WO2005050292A1 - Method for coloring eye lens - Google Patents

Abstract

A novel coloring method utilizing laser beam applicable to coloring of a shaped contact lens or intraocular lens, e.g. marking of characters or symbols, coloring at a specified region, or the like. A dye plate (14) made of a material containing a dye is superposed on one side (12) of an eye lens (10), e.g. a contact lens. Under that state, the dye plate (14) is irradiated with laser beam (20) in order to transfer the dye from the dye plate (14) to the eye lens (10) thus coloring the eye lens (10).

Description

 Description Ophthalmic lens coloring method

 The present invention relates to an ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens, an intraocular lens, or a corneal implant, which is directly worn on the inside or surface of an eyeball, and is colored after the lens is completed. The present invention relates to a novel coloring method for an ophthalmic lens that can be used. Background art

 The above-mentioned ophthalmic lens is required to be transparent to visible light, but it is necessary for various purposes such as protection of the eye from ultraviolet rays, improvement of fashionability, and display for identifying the lens. Often colored. There are various types of coloring materials, coloring concentrations, coloring sites, sizes, and the like in ophthalmic lenses, depending on the purpose of coloring.

 By the way, when obtaining a colored ophthalmic lens, it is conceivable to add a coloring material such as a dye or pigment to the lens material in advance. In addition, after the completion of the lens, it may be necessary to color the lens afterwards for the purpose of individually responding to various requests.

Specifically, for example, there is a case where a contact lens is marked for discrimination between front and back, left and right. Such marking is performed by adding specific characters or symbols, and for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-697332), a stamp is imprinted on a molding die. The transferred characters can be transferred at the time of molding the contact lens. As disclosed in Reference 2 (Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-37 368), marking may be performed by engraving a completed contact lens with a laser beam. If there is a concave portion of the marking, there is a problem that a feeling of wearing is deteriorated and foreign matter is easily deposited there. Therefore, it has been studied to apply marking by partially coloring the contact lens and displaying characters and the like that can be visually recognized.

 However, the conventionally known coloring marking method by dyeing or printing employs a specific dye which easily penetrates into the polymer of the contact lens, so that it is difficult to control the dispersion in the polymer, and the dispersion is difficult. In some cases, the adverse effect of the dye may be a concern (see Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4, Patent Document 5, and Patent Document 6 described later). In addition, in particular, in the case of a hard type contact lens, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the dye to penetrate into the inside, so that it is difficult to perform color marking, or the dyeing becomes thin, and that sufficient durability cannot be obtained due to bleaching or peeling. Was. Furthermore, a method of discoloring a specific part of the contact lens using a laser beam or UV light or the like to perform color marking has also been proposed.However, a specific lens material is used or a photosensitive material is contained in the lens material. Therefore, it is not practical (see Patent Document 7 described later).

Also, at present, there is no technology yet available for coloring an ophthalmic lens such as a contact lens into an arbitrary color after the lens is formed. On the other hand, coloring after completion of the lens has been extremely difficult in the prior art. Therefore, for example, in a bifocal type contact lens lens having a near portion and a far portion, coloring only the far portion after the lens is completed has never been easy in the prior art. (Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-6 7 9 32

 (Patent Document 2) Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-37 7 368

 (Patent Document 3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 62-18686221

 (Patent Literature 4) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-12703012

 (Patent Document 5) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61-2-1111380

 (Patent Document 6) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-318182

 (Patent Document 7) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-135020 Disclosure of the Invention

 (Problems to be solved by the invention)

 Here, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is to color various ophthalmic lenses after the lens is completed afterward. It is an object of the present invention to provide a completely new and extremely useful coloring method in the technical field of ophthalmic lenses, which can be colored with a high degree of durability irrespective of the type of ophthalmic lens material, etc. .

 (Means for solving the problem)

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention that have been made to solve such problems will be described. Note that the components employed in each of the embodiments described below can be employed in any combination as much as possible. Further, aspects or technical features of the present invention are not limited to those described below, and can be understood by those skilled in the art from those described in the entire specification and drawings, or from those descriptions. It should be understood that they are recognized based on the inventive idea.

 (Embodiment 1 of the present invention)

The feature of the first aspect of the present invention is that a dye comprising a material containing a dye A plate is disposed so as to be superimposed on one surface of the ophthalmic lens, and the dye plate is irradiated with laser light to transfer the dye to the ophthalmic lens from the dye plate cap, so that the eye is transferred to the eye lens. The method is for coloring an ophthalmic lens for coloring an ophthalmic lens.

 According to such an embodiment, it is possible to color an arbitrary region with an arbitrary shape and color after the manufacture of an ophthalmic lens such as a contact lens or an intraocular lens. Become. As a coloring technique for an ophthalmic lens using a laser beam, those disclosed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 7 described above have been conventionally known. In particular, the coloring technique of the present invention is particularly preferred. In comparison with the lens coloring technique using a laser beam as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a substantially smooth lens surface is maintained without forming a large concave portion such as an engraved mark on the lens surface. Therefore, problems such as a decrease in the strength of the lens do not become a problem, and a special lens material for the ophthalmic lens is used as compared with the lens coloring technology using a laser beam as disclosed in Patent Document 7. There is no restriction.

In the technical field of print image formation represented by gravure printing, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-106006 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. A film printing method in which a target film is superimposed on a dye-containing source film and irradiated with a laser beam to generate a laser application to transfer the dye to the target film, A film printing method that injects the dye undegraded into the target film by irradiating high-intensity laser light has already been proposed. However, these are merely provided as techniques for applying to color filters for display materials such as printing original plates and liquid crystal displays, in which color tone reproducibility is emphasized. Regarding the coloring of ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses that are worn directly on the living body, there are different fields where the required characteristics are different, such as the characteristics of the material used and the importance on the effect on the living body. For some reasons, the fact is that no application has been considered so far, and in the field of ophthalmic lenses, the marking methods specific to the field of ophthalmic lenses as described above have been used exclusively. is there.

 Under such circumstances, the present inventors, when coloring an ophthalmic lens such as a contact lens, use laser ablation to transfer dye to the contact lens, or to apply laser light having an intensity equal to or lower than the ablation threshold. Focusing on the effectiveness of applying the technology of irradiating and injecting the dye into the contact lens without decomposition, repeated experiments and examinations showed that the transfer and injection of dye using laser light It is effective for coloring contact lenses made of special polymer materials.Especially for contact lenses that require smooth surface, it is possible to color the contact lenses in the subsequent process while keeping the surface almost smooth. It is possible, and it is easy to control the diffusion of dyes. That is why it is possible to find out that a specific coloring technique, such as the transfer or injection of dyes using laser light, is indispensable for ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses, which are special technical fields. It has led to new findings that it is always an effective coloring method. The present invention has been completed on the basis of such new findings, and can be more advantageously implemented particularly in the various embodiments described below.

 (Embodiment 2 of the present invention)

Embodiment 2 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to Embodiment 1, wherein the laser light includes an ablation threshold in the dye plate. Irradiating the dye plate with an intensity less than or equal to a minimum value. (Embodiment 3 of the present invention)

 Aspect 3 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the laser light is of a diffusion type, and at least a part of an optical portion of the ophthalmic lens is used. It is characterized in that coloring is applied to.

 (Embodiment 4 of the present invention)

 An aspect 4 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of the aspects 1 to 3, wherein the colored portion is localized in the ophthalmic lens, and a marking that is visible by the coloring is provided. It is characterized in that it is applied to the ophthalmic lens.

 (Embodiment 5 of the present invention)

 A fifth aspect of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to the fourth aspect, characterized in that the marking is applied to a peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens which is outside the optical part.

 (Embodiment 6 of the present invention)

 Aspect 6 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to Aspect 5, wherein an irradiation direction of the laser light is applied to a position where the marking is made in the peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens. Is inclined in the radius of curvature direction of the surface of the ophthalmic lens at the position where the marking is to be performed, with respect to the optical center axis of the ophthalmic lens.

 (Embodiment 7 of the present invention)

Embodiment 7 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any of Embodiments 4 to 6, wherein a surface crack is generated on the one surface of the ophthalmic lens, and And causing the dye to enter and transfer. (Embodiment 8 of the present invention)

 An aspect 7 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to the aspect 7, wherein the surface cracks are generated by utilizing ablation by laser light applied to the dye plate. Is the feature. (Embodiment 9 of the present invention)

 Embodiment 9 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to Embodiment 8, wherein a condensing type laser beam is adopted, and the laser beam is focused on the dye plate. I do.

 (Aspect 10 of the present invention)

 A tenth aspect of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any of the fourth to ninth aspects, wherein the depth of the surface crack is set to 50 / m or less.

 (Embodiment 11 of the present invention)

Aspect 11 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the transition region of the dye in the ophthalmic lens is formed on the one surface of the ophthalmic lens. The feature is to be _{50 μm} or less from the surface.

 (Embodiment 2 of the present invention)

 Embodiment 12 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein pulse laser light is employed as the laser light.

 (Embodiment 13 of the present invention)

Aspect 13 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the color plate is substantially in close contact with one surface of the ophthalmic lens. Irradiating the dye plate with the laser beam in a superposed state. (Embodiment 14 of the present invention)

 Aspect 14 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein the laser beam is transmitted through the ophthalmic lens to irradiate the dye plate. Features.

 (Embodiment 15 of the present invention)

 An aspect 15 of the present invention is the method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the ophthalmic lens is formed of a water-containing material, and the ophthalmic lens is wetted. The ophthalmic lens is colored by irradiating the laser beam in the closed state.

 (Embodiment 16 of the present invention)

 Embodiment 16 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the ophthalmic lens is irradiated with the laser beam while being immersed in a liquid. It is characterized in that the ophthalmic lens is colored.

 (Embodiment 17 of the present invention)

 Embodiment 17 of the present invention is a method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 16, wherein the dye plate includes a phthalocyanine-based pigment. .

 (Action and effect of the present invention)

According to the method of the present invention described in each of the above aspects 1 to 17 of the present invention, any of the shapes and regions of the ophthalmic lens can be coated with the dye by using laser light. After forming the lens, it is possible to maintain the substantially smooth lens surface without forming large concaves on the lens surface as in the conventional engraving method using a laser beam. In addition, marking such as various characters and symbols, and coloring only a limited area, which has been extremely difficult in the past, can be realized very easily. In particular, according to the coloring method described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention described above, it is possible to inject a dye without substantially changing the lens surface, and furthermore, with a laser beam. The dye that is injected into the lens with the energy applied to it can be directly diffused into the human eye because unnecessary diffusion in the lens is suppressed as compared with coloring by the conventional simple staining method. Ophthalmic lenses to be worn can also advantageously avoid problems caused by pigments, and have a good coloring effect over a long period of time even under wearing conditions in which they are exposed to bodily fluids and frequent washing is repeated. It can be maintained at

 Further, according to the coloring method described in Embodiment 8 of the present invention described above, minute cracks are generated on the lens surface to such an extent that practically sufficient smoothness is recognized, and the pigment may enter there. The crack promotes the penetration of the dye into the lens by the crack, and the pigment is mechanically retained in the crack even if it does not penetrate into the lens. Therefore, similarly to the coloring method according to the second aspect of the present invention, an extremely excellent coloring effect can be exhibited in an ophthalmic lens such as a contact lens or an intraocular lens. Brief Description of Drawings

 FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing one embodiment for carrying out a coloring method using laser light according to the present invention.

 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing another embodiment for carrying out the coloring method using a laser beam according to the present invention.

 FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing another embodiment for carrying out a coloring method using a laser beam according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram for carrying out a coloring method using a laser beam according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows another aspect of a model in a model.

 FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing still another embodiment for carrying out a coloring method using a laser beam according to the present invention.

 FIG. 6 is a micrograph showing a colored portion of the hard contact lens colored in the first embodiment of the present invention.

 FIG. 7 is a micrograph showing a colored portion of a colored soft contact 'in the second embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in order to clarify the present invention more specifically.

 First, the dyes constituting the dye plate employed in Embodiments 1 to 15 of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention” are dyes and pigments having a coloring function and are toxic to the human body. If it does not exist, it can be used. However, in consideration of the color, porosity, availability, and ease of handling, as well as the absorption characteristics of the laser light in the wavelength range to be used, an appropriate one can be used. Selected. The dye in the present invention is not limited to a dye in the field of ordinary coloring materials, and has a wavelength range from ultraviolet to near infrared, preferably a wavelength in the range of 190 to 110 nm. It is defined as having a maximum of light absorption within the range. Therefore, a compound that absorbs and reflects infrared rays and a compound that absorbs and reflects ultraviolet rays as well as in the visible light range are also included in the category of the dye in the present invention.

More specifically, as the dye in the present invention, for example, phthalocyanine dyes, azo dyes, anthraquinone dyes, fluorescent dyes, copolymers of various polymerizable dyes and monomers, and the like are preferably used. It is also possible to use various inorganic pigments, UV absorbers, near-infrared absorbers, etc. as dyes. The Examples of fluorescent dyes include phenylmethane-based xanthene-based, thiazole-based, and thiazine-based fluorescent dyes, and examples of the UV absorber dye include benzophenone-based, triazole-based, and various polymerizable absorbents. A copolymer of an agent and a monomer may be employed. Of course, these dyes can be used by mixing a plurality of types as necessary.

 Such a dye is used as a dye plate, for example, by forming particles of an appropriate size into pressure to form an integrated plate structure. At the time of press molding of such a dye plate, an appropriate binder, a bonding agent, an extender, and the like are added to the dye as necessary, and are uniformly mixed. Examples of the binder used include a wavelength range in which the pigment functions, such as an olefin resin, a styrene resin, an acryl resin, a bur resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, a phenol resin, and a silicone resin. An organic polymer compound having a high light transmittance with respect to the above light rays is suitably employed.

 As the dye used for the dye plate and the binder added to the dye plate, those that absorb the energy of the irradiated laser beam are particularly preferably used. It is thought that by covering and absorbing the energy of the irradiated laser light, it is given as kinetic energy to the fine particles of the dye plate, and efficient scattering of the dye from the dye plate is realized. It is.

For the dye plate, in addition to the above-mentioned pressure molding, for example, a dye plate in which a dye is uniformly dispersed or dissolved in an appropriate solvent solution is used, and the dye is cast on an appropriate plate substrate by casting, coating, or the like. It is also possible to obtain it by attaching it by spin coating, divebing, etc., and then removing the solvent by drying or the like. The material for forming the plate substrate used at that time is the laser beam when the laser light described below is applied from the dye plate side. For example, glass, quartz, or the like is preferably used as a material having a high light transmittance.

 In particular, by forming a dye plate on a plate substrate, the color plate can be made sufficiently thin. In other words, although depending on the desired degree of coloring, a dye plate generally provides coloring if the thickness of the dye layer is 0.1 μm or more at a dye concentration of 0.1 to 50% by weight. It can be carried out, and is generally formed with a thickness of 1 μm to 1 mm.By using a plate substrate, a dye plate with sufficient thickness without waste can be handled easily. It can be obtained advantageously while maintaining a high strength.

 On the other hand, examples of an ophthalmic lens to which the present invention is applied include an intraocular lens and a contact lens, and particularly, a contact lens includes both a hard type and a soft type. That is, since ophthalmic lenses originally have high transmittance to visible light, the present invention is applicable to various ophthalmic lenses without being particularly limited by materials and the like. obtain. Specifically, a hydrous soft contact lens made of PHEMA (polyhide mouth methacrylate), PVP (polybutylpyrrolidone), etc., a non-hydrous soft contact lens made of ataryl rubber / silicone, a fluorine compound, The present invention can be applied to a hard contact lens made of PMMA (methacrylic resin) or the like, or an intraocular lens made of silicone acryl elastomer.

When the present invention is applied to an ophthalmic lens formed of a water-containing material, it is possible to apply coloring to an ophthalmic lens in a dry state, but it is possible to add an appropriate ratio. An ophthalmic lens in a state of being swelled by being hydrated, preferably in a state of being substantially completely swollen, is used. It is desirable to color the glass. This avoids discoloration that may occur due to swelling as compared to when the ophthalmic lens in a dry state is colored, and also reduces the coloring area when the ophthalmic lens in the swollen state is used. Advantages such as dimensional accuracy and sharpness of the outer edge can be advantageously secured.

 When an ophthalmic lens molded in a shape having desired optical characteristics using a predetermined material in advance is subsequently colored using a dye plate as described above, laser light is used. Can be As such a laser beam, a laser beam having a wavelength (e) of 280 to 1,600 nm is suitably employed. The optimum wavelength differs depending on the dye material of the dye plate used. In particular, when laser light is irradiated through an ophthalmic lens, if the wavelength is outside this wavelength range, the ophthalmic lens generally used as described above is used. There is a possibility that the absorptance of a laser beam by a material may be increased. Suitable laser light sources include excimer (XeC1) laser, alexan dry laser, Nd-YAG laser, YAG second harmonic, YAG third harmonic, and Nd-glass laser. Titanium, sapphire laser, etc., and especially when irradiating laser light from the ophthalmic lens side, the absorption problem due to the ophthalmic lens material is taken into consideration, and the wavelength is 280 to 160 nm. It is desirable to use a laser light of an appropriate wavelength. Further, when a UV absorber or the like is added to the ophthalmic lens, the effective wavelength ( In order to efficiently obtain a laser beam having a wavelength of 400 to 1200 nm, it is desirable that the Nd-YAG laser or the YAG second-harmonic wave employs one type.

A laser beam obtained by such a laser light source is irradiated onto a dye plate arranged so as to be superimposed on the colored surface of the ophthalmic lens, and the dye on the dye plate is transferred to the ophthalmic lens. Thing To color the ophthalmic lens.

 Here, the irradiation of laser light to the dye plate superimposed on the ophthalmic lens can be performed in the air, but it is possible to irradiate the dye plate with an appropriate one such as distilled water or water adjusted to an appropriate osmotic pressure. The superposition part of the ophthalmic lens and the dye plate may be arranged in the liquid. Specifically, a laser beam is applied from outside to the cell with the ophthalmic lens and the dye plate superimposed on each other with the position fixed and immersed in the cell containing the appropriate liquid. I can do it. This makes it possible to adjust the irradiation conditions of the laser light on the dye plate and the ophthalmic lens, adjust the scattering characteristics of the dye scattered from the dye plate by the laser light, and prevent the generation of microcracks on the ophthalmic lens surface described later. You can also adjust and do things like that. In particular, when coloring an ophthalmic lens made of a water-containing material, by coloring the ophthalmic lens while immersed in water, the coloring operation in a swollen state can be advantageously achieved.

 Further, there are two types of methods or principles for transferring the dye from the dye plate to the ophthalmic lens by irradiation with laser light, and any of these methods can be adopted. The preferred laser light irradiation mode and the like will differ depending on whether it is adopted.

Specifically, as described in the second aspect of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention” section, the first method uses, as laser light, an ablation threshold value equal to or less than the ablation threshold value in the dye plate. A dye of high intensity is used to irradiate the dye plate. If such a low-intensity laser beam is used, the pigment particles present on the pigment plate are scattered while maintaining the original color at a high level with little melting or decomposition, and the ophthalmic laser is dispersed. The ophthalmic lens is colored by transferring to the lens and accumulating or entering the lens. In addition, the laser beam adopted is from the dye plate Needless to say, in order to scatter the dye and transfer it to the ophthalmic lens, the dye is set to be equal to or higher than the scatter threshold of the dye in the dye plate. It is set to an intensity of 70% or more. This makes it possible to efficiently infiltrate the dye scattered from the dye plate into the interior of the ophthalmic lens and color it.

 Although the ablation threshold cannot be uniquely defined for the dye plate, the present invention irradiates the dye plate to be used with one shot of the laser beam to be used, When observed with a contact-type surface shape measuring device (for example, DEKTAK 300 ST (trade name) manufactured by SLOAN), 0.

The minimum laser beam intensity (m J / cm ² ) on the irradiation surface where the above morphological change may occur is referred to as an ablation threshold 1.

 One mode of such first laser irradiation is modeled in FIG. In this figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an ophthalmic lens such as an intraocular lens, which is disposed so as to be superimposed on the surface 16 of the dye plate 14 on one surface 12 to be colored. ing. The overlapping surfaces 12 and 16 of the ophthalmic lens 10 and the dye plate 14 may have a small gap of 1.0 mm or less, but the color elements scattered from the dye plate 14 may be present. In order to efficiently inject ophthalmic solution into the ophthalmic lens 10, it is desirable that it be substantially in a close contact state. Then, as shown in the drawing, a predetermined laser light source 18 transmits the ophthalmic lens 10 through the ophthalmic lens 10 and irradiates the dye plate 14 with laser light 20 so that the dye is dyed from the dye plate 14. The particles 22 can be scattered to be transferred to the surface 12 of the ophthalmic lens 10 and injected into the ophthalmic lens 10 for coloring.

In order to color the ophthalmic lens 10 and display specific symbols and characters in this manner, for example, irradiation of the dye plate 14 with the laser beam 20 is performed. 14955

 • Achieved by moving the 16-position along the desired display mode, or by irradiating the dye plate 14 with a laser beam 20 using masking corresponding to the target display mode. It is possible.

 In the case where it is necessary to color a wider area with respect to the surface of the ophthalmic lens, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the diffused laser light obtained by the diffused optical system 24 or the like is used. The laser light 26 is applied to a large area of the dye plate 14 almost uniformly by using the laser light 26, and the dye 2 covers a wide area of the surface 1 2 of the ophthalmic lens 28 such as a contact lens. It is also possible to transfer 2 and inject.

 On the other hand, in the second method, as described in the aspect 8 of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention”, a laser beam having an intensity higher than the ablation threshold of the dye plate is used. And irradiates the dye plate. The use of such high-intensity laser light allows the dye particles present on the dye plate to be decomposed by a laser application (laser explosion) or scattered undecomposed under appropriate conditions. After being transferred to the ophthalmic lens and deposited or penetrated into the interior, the ophthalmic lens is colored.

As the laser beam employed in the second method, various lasers similar to the above-mentioned method — can be employed. However, unlike the first method, the intensity of the laser beam applied to the dye plate employed is different. Accordingly, the value is set to a value larger than the threshold value of the abrasion. Preferably, as shown in embodiment 7 of the present invention in the above-mentioned "Disclosure of the Invention" section, laser ablation is generated so as to generate a surface crack on the colored surface of the ophthalmic lens. The resulting strength is employed. More preferably, as described in the tenth aspect of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention”, the surface crack is 50 μm or less from the surface of the ophthalmic lens. To be even better The intensity of the laser beam is set appropriately so as to be 10 μm or less. This makes it possible to ensure that the pigment scattered through the cracks formed on the surface of the ophthalmic lens penetrates into the interior of the ophthalmic lens and holds the pigment.

Specifically, although it differs depending on the ophthalmic lens material and the dye plate material to be employed, the energy amount of the laser light on the surface of the dye plate to be irradiated is generally considered in consideration of the cost of an apparatus including a laser light source. , 0.5 to 500 mJ / cm ² . In particular, it is desirable to make the amount of energy 4~ 1 ² 0 mj / cm 2 and considering the appropriate action on the ophthalmic lens is obtained by dye Plate surface, also suitable for ophthalmic lens table surface to give rise to the size of the cracks, 4~ 2 O mj Z cm energy of ² arbitrary desired to be obtained with the dye plates surface.

 In other words, a minute crack is generated on the surface of the ophthalmic lens to such an extent that the smoothness of the surface is not substantially impaired with respect to the feeling of wearing and the like, and pigments and dyes penetrate there and are retained. By doing so, it is possible to reliably and physically allow the dye to penetrate into the lens and retain it, and in particular, it is possible to extremely advantageously realize the identification and display of characters and symbols by local coloring. is there. In addition, in order to ensure good visibility of the colored display and to prevent staining of the ophthalmic lens caused by a crack having an unnecessarily large size, the crack is more preferably 0.5 to 5 / In addition to the depth dimension of m, the width dimension is preferably set to 60 μm or less, more preferably 5 to 20 μm.

Such a second laser irradiation mode is modeled as an example in FIG. In this figure, members and parts having the same structure as in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. Therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted. In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, as shown in the ninth embodiment of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention”, the laser beam 30 emitted from the laser light source 18 is used as the laser beam 30. A condensing type is adopted, and is set so as to condense light near the surface 16 of the dye plate 14. As a result, it is possible to efficiently generate a laser abrasion on the surface 16 of the dye plate 14 sufficient to generate a surface crack on the colored portion of the surface 12 of the ophthalmic lens 10. It becomes.

 The superimposed surfaces 12 and 16 of the ophthalmic lens 10 and the dye plate 14 may have a small gap of 1.0 mm or less. In order to efficiently apply the scattered dye to the ophthalmic lens 10 and to efficiently generate appropriate cracks on the surface 12 of the ophthalmic lens 10 by such laser ablation, It is desirable to set the size of the gap to not less than 10 μπι and not more than 0.5 mm.

In both the first laser irradiation mode and the second laser irradiation mode, as described in the embodiment 12 of the present invention in the above-mentioned “Disclosure of the Invention”, the laser light source As the laser light irradiated from 18, a pulsed laser light is preferably used. This is because the energy applied to the dye plate 14 can be easily adjusted by controlling the cover and controlling the pulse width and the number of times. Note that the pulse width is preferably shorter than 1 s in order to efficiently apply appropriate energy to the dye plate 14 to realize the transfer of the color element, and in consideration of the apparatus cost, etc. , A pulse width of 1 ns or more and less than 1 μs is suitably adopted. In addition, the number of irradiation pulses may increase, so that energy accumulation in the dye plate may become a problem. 0 shots are desirable, and more preferably, 1 to 10 shots are irradiated with a pulsed laser beam of 20, 20, 26, or 30 light.

 Further, in both the first laser irradiation mode and the second laser irradiation mode described above, in each of FIGS. 1 to 3, the ophthalmic lens 10 is viewed from the ophthalmic lens 10 side. The dye plate 14 was irradiated with the laser beams 20, 26, and 30 by passing through the dye plate. However, the dye plate 14 was sufficiently thin, and the dye plate 14 was an appropriate plate as described above. When formed into a film on a substrate, the plate substrate can be irradiated with laser light from the dye plate 14 side as long as the plate substrate can transmit laser light.

 In FIG. 3, the ophthalmic lens 10 has a curved partial spherical shell shape such as a contact lens, and a dye plate 14 is superimposed on the spherical concave surface 12 side. Although the mode of irradiating the laser beam 30 is shown, in addition, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the pigment plate 1 is placed on the spherical convex surface 32 side of the ophthalmic lens 10 such as a contact lens. It is also possible to color the spherical convex side of the ophthalmic lens 10 by irradiating the dye plate 14 with the laser light 30 by arranging the dye plates 4 so as to overlap each other.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the surfaces 12 and 32 to be colored in the ophthalmic lens 10 are inclined with respect to the lens optical center axis, As described in Embodiment 6 of the present invention in the “Disclosure of the Invention” section, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the irradiation center axis (irradiation direction) 36 of the laser light 30 is It is desirable to incline in the radius direction of the coloring position rather than the lens optical center axis 34, and it is particularly preferable to incline the surface portion to be colored on the surface 12 of the ophthalmic lens 10 as shown in the figure. The laser beam 30 is irradiated from a direction substantially coinciding with the radius of curvature. this This makes it possible to irradiate the laser beam 30 more uniformly, efficiently, and stably to the position intended for coloring.

 As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but the present invention is not limited by the descriptions of the embodiments. In addition, in order to clarify the configuration and operation and effect of the present invention, some examples will be described below. However, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these examples. .

 (Example)

 (First embodiment)

For contact lenses as ophthalmic lenses, a test was conducted in which the center part of the optical part was colored in a point-like manner. The contact lens, which is a test sample, is a non-water-containing hard contact lens made of PMMA (methacrylic resin), which is commercially available from Mecon Corporation as Menicon Z (trademark). Used in state. The dye used was a powder of Seikagen-O-Blue Lot 911001, which was press-formed into a plate shape and used as a dye plate. Then, the dye plate was irradiated with laser light in a state where it was superimposed and held substantially in close contact with one surface of the hard contact lens. The laser light used was a YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm. The laser beam is of a condensing type, as shown in Fig. 3 above, and is transmitted through the contact lens and focused near the surface of the dye plate that is superimposed on the contact lens. Irradiated with focus. The laser beam irradiation conditions were set so that the dye plate surface had an intensity of 4.0 mJZ cm ² so that laser ablation could occur on the dye plate, and a pulse laser with a pulse width of 4 ns Was irradiated for 5 shots. Fig. 6 shows a micrograph (color) of the colored state of the obtained contact lens. As shown in these micrographs, the surface of the contact lens is colored by transfer of dye on the surface area of about Ι Ι μπιΧ Ι Ο θ Αί m due to laser ablation. Was. In addition, a crack with a depth of about 3 m and a surface area of about 15 im x 15 im was recognized at the colored portion of the contact lens, and it was confirmed that the crack was radially colored around this crack. . In addition, it was confirmed that the coloring was not removed by a subsequent washing of the contact lens with water or a cleaning and preserving solution for hard contact lenses, except for the cracked portion.

 (Second embodiment)

 In the same manner as in the first example, a test for performing point-like coloring on the central portion of the optical portion of the contact lens was performed. The contact lens, a contact lens, is sold under the trademark Menicon Soft 72 (trademark) by Menicon Co., Ltd., with DMMA (dimethylacrylamide) and N-VP (N-HI A hydrated soft-contagged lens was used as the material for the copolymer. After sufficient swelling of the soft contact lens, the water on one side is thoroughly wiped off and adhered to the dye plate in a substantially adhered state, and then placed in a quartz cell filled with distilled water. It was set at the irradiation position of the laser beam. In addition, the dye plate used, the laser light used, and the coloring treatment conditions are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a micrograph (color) of the contact lens thus obtained in a colored state. As shown in these micrographs, the surface of the contact lens was colored by laser abrasion due to the transfer of dye in a region with a surface area of about 20 μππΧ20; αm. It was. In addition, a crack having a depth of about 3 and a surface area of about 15 μηηΧ15 _μm was observed at the colored portion of the contact lens, and the dye penetrated not only into the crack but also into the lens. Coloring was confirmed. This coloring is considered to be due to the diffusion of the color element that entered from the cracked part into the contact lens due to its form.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A dye plate made of a material containing a dye is disposed so as to overlap with one surface of an ophthalmic lens, and the dye plate is irradiated with laser light, whereby the dye plate is separated from the ophthalmic lens. Coloring the ophthalmic lens by transferring the dye to the ophthalmic lens.

2. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to claim 1, wherein the laser light having an intensity equal to or lower than an abrasion threshold value in the dye plate is applied to the dye plate.

3. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a diffusion type laser beam is adopted, and at least a part of an optical part of the ophthalmic lens is colored. .

 4. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coloring portion is localized in the ophthalmic lens, and a marking that is visible by the coloring is applied to the ophthalmic lens.

 5. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to claim 4, wherein the marking is performed on a peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens which is outside an optical part.

 6. At the position where the marking is made in the peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens, the irradiation direction of the laser light irradiated thereat is set at a position where the marking is made more than the optical center axis of the ophthalmic lens. 6. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to claim 5, wherein the surface of the ophthalmic lens is inclined in a radius of curvature direction.

7. The ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a surface crack is generated on the one surface of the ophthalmic lens, and the pigment is transferred to the surface crack so that the dye enters the surface crack. How to color fe.

8. The surface crack according to claim 7, wherein the surface crack is generated using ablation by laser light applied to the dye plate. Coloring method for ophthalmic lenses.

 9. The method for marking an ophthalmic lens according to claim 8, wherein a condensing type laser beam is adopted, and the laser beam is condensed on the dye plate.

 10. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the depth of the surface crack is set to 50 ni or less.

 11. The ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a transition region of the dye in the ophthalmic lens is 50 µm or less from a surface of the one surface of the ophthalmic lens. Coloring method.

 10. 1 2. A pulse laser beam is adopted as the laser beam.

11. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of 11.

 13. The laser beam is irradiated to the dye plate in a state where the dye plate is overlapped with one surface of the ophthalmic lens substantially in close contact with the dye plate. 15. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of the above items 15 to 12.

 14. The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the laser beam is transmitted through the ophthalmic lens and is applied to the dye plate.

15. The ophthalmic lens is swollen with a water-containing material, and is irradiated with the laser beam in a state where the ophthalmic lens is impregnated with water.

The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein coloring is performed on the lens.

 16. The coloring method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the ophthalmic lens is colored by irradiating the laser beam while immersing the ophthalmic lens in a liquid.

 The method for coloring an ophthalmic lens according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the dye plate includes a phthalocyanine dye.