of a second base member 500, the protrusion 550 of the second base member 500 can be inserted through the hole of a third base member 500. This can be done repeatedly to form an assembly of base members 500 . Figure 9C shows how eight base members 500 according to this embodiment are joined together by inserting the protrusion 550 of one base member 500 into the hole 510 in the other base member 500, where the tab 524 and the hook 551 are used. Each protrusion is retained inside the hole 510 of each base member.

Another example embodiment of the invention (Figs. 10A-10C) is similar to the first example embodiment of the invention but with some alternative features. A base member 600 includes a bulb well 604 and a handle 606. The bulb well 604 has a rim 601 where a concave inner surface of the well 604 intersects an upper surface of the base member. The periphery 601 of the bulb well 604 is enclosed by a sealing area 602. A flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 604 to the boundary of the base member 600 . At one end of the base member 600, a flange extends out to form a handle 606. The base member 600 has a second well 611 extending downwardly from an upper surface of the handle 606 to form a concave upper surface and extending downwardly from a lower surface of the handle 606 to form a convex lower surface. Figure 10A shows the concave upper surface of the second well 611. Figure 10B shows a lower surface of base member 600. A protrusion 612 extends downward from the convex lower surface of the second well 611 . The protrusion 612 is shaped to be pushed into the second well 611 of the other base member 600 according to this embodiment and then held there by an interference fit. 10C shows how the protrusion 612 of a first base member 600 is slotted into the second well 611 of a second base member 600. The interference fit between protrusion 612 and second well 611 holds the two base members 600 together. This may be repeated to form an assembly of base members 600 .

Another example embodiment of the present invention (Figs. 11A-11C) is similar to the first example embodiment of the present invention but with some alternative features. A base member 700 includes a bulb well 704 and a handle 706. The bulb well 704 has a rim 701 where a concave inner surface of the well 704 intersects an upper surface of the base member. The periphery 701 of the bulb well 704 is enclosed by a sealing area 702. A flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 704 to the boundary of the base member 700 . At one end of the base member 700, a flange extends out to form a handle 706. The handle 706 has a curved portion 707 that curves downwardly from a planar portion of the handle 706 . At one end of the base member 700, a flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 704 to a curved edge 721. At the curved edge 721, a protrusion 723 extends downwardly from the upper surface of the flange. Protrusion 723 has a semicircular shape surrounding well 704 . 11B shows protrusion 723 extending downwardly from the upper surface of the flange to a distance less than the depth of well 704. The bulb well 704 has a substantially square perimeter with the curved edges intersecting the sealing area 702 therein. Well 704 has a flat bottom 703 having the same shape as the perimeter of well 704. The side walls 705 of the bulb well 704 are shaped such that when the outer surface of the bulb well 704 of one base member 700 according to this embodiment is inserted into the inner surface of the bulb well 704 of the other base member 700, both The slots together provide an interference fit. The sidewall 705 of the bulb well 704 has a mid-section 709 at an intermediate point along the depth of the bulb well 704. Figure 11C shows how to insert a bulb well 704 of one base member 700 into a bulb well 704 of another base member 700 so that the two base members can be joined together. This may be repeated to form an assembly of base members 700 .

Another example embodiment of the present invention (Figs. 12A-12C) is similar to the first example embodiment of the present invention but with some alternative features. A base member 800 includes a bulb well 804 and a handle 806. The bulb well has a peripheral edge 801 where a concave inner surface of the well 804 intersects an upper surface of the base member. The periphery 801 of the bulb well 804 is enclosed by a sealing area 802. A flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 804 to the boundary of the base member 800 . The flange extends from the periphery of the bulb well 804 to a curved edge 821 that surrounds the well 804 and is spaced substantially equidistant from the periphery of the bulb well 804 . The flange extends from the curved edge 821 to form a handle 806 on one side of the base member. The handle 806 and the sealing area 802 are planar. Four protrusions 860 extend downwardly from the upper surface of the flange at approximately 90 degree intervals around an axis perpendicular to the center of the bulb well 804. Figure 12B shows protrusions 860 extending downwardly from the upper surface of base member 800. The end of the protrusion 860 farthest from the upper surface of the base member 800 is hooked. 12C shows that when the well 804 of one base member 800 is slotted into the well of a second base member 800 according to this example embodiment, the protrusion 860 fits within the second base member in a slightly tortuous region 861. Curved edge 821 on. The hook of protrusion 860 is used to hold the protrusion in place and engage the two base members 800 together. This can be repeated to form an assembly of base members.

Another example embodiment of the invention (Fig. 13) is similar to the first example embodiment of the invention but has some alternative features. A base member 900 includes a bulb well 904 and a handle 906 . The base member 900 has a hole 910 extending through the thickness of the handle 906 . The shape of hole 910 is generally a rectangular slot. The hole has a length 942 of 10.5 mm and a width 940 of 1.0 mm. The long sides of hole 910 are perpendicular to a centerline extending along the length of the base member. Hole 910 has a notch 946 centrally located along the width of the base member that extends a portion of one of the long sides of the slot. The notch has a length of 2.7 mm and projects 1.1 mm from the slot.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Where reference is made in the foregoing description to integers or elements to which known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents are mentioned, such equivalents are incorporated herein as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the patent claims to determine the true scope of the invention, which should be construed to cover any such equivalents. The reader will also understand that integers or features of the invention described as being preferred, advantageous, convenient, or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that while in some embodiments of the invention such selected integers or features may be beneficial, in other embodiments they may not be desired, and thus may not be present.

100:Base component 101: Zhou Yuan 102:Sealed area 103:Sealing components 104:Bubble shell well 106: handle 110:hole 116a to 116c: Feet 121: Facing inner surface 122: Side protrusions 124:Protruding piece 130: Upper surface 132: Lower surface 134: Edge 136:Second end 138:First end 140: Flat edge 142:Length 143:Width 146: Notch 150: Outstanding 152: Linear outer edge/flat outer edge 154: Linear part 200:Method 202: Provide a contact lens blister package according to the first aspect of the present invention 204: Placing a contact lens in the bulb well of the thermoplastic base member of the blister package 206: Place a volume of liquid contact lens packaging solution into the blister well of the thermoplastic base member 208: Seal a sealing member to the sealing area of the thermoplastic base member 210: Step 300:Method 312: Removing the sealing member from the thermoplastic base member 314:Removing contact lenses from the blister well 316: Removing liquid contact lens packaging solution from blister well in thermoplastic base member 318: Steps 320: Two base members together form a base member assembly 322: Steps 324: Steps 400:Base component 400a: First base member 400b: Second base member 401: Zhou Yuan 402:Sealed area 404:Bubble shell well 406: handle 410:hole 424: tab 425: Outstanding 429:Region 431:Region 433: Medial wall 437: Lower surface 439:Bent part 440:Width 441: Lip 442:Length 443:Surface 446: Notch 456a:hole 456b:hole 500:Base component 501: Zhou Yuan 502:Sealed area 504:Bubble shell well 506: handle 510:hole 521: Outstanding 523: Diagonal facing outer surface 524: tab 525:Indentation 527: Inward facing surface 529:Region 531:Region 533: Medial wall 535:Surface 540:Width 542:Length 550: Outstanding 551:hook 600:Base component 601: Zhou Yuan 602:Sealed area 604:Bubble shell well 606: handle 611:The second well 612: Outstanding 700:Base component 701: Zhou Yuan 702:Sealed area 703: Flat bottom 704:Bubble shell well 705:Side wall 706: handle 707: Curved part 709: middle section 721: Curved edge 723: Outstanding 800: Base component 801: Zhou Yuan 802:Sealed area 804:Bubble shell well 806: handle 821: Curved edge 860: Outstanding 861:Region 900: Base component 904:Bubble shell well 906: handle 910:hole 940:width 942:Length 946:Notch 950: Outstanding

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the schematic drawings, in which: 1A shows a perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1B shows a perspective view of a contact lens package including a base member and a sealing member according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2A shows a top view of the base component of Figure 1A; Figure 2B shows a top view of a hole in a handle of the base member of Figure 1A; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the base member taken along line A-A of Figure 1A; Figure 4 is an end view of the base component of Figure 1A; Figure 5 is a top view of a portion of the base component of Figure 1A; Figure 6 shows steps of a method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 shows the steps of a method for recycling a contact lens blister package according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 8A shows a top perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8B shows a bottom perspective view of the base component of Figure 8A; Figure 8C shows a perspective view of the pair of base members of Figure 8A; Figure 8D shows a side view of the pair of base members of Figure 8A; 9A shows a top perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9B shows a bottom perspective view of the base component of Figure 9A; Figure 9C shows a perspective view of an assembly of the base component of Figure 9A; 10A shows a top perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10B shows a bottom perspective view of the base component of Figure 10A; Figure 10C shows a side view of one of the base members of Figure 10A; 11A shows a top perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11B shows a bottom perspective view of the base component of Figure 11A; Figure 11C shows a side view of the pair of base members of Figure 11A; 12A shows a top perspective view of a contact lens packaging base member according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12B shows a bottom perspective view of the base component of Figure 12A; Figure 12C shows a side view of the pair of base members of Figure 12A; and Figure 13 shows a top view of a contact lens packaging base member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

100:Base component

101: Zhou Yuan

102:Sealed area

104:Bubble shell well

110:hole

116a:Feet

122: Side protrusions

130: Upper surface

134: Edge

140: Flat edge

152: Linear outer edge/flat outer edge

154: Linear part

Claims (16)

An airtight sealed blister package for a contact lens, wherein the blister package includes a base member made of a plastic material and joined to the base member to form a form configured to hold an unworn contact lens And a sealing member of the blister cavity of the contact lens packaging solution; The base member has an upper surface and a lower surface and includes a bulb well and a handle. The bulb well has a periphery, and the periphery of the bulb well is enclosed by a sealing area on the base member. On the upper surface; the handle and the sealing area are provided by a flange extending from the bulb well; It is characterized by The base member has a weight from 0.4 g to 0.72 g. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1, wherein the base member additionally includes three or more stabilizing feet extending downwardly from the lower surface of the base member And vertically aligned with the periphery of the bulb well. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the base member includes at least two side tabs positioned on either side of the blister well, wherein the side tabs extend from The upper surface of the base member extends downward. For example, the sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 3, wherein the side tabs have a height of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm and a length of 6.0 mm to 10.0 mm along the upper surface of the flange. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle includes a hole extending through the flange, wherein the hole is positioned closer to an outer edge of the handle than to the blister The center of the well. For example, claim 5 is a sealed blister package for a contact lens, wherein the hole is a slot with a width ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 5 or 6, wherein the hole includes a notch in the edge of the hole. A sealed blister package for a contact lens according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing area is annular when viewed from above. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing area has an apex of the handle adjacent to the base member. For example, the sealed blister packaging for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing area has a width from 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm. A sealed blister package for a contact lens as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the blister well holds a volume of contact lens packaging solution ranging from 0.4 mL to 1.6 mL. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the base member has a length from 40.0 mm to 50.0 mm and a width from 25 mm to 35 mm. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the blister well has a depth of 5.0 mm to 8.0 mm at its center. The sealed blister package for a contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein on the outer edge of the handle farthest from the blister well, there is a protrusion extending downward from the upper surface of the flange. piece. The sealed blister package of claim 2, wherein the three stabilizing feet are positioned approximately 120 degrees apart from each other about a vertical axis extending through the center of the blister well. As claimed in claim 1 or 2, the sealed blister package for a contact lens, wherein the flange of the base member has a stiffness of 50,000 psi.mm ² to 150,000 psi.mm ² .