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EP-4204219-B1 - PARTIAL COATING OF INTRAOCULAR LENSES USING SPATIAL ALD

EP4204219B1EP 4204219 B1EP4204219 B1EP 4204219B1EP-4204219-B1

Inventors

  • BIJKER, MARTIN DINANT
  • VAN DIJK, Emerentius Marie Josephus Antonius
  • BOGAERT, THEOPHILUS
  • SIKKENS, Klaas

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210824

Claims (15)

  1. A method for coating an intraocular lens, the intraocular lens having a lens surface, the method comprising: delivering the intraocular lens to a conveyor, activating a processing line, the processing line comprising a plurality of coating segments (1), each coating segment comprising, in order: a first inert gas source (2) configured to provide inert gas, a precursor source (3) configured to provide a precursor gas; a second inert gas source (2) configured to provide inert gas; and a plasma source (4) configured to provide plasma; wherein, upon activation, the first inert gas source (2) provides inert gas, the precursor source (3) provides precursor gas, the second inert gas source (2) provides inert gas, and the plasma source (4) provides plasma; and passing the intraocular lens from the conveyor (5) through the processing line using relative linear movement between the processing lines and the conveyor, wherein a layer of coating is applied to the intraocular lens each time the intraocular lens passes through a coating segment.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intraocular lens comprises a lens body and at least one support structure, the method comprising displacing at least a portion of the support structure from a mold half that was used to mold one side of the lens body and the support structure, and/or wherein the intraocular lens is contained within a substrate holder, the substrate holder formed at least in part by a portion that was used to form the intraocular lens.
  3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the conveyor (5) is configured to receive a plurality of intraocular lenses, and the plurality of intraocular lenses is arranged in a manner selected from in a column, in parallel, and a combination thereof.
  4. A system for atomic layer deposition on a surface of an intraocular lens, the system comprising: a station for receiving the intraocular lens, the intraocular lens being contained within a substrate holder, a processing line, the processing line comprising a plurality of coating segments (1), each coating segment comprising, in order: a first inert gas source (2) for providing inert gas; a precursor injector source (3) for providing a precursor gas; a second inert gas source (2) for providing inert gas; and a plasma source (4) for providing plasma; wherein the coating segments (1) are positioned from about 1 mm to about 6 mm above the surface of the intraocular lens, and further wherein the system is arranged for relative motion between the substrate holder and the coating segments so that the surface of the intraocular lens is exposed to the plurality of coating segments (1).
  5. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 4, wherein the intraocular lens is a molded intraocular lens.
  6. The method of claim 5, where the molded intraocular lens is fully formed by a molding process, or wherein the intraocular lens is partially formed through a molding process.
  7. The system of claim 4 wherein the intraocular lens further comprises at least one support structure, the support structure being at least partially displaced from the portion that was used to form the intraocular lens, and/or wherein the substrate holder comprises a portion that was used to form the intraocular lens.
  8. The method of claim 2 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5 and 7, wherein the substrate holder is a mold half, and/or wherein the substrate holder is a device for holding the intraocular lens during a lathing process.
  9. The method of claim 1, or the system of any one of claims 4, 5, 7 and 8, wherein the coating segments (1) are positioned from about 2 mm to about 6 mm apart from the surface of the intraocular lens.
  10. The system of any one of claims 4, 5, 7 and 8, wherein the station for receiving the intraocular lens is configured to receive a plurality of intraocular lenses, optionally wherein the plurality of intraocular lenses is arranged in a manner selected from in a column, in parallel, and a combination thereof.
  11. The method of claim 1 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5, 7 and 8 to 10, wherein one of the first inert gas source (2) and the second inert gas source (2) comprises a plurality of unit segments, each unit segment comprising an inert gas source and an exhaust.
  12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5 and 7 to 11, wherein the precursor gas is selected from the group consisting of bis(diethylamino) silane, tris(dimethylamino) silane, di(isopropylamino) silane, benzyltrimethylsilane, tetraethyl orthosilicate, hexamethyldisiloxane, tri-chloro-silane, aluminum bromide, aluminum trichloride, trimethyl-aluminum, trimethylamine alane, aluminum tri-sec-butoxide, Tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium(IV), titanium tetrachloride, titanium tetraisopropoxide, and combinations thereof.
  13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5, 7 and 8, wherein the apparatus deposits a coating of silicon dioxide on a surface selected from the group consisting of an anterior surface of the intraocular lens, a portion of a support structure coupled to the intraocular lens, and combinations thereof.
  14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11 to 13 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5, and 7 to 13, wherein the source of plasma provides plasma selected from the group consisting of oxygen plasma, nitrogen plasma, carbon monoxide plasma, carbon dioxide plasma, nitric oxide plasma and combinations thereof.
  15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11 to 14 or the system of any one of claims 4, 5 and 7 to 14, wherein the method or the system is heated to a temperature from about 25 C to about 90 C.

Description

Field of the Disclosure This disclosure is directed to the deposition of a thin coating layer on a polymeric material. These coated materials, which have reduced tackiness, improved unfolding time and improved consistency in unfold time, may be used in ophthalmic devices, such as intraocular implants or lenses. Background of the Disclosure Cataract surgery is commonly performed to replace the natural lens of an eye that has become opaque. Materials that are used to replace the natural crystalline lens must be soft and have excellent flexibility. They are delicate devices which must be resilient, as they are first rolled tightly, then inserted through very small incisions into the eye. The compression and tensile stresses put on the lens as it is compressed and forced through an insertion tip are not insubstantial. Once inserted, this compressed lens must unfold within a time that is slow enough to allow a surgeon to appropriately position the lens, yet not so long that causes undue delay or patient discomfort. The tackiness of the lens material is one factor which may slow or even inhibit the lens unfolding. Many of these soft, flexible materials that are used for foldable lenses tend to possess "self-tackiness". This tackiness leads to longer unfold times once the lenses are implanted into the eye. This is particularly true with regards to the haptics, which are folded over the anterior optic so that they are touching the anterior surface of the lens and each other during insertion into the eye. Tackiness in combination with the forces which encourage the haptics towards the anterior surface of the lens during folding and insertion can lead to unpredictable and often long unfold times. In some instances, the lenses must be manually unfolded once implanted into the eye. Various approaches are taken to reduce self-tackiness. In some cases, the entire lens may be coated with a hydrophilic coating. This allows for separation of the surfaces in aqueous and thus a more rapid and reliable unfolding of the lens once implanted into the eye. While hydrophilic lenses do have some benefits, there are still benefits to hydrophobicity in an intraocular lens. One advantage is that hydrophobic surfaces may adhere better to the posterior bag, which will help delay or prevent posterior capsular opacification. In some instances, a coating may be applied using vacuum or low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. Plasma treatment may be used to facilitate such coatings. Alternatively, as described in US2009076603A1 (Neal, et al.), atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition may be used to apply a partial coating. Chemical vapor deposition describes a process whereby a vaporized material can be used to coat a substrate with a thin film. With this process, the coating molecules are formed in vapor form and settle onto the surface of a substrate. As may be seen from this reference, the process requires the time-consuming step of applying a mask to targeted portions of each lens. The lenses are then each individually placed on a conveyer. These steps require physical manipulation of the lenses. Every time a lens is touched during manufacturing, it increases the potential for damage - by being dropped, by damage to the optical surface, or by other, inadvertent, means. In a best-case scenario, such damage reduces manufacturing yields. In a worst-case scenario, the damage could result in a less than optimal outcome for a patient. Coating thickness is a concern when using vapor deposition, since care must be taken to ensure that the vapor deposited coating extends over the entire substrate. This concern applies to the upper surfaces of the substrate. It is even more of a concern with regards to non-horizontal surfaces, like edges/sides and bottoms. Attempts to ensure a complete coating can lead to an unduly thick coating being applied. Furthermore, these processes are suitable for only certain types of situations. Some substrates and uses of substrates have limitations as to the thickness of the coating that may be applied. Other methods are time-consuming, and inefficient. Accordingly, there is a need for a coating, and an efficient, safe method of applying a thin coating to a lens in a manner which will reduce self-tackiness yet not unduly interfere with the optics of the lens. Summary of the Disclosure In one aspect of the present invention, there is a system and method for modifying the surface of an intraocular lens (IOL) using spatial atomic layer deposition. In one aspect of the invention, this surface modification is performed while the lens is contained in a device or portion of a device that is used during the formation of the lens. In one aspect, such device or portion of a device may be a portion of a mold. In another aspect of the invention, such device or portion of a device is a holder that is used during the lathing process. In process, the IOL is delivered to the spatial atomic layer deposition system while still in i