JP4863588B2 - An automated device for hydrating soft contact lenses - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus used for hydration treatment of a soft contact lens, and more particularly to an automated apparatus for efficiently removing hydrated substances remaining in a lens material in a short time.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, a soft contact lens is manufactured into a predetermined lens shape by various methods and then subjected to a hydration treatment or a cleaning treatment for the purpose of removing impurities such as unreacted monomers and the like. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-290465 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-109317 propose an automatic apparatus for hydrating such a lens.
[0003]
That is, the publication discloses a first robot assembly for removing a plurality of contact lens molds from a carrier and assembling the mold together with the mold carrier and a plurality of lens conveying means to form a first hydration carrier; Immerse one hydration carrier in the hydration tank, hydrate the lens, remove the lens from the mold and transport it to the lens transport means, and further take out the first hydration carrier from the hydration tank after a predetermined time An automated apparatus for hydrating a contact lens comprising a second robot assembly and a third robot assembly for removing the mold from the lens transport means and transferring the lens transport means and the lens to the next processing station. Disclosed.
[0004]
In such an apparatus, it is assumed that the mold and the lens are hydrated while being bonded. The lens to be processed by the processing apparatus is a solvent that does not participate in polymerization in a polymerizable monomer mixture, which is usually referred to as a wet mold method. (In order to prevent it from being lost) and is obtained by polymerizing the monomer mixture in a lens-shaped space formed by combining a convex mold and a concave mold. The resulting polymer contains a solvent and is in a flexible state, and it is possible to remove one mold by opening the mold, but when the other mold and the lens are in close contact with each other, it is difficult to remove the lens. Therefore, it is necessary to hydrate and swell while one mold and the lens are attached. Since the lens begins to swell in the presence of water, it can be peeled off naturally from the mold. However, the mold after the lens is separated is not necessary for the hydration process, and extra devices and means are required to remove it from the process. In addition, each hydrated lens is housed in a distribution case, sealed and shipped after sterilization. At this time, since the lens is in a flexible state including water, it is distributed from the hydration process. When the lens is transferred to the case, sufficient care is required when mechanically handled, and the lens may be damaged in this process unless special measures are taken on the operation unit. In addition, since the lens separated from the mold in the process of hydration must be captured, the position of the lens is not fixed and may not be held properly. For the above reasons, it is desirable to eliminate as much as possible the operation of moving the lens in a hydrated and flexible state from the position where only the lens has been taken to another position.
[0005]
In addition, lenses other than lenses manufactured by the wet mold method can be processed by the apparatus disclosed in the prior art, but for lenses that are in a hard state before being hydrated, the lenses are in that state. After holding and transporting and placing it in a predetermined position / predetermined container, it is desirable to prevent mechanical contact with the water-containing and flexible lens as much as possible. In addition to the above prior art, a suitable apparatus for automatically performing hydration treatment has not been specifically disclosed so far.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in the background as described above, and provides an automatic hydration apparatus that enables high production efficiency in lens hydration and does not directly contact the lens after hydration. For the purpose.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following constitution. That is, (a) each is a contact lens carrier having a contact lens therein, and a hydration unit for forming a sealed hydration carrier by connecting a water conduit and a drain pipe to each carrier;
(B) a water flow rate adjustment unit that passes water through the water conduit at a predetermined flow rate into the hydration carrier and drains treated water overflowing from the carrier through the drain pipe;
(C) To hydrate a soft contact lens characterized by having a moving unit that moves a contact lens carrier at a predetermined time / predetermined interval with the water conduit and the drain pipe removed after completion of water flow It is an automation device. Here, the carrier referred to in the present invention is a lens and a sufficient aqueous solution for immersing it in a space having an appropriate volume, which is closed with a closed system or a partly open port, and is movable. Say something.
[0008]
The contact lens carrier of the present invention is desirably used not only for hydration treatment but also used as a distribution case by sealing the opening after the treatment. Therefore, the carrier has a dent having a curvature larger than the curvature of the contact lens to be accommodated, and consideration is given to preventing deformation of the lens even when stored for a long period of time. After the contact lens is manufactured, it is conveyed into the carrier in a state before water absorption. The lens is sufficiently hard before absorbing water, and can be easily held and fixed by using a simple suction device, and the suction part can be scratched or damaged by using a flexible, for example, silicon rubber spoid type Can be prevented. The lens carrier of the present invention is usually formed by injection molding or compression molding in consideration of sealing after hydration treatment, ease of handling as a distribution case, production efficiency, etc., and the resin used is inexpensive and easy to handle Thus, for example, it is composed of a thermoplastic material appropriately selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, propylene copolymer, polystyrene, nylon and the like.
[0009]
After housing the lens in the recess, the lens carrier of the present invention covers the opening of the recess with a lid having one or more holes. The lid prevents water from escaping from the recess, and facilitates connection of a water conduit and a drain pipe, which will be described later. It has the effect of preventing it from overflowing outside. Further, the lid has an effect of preventing foreign matters such as dust and dust from entering the carrier from the outside. Further, since the volume of the hydration carrier is made constant by the indentation and the lid, the amount of liquid contacted by each lens during hydration can be adjusted uniformly, and the hydration treatment effect for each lens can be made uniform. The lid material may be appropriately selected from the same materials as the resin used in the carrier.
[0010]
As described above, the hydration carrier is constituted by connecting the water guide pipe and the drain pipe to the lens carrier. Water is injected into the hydration carrier from the water conduit connected to the water flow rate adjusting unit of the present invention to hydrate the lens. After filling the carrier, the overflow water is discharged through the drain pipe. . After passing an appropriate amount of water at an appropriate flow rate, the water conduit and drain pipe are once separated from the lens carrier, and these separated water pipes and drain pipes are connected to another new lens carrier, where water is again supplied. Form a Japanese career. After returning from the state of the hydrated carrier to the state of the lens carrier, sufficient water and the lens are swelled in the space formed by the depression and the lid in the lens carrier. Eluted materials such as unreacted monomers and uncrosslinked polymers in the lens material take time to elute from within the material, and are simply extracted for the amount of water consumed even if water continues to flow into the hydration carrier. The efficiency is very poor because there are not many eluates. Therefore, after allowing an appropriate amount of water to flow, it is effective to stagnate for an appropriate time to elute the extractable substance in the lens material. In addition, since water can be passed at an appropriate flow rate for water conveyance and wastewater treatment in a closed system, water in the hydration carrier can be forcibly replaced, and it can be used by using this device. The amount of liquid to be used and the time required for extraction can be greatly reduced.
[0011]
At the stage of returning from the hydrate carrier to the lens carrier, water and lenses are present in the recess, and the extraction speed of the eluate decreases with time. This naturally occurs due to a decrease in the concentration difference between the lens material and the eluate between water, and if it is left as it is, elution of a certain amount or more cannot be expected. Therefore, after a lapse of a predetermined time, a water guide pipe and a drain pipe are further connected to the lens carrier to form a hydration carrier, and the water in the carrier is replaced with fresh water again. Repeat the process of removing and leaving. The number of repetitions, the standing time, the amount of water flow, etc. are determined by various conditions such as the amount of eluate from the lens material to be extracted, the spatial volume of the carrier, the environmental temperature during processing, and the temperature of the extracted water.
[0012]
The apparatus of the present invention includes a moving unit that moves a predetermined interval while leaving the lens carrier in the state. If the lens carrier is simply left unattended, there is no need to move it to the same position. However, the device of the present invention is intended to be introduced into a production line that continuously processes lenses. If lenses that are produced one after another are held in a fixed position and do not move, the lenses waiting for processing will be delayed. It will end up. Therefore, it is preferable to have a hydration unit for forming a hydration carrier in the apparatus of the present invention as many times as the number of times the water in the carrier is exchanged, and a moving unit for moving the lens carrier between the hydration units. . Then, a standing time for elution from the lens is passed while moving, and when the next hydration unit formation position is reached, the water in the carrier is exchanged with fresh water.
[0013]
As another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, the hydration unit is formed so that it can be carried out in one closed space, including a moving unit that moves the lens carrier so that the hydration treatment can be carried out in a clean area. The Since the water flow amount adjusting unit is for adjusting the flow velocity and flow rate when water is passed through the water conduit, it does not have to be included in the clean area. Further, even if the hydration treatment is not performed in a clean area, the lens is shipped aseptically by a sterilization process after sealing the lens carrier recess. Therefore, it is not always necessary to have a structure that forms a clean area in the device of the present invention. However, it is not limited to microorganisms that enter the lens packaging container, and it prevents foreign substances such as dust and dirt from entering. It is desirable to keep it cleaner.
[0014]
The object of the present invention is a device for automatically processing hydration of contact lenses mainly through a liquid perfusion device (water flow control unit), and the lens carrier used for the processing is used as it is as a distribution case as described above. In this case, since the hydrated lens is not in direct contact, the lens is not damaged or the lens is not lost. Further, before and after the device of the present invention, the lens is transported from the lens processing device and transported into the lens carrier, and the hydrated lens is taken out of the device of the present invention together with the preservation solution from the device of the present invention. If it is provided with a transport means for transporting from the sum process to the next process, such a configuration introduces the lens that has undergone the processing process into the hydration apparatus of the present invention, and further follows the lens after hydration. Automation of a continuous production line can be advantageously achieved.
[0015]
【Example】
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]
In FIG. 1, the state which looked at the hydration processing apparatus of this invention from the side surface was shown typically. The lens 1 obtained through the lens processing step as shown in FIG. 1 is held by the conveying means 5 and is put into the recess 6 of the lens carrier 2 (as shown in the enlarged view of the throwing portion, The lens 1 is transported to the upper part of the recess while being held by means such as suction, and the suction is released, and if necessary, the gas is injected into the recess of the carrier. The lens carrier into which the lens is inserted is covered with a lid 22 having one or more holes, and is conveyed to the hydration apparatus 10 (the lid is not necessarily required as described later).
[0017]
The lens carrier 2 is also used as a lens distribution case after the hydration treatment, and the indentation 6 has a curvature larger than the curvature of the lens to be stored so that the lens will not be deformed even if the lens is stored for a long time. And an opening having a diameter larger than the diameter of the lens to be accommodated. After the lens is housed in the recess, it is covered with a lid having one or more through-holes in order to facilitate the formation of a closed system when forming the hydrated carrier. Of course, the lid may not be connected to the recess of the lens carrier, but may be fixed to the water conduit and the drain pipe so that the recess is sealed when the hydrate carrier is formed. However, since it is a closed system when forming a hydrated carrier, water will not spill out even if this lid is not on the lens carrier, but when the water conduit is removed and it becomes a lens carrier, the lid will be with the water conduit etc. When removed, the indentation becomes a large open state, so it is conceivable that the liquid may easily spill out of the indentation due to a slight impact during the movement of the moving unit 15. Therefore, the lid is fixed to the lens carrier side. Is preferred. These lens carriers and lids are manufactured by ordinary injection molding and are made of thermoplastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene.
[0018]
These pipes are connected to the lens carrier at a predetermined position by means 13 for supporting the conduit 12 of the water conduit / drain pipe connected to the water flow rate adjusting unit 11 to form a closed hydration carrier 14. To do. This hydration unit is shown in FIG. 1 to form a hydration carrier at three locations. As described above, the number of hydration carriers can be increased or decreased depending on the number of times the liquid is exchanged. The structure of the water flow rate adjusting unit is, for example, a type that uses a soft tube called a tube pump type around a rotating roller and sends liquid by rotation of the roller, a diaphragm pump, a magnet pump, etc. A pump is adopted. Since the water to be passed does not contain any special substances, there is no need to select special piping or corrosion-resistant tubes. The water flow rate adjusting unit 11 allows a predetermined hydration solution (usually deionized water) to flow through the water conduit at an appropriate flow rate, and can be understood as a constant flow pump. The water conduit is connected to the unit, and water is injected from the hydration water supply source only when a closed hydration carrier is formed. Since three hydration units are formed in FIG. 1, the flow of water is controlled for each hydration unit or for all units at once. The water flow rate and the total water flow amount are determined according to the lens to be hydrated. The solution used for the hydration treatment is usually deionized water, but an appropriate amount of a water-miscible organic solvent or a surfactant may be added to increase the extraction efficiency.
[0019]
The lens carrier is advanced by the moving unit 15 shown in the drawing. For example, the moving unit 15 of the present invention moves as schematically shown in FIG. 2 (viewed from the side). First, in (a) to (b), the lens carrier is moved by one movement amount. From (b) to (c), the moving unit 15 is separated from the endless conveyor 4 and from (c) to (d), the moving unit 15 returns to the initial position. In (d) to (e), the endless conveyor 4 is contacted and moved by one movement as shown in (a) to (b). Thereafter, by repeating this operation, the lens carrier gradually advances. The moving unit is thus provided with an endless conveyor 4 that is linearly driven and advances a certain amount intermittently. On this conveyor, support pallets 3 for supporting and aligning the lens carriers are installed along the conveyor 4 at regular intervals. Each support pallet on which each lens carrier is placed is advanced by a certain amount along the endless conveyor 4 by the moving unit 15 to advance the next set of pallets. The arrow shown in FIG. 2 indicates the movement of the moving unit. Thus, the operation of stopping by a certain amount of advance corresponds to the time of water flow by the water flow rate adjusting unit 11 when forming the hydration carrier. Yes. The hydration carrier is formed by the lowering of the nozzle, which will be described later. The means for supporting the nozzle is fixed at a fixed position (so that the nozzle can be moved up and down). You need to stop your career. Since the endless conveyor provided in the moving unit of the apparatus of the present invention has the support pallets spaced apart at equal intervals, the lens carrier alignment / stop position can be accurately controlled.
[0020]
The support pallet 3 is for mounting the lens carrier 2 and fixing the positional relationship on the conveyor belt 4. By properly determining the position of the lens carrier, the hydration carrier by the hydration unit can be formed in a closed system. . The support pallet 3 has a cup shape that accommodates a convex portion formed on the back side of the lens carrier indentation, and has a structure that follows the concave and convex shape on the back side of the lens carrier so as to properly align the lens carrier. What has is preferable. If the lens carrier is wobbled or placed out of position on the conveyor, the sealing system will break down when the hydrated carrier is formed later, causing liquid leakage or passing the nozzle through the through hole in the lid. Since problems such as inability to occur occur, the support pallet 3 is shaped so that the lens carrier 2 is stored as closely as possible.
[0021]
The moving unit is used to operate the endless conveyor in the hydration apparatus, but the endless conveyor 4 is formed to extend outside the apparatus of the present invention and stores the lens after the lens carrier is molded or after molding. Then, it may be configured to be placed on the support pallet 3 on the conveyor by an apparatus having a robot-type gripping arm or the like. In FIG. 1, the robotic arm is not shown, but the endless conveyor is shown extending out of the hydration apparatus. In any case, the lens carrier needs to be transferred to the hydration apparatus by some conveying means after being molded by injection molding or the like. However, there is an advantage that the process of lifting and moving the lens carrier can be omitted, and the accompanying transport robot equipment can be reduced.
[0022]
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a hydration carrier formed by connecting a water conduit / drain pipe to a lens carrier in a hydration unit. In this figure, both tubes are connected to one nozzle inserted into the recess. The lens carrier 2 includes a distribution case and main body 21 having a recess 20 and a lid 22 having one or more through holes that cover the opening of the recess. After the lens 1 is housed, it is covered with a lid 22, and a nozzle 23 connected to a pipe line 12 including a water conduit and a drain pipe is connected to the through hole, thereby forming a sealed hydration carrier 14. The nozzle 23 is integrally provided with an inlet 24 (water conduit port) for passing water into the carrier and a drain port 25 (drain tube port) for draining the water filled in the carrier. This integral structure makes it easier to construct a closed system for the hydration carrier than each (water conduit / drain pipe) is connected to the lens carrier alone. This hydrated carrier is kept sealed for the time of passing water into the carrier through the water conduit, after which the nozzle is removed and left. The sealed state is maintained by the force that the support means 13 that supports the nozzle descends downward, and the annular member 26 for controlling the insertion position of the nozzle formed in the middle part of the nozzle 23 acts on the lid to press the lid 22. And the repulsive force from the lid material. When the lens carrier 2 conveyed by the moving unit comes directly below the support means 13, the support means 13 descends and passes the nozzle 23 through the through hole of the lid 22, and then the support means 13 is detected through the annular member 26. Stop the descent after a certain stress or predetermined descent movement. The closed system of the hydration carrier does not form a completely sealed state, but water in the hydration carrier does not leak to the outside. For example, by using an elastic body for the annular member 26, the contact portion with the lid 22 is made more liquid-tight, or the lid 22 itself is bonded to the nozzle, and the indentation opening of the lens carrier is formed by the lid with the nozzle. As described above, it is possible to make various changes such as improving the sealing performance by covering with. After the water flow is completed, the nozzle is removed and left in the state of the lens carrier for a certain period of time, and then the nozzle is connected again to reconstruct the closed system (hydration carrier) and replace the water in the carrier with fresh water. The leaving time is a time for eluting unreacted monomer and the like present in the lens into the external liquid, and at this time, water is not injected through the nozzle, so the nozzle is connected to another lens carrier, It is possible to reduce the amount of liquid used by efficient operation of the nozzle equipment and effective hydration treatment.
[0023]
After passing through the water flow adjusting unit and the hydration unit, the lens carrier is sequentially moved by the moving unit. FIG. 4 schematically shows the state of the hydration apparatus as viewed from above. As shown in the figure, the lens carrier 2 moves in the apparatus side by side. This arrangement is not particularly limited, but it is easier to connect the guide pipes / drain pipes when they are arranged in a straight line when connecting the water guide pipes / drain pipes when forming the hydrated carrier. Therefore, it is easy to form a sealed system with each lens carrier 2. Further, there is an advantage that the horizontal unit is easily moved by the moving unit as a single moving unit. In addition, the elution time and processing steps differ depending on the type of lens as described above. For example, if the position of the support means 13 is changed, the length of the standing time can be easily adjusted, and the number of hydration units is added. By omitting, design changes corresponding to various hydration processes can be easily performed. The lens carrier is intermittently moved by the moving unit described above. When the lens carrier reaches below the support means 13, the support means 13 descends to form a hydrated carrier, and the carrier is filled with water, together with the overflowing water. The eluate is discharged out of the system. When the filling is finished, the support means is raised, and the lens carrier is moved by one frame by the moving unit, and then the same processing is repeated. In addition, when the position of each lens carrier is fixed accurately and stopped by the moving unit, a plurality of lens carriers to be moved are placed on a support pallet connected to the conveyor in order to accurately specify the position. It is configured to be placed. During this repetitive operation, the immersion time and liquid exchange are efficiently distributed, and the entire process is carried out in a series of flows, so that the lens hydration process can be incorporated into an automated production line. This will increase mass production efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs.
[0024]
The number of hydration carriers formed in the hydration unit is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 4, the number of water conduits / drain pipes connected to the support means 13 is formed as one unit, It is set appropriately according to the production amount of the lens manufacturing process. The support means 13 controls the ascending / descending of the nozzles connected to the water conduit / drain pipe. In the drawing, the support means 13 has the nozzles corresponding to the number of horizontal lines of the lens carrier. The liquid may be filled and discharged simultaneously in a single process. Furthermore, since there are many unreacted substances eluted by hydration at the beginning of the process and tend to decrease as the process proceeds to the latter half of the process, the support means are arranged at a shorter interval in the first half and longer in the second half. It is also effective to do.
[0025]
Although the lens hydration process is performed by the apparatus having the above units, it is desirable to perform the process in a semi-closed system by the cover means 30 so as to make this process a clean area as shown in FIG. The lens is sterilized by an autoclave before shipping and distributed aseptically. However, in addition to microorganisms, dust and other dust can be mixed in the lens container, and since these cannot be removed by the sterilization process, once they enter the distribution case, they remain there, and the lens is removed from the case. When it is taken out and worn on the eyes, it may become a complaint as a foreign object feeling. In the apparatus of the present invention, since the lens carrier to be hydrated is sealed as a distribution case as it is, it is possible to prevent entry of foreign matter into the case by making the entire treatment process a clean area. It is valid.
[0026]
After completion of the hydration treatment, the lens carrier is transported from the apparatus of the present invention by an appropriate transport means (for example, a conveyor system), and in the next step, the recess opening is made of a laminate of polypropylene or other suitable plastic film and aluminum foil. Covered with a single, flexible cover sheet, which is heat sealed around the recess to provide a sealed environment for each lens held in the recess. Furthermore, it is packed in an appropriate number and shipped after a steam sterilization process.
[0027]
Although the hydration apparatus according to the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example, and it should be understood that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is. For example, instead of the integral nozzle as shown in FIG. 3, the hydration carrier is formed by using the water guide pipe and the drain pipe as separate nozzles, or the support means 13 is placed on the moving line as shown in FIG. Rather than arranging the support means 13 at a position distant from the moving line, when forming the hydrated carrier, one row of the lens carrier is once shifted laterally from the moving line, Separate the treatment liquid from leaking treatment liquid from the moving line to prevent rusting. Alternatively, the cover means 30 not only covers the hydration process, but also releases the sterile air that has passed through the air filter into the environment covered by the cover means so that the inside of the apparatus is positively sterilized. May be. It goes without saying that such an embodiment is included in the scope of the present invention.
[0028]
【Effect of the invention】
As described above, according to the apparatus of the present invention, after being placed in a predetermined position / predetermined container, water is continuously added without mechanically contacting the water-containing and flexible lens. Since the sum processing can be performed, the working time is greatly shortened, and the automation of the lens manufacturing line can be advantageously performed. In addition, since a direct external force does not act on the lens to be hydrated, it is possible to produce a lens with a high yield rate without affecting the physical properties and optical characteristics.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a hydration apparatus as viewed from the side as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of movement of the mobile unit of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the hydration unit of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a hydration apparatus as viewed from above according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Eye lens
2 Lens carrier
3 Support pallet
4 conveyor
10 Hydration device
11 Water flow rate adjustment unit
12 Water conduit / drain pipe
13 Nozzle support means
14 Hydration carrier
15 Mobile unit
20 Recess
21 Body
22 Lid
23 nozzles
24 Water inlet
25 Drainage port
26 Ring member
30 Cover means

Claims (1)

An automatic device for hydrating a contact lens unit separated from a mold without using a mold part used for molding the lens, comprising: (a) a distribution case combined main body having a depression and the depression An input unit for supplying a single contact lens separated from the mold into the recess of the contact lens carrier that also serves as a distribution case assembled from a cover having one or more through holes that cover the opening; and (b) the A hydration unit having a nozzle integrated with an inlet and a drain for connecting to a through hole, wherein a water guide pipe and a drain pipe are connected to the carrier via the nozzle, and a sealed hydration carrier By forming the water, the water that passes through does not overflow to the outside, prevents the entry of foreign matter such as dust and dust from the outside, and is separated from the mold. In order to swell the contact lens alone with water and to elute unreacted monomer and uncrosslinked polymer existing in the material, water was injected into the carrier from the water conduit to hydrate the contact lens and filled the carrier After the overflow water is discharged through the drain pipe, the water conduit and the drain pipe are once separated from the carrier, and after a predetermined time, the water conduit and the drain pipe are further connected to the carrier. A hydration unit for repeating the process of substituting the water in the carrier with fresh water and allowing it to stand , and (c) a process of passing water at a predetermined flow rate into the hydration carrier through the water conduit and overflowing from the carrier A water flow rate adjusting unit for draining water through the drain pipe, and (d) the contact lens carrier is moved at a predetermined time / predetermined interval with the water conduit and the drain pipe removed after the water flow is completed. Automated apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses, characterized in that it has a mobile unit for.

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