Method of forming shaped hydrogel articles including contact lenses using inert, displaceable diluents

摘要

Shaped hydrogel articles such as soft contact lenses are prepared by the steps of: (1) molding or casting a polymerization mixture comprising: (a) a monomer mixture comprising a major proportion of one or more hydrophilic monomers such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and one or more cross-linking monomers; and (b) an inert, displaceable diluent selected from the group consisting of: (i) ethoxylated alkyl glucoside; (ii) ethoxylated bisphenol A; (iii) polyethylene glycol; (iv) mixture of propoxylated and ethoxylated alkyl glucoside; (v) single phase mixture of ethoxylated or propoxylated alkyl glucoside and C2-12 dihydric alcohol; (vi) adduct of epsilon -caprolactone and C2-6alkanediols and triols; (vii) ethoxylated C3-6alkanetriol; and (viii) mixtures of one or more of (i) through (vii), under conditions to polymerize said monomer mixture to produce a shaped gel of a copolymer of said monomers and said diluent; and (2) thereafter replacing said diluent with water.