Methods and systems for manufacturing contact lenses

• Main Authors: ROGER R. WENZEI, EDDIE E BAKER, HENRY SARJA, XUXIAN NIU, THEODORE V. MEIGS, JAMES R. HUFMAN, RYSZARD RADWANSKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.12.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SURGERY; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method and system for manufacturing a contact lens are disclosed involving aligning a male lens mold section and a female lens mold section. A picking head removes a male lens mold section from a male pallet for transfer to a female mold section on a female pallet. The picking head may move substantially freely in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the picking head as the distance between the male and female mold sections decreases. Alignment, for example, substantially precise alignment between the male mold section, carried by the picking head, and the female mold section carried by the female pallet may be achieved before the male mold section comes in contact with the female mold section.