POLYPARAFFINSILOXANE SHAPED ARTICLE FOR USE IN BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

摘要

Monomeric polyparaffinsiloxanes end-capped with activated unsaturated groups and polymers and copolymers thereof are disclosed herein for use as contact lenses and biomedical devices with improved properties, such as, oxygen transportability, hydrolytic stability, biological inertness, transparency and improved strength without the use of fillers. The polymer composition comprises a poly(organoparaffinsiloxane) monomer .alpha.,.omega. terminally bonded through divalent hydrocarbon groups to polymerized free radical polymerizably activated unsaturated groups. The poly(organoparaffinsiloxane) monomers employed are represented by the following formula: wherein A is an activated unsaturated group; R is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 22 carbon atoms; R1, R2, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms and a halogen substituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; R5 and R6 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, a carboxylic acid group, a carboxylic acid ester group represented by the formula wherein R7 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon group containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms and a carboxylic acid amide represented by the formula wherein R8 and R9 can be the same or different and each is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon group containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; x is 2 or greater and m is 1 or greater. Contact lenses and biomedical devices i.e. a shaped article for use in biomedical applications made therefrom, can be "hard" or "soft". This hardness or softness is a function of the comonomer or the molecular weight of the monomers. Preferably the contact lenses and biomedical devices are "soft". The copolymer compositions of the instant invention comprise the polymerization product of the polyparaffinsiloxane monomers and monomer or monomers containing an activated vinyl group. These polymers are employed to make biomedical devices and optical products, e.g. contact lenses, intraocular implants, etc.