US 11,708,209 B2
Touchless contact lens packages and methods of handling
Sam Jonathan Popwell, Jacksonville, FL (US); Daniel Graham Ward, Cambridge (GB); Stephen Sams, Cambridge (GB); and William Stephen Honey, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (US)
Filed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (US)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/519,973.
Prior Publication US 2023/0143203 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. B65D 81/22 (2006.01); B65D 85/38 (2006.01); B65D 77/20 (2006.01); A61F 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B65D 81/22 (2013.01) [A61F 9/0061 (2013.01); B65D 77/2024 (2013.01); B65D 85/38 (2013.01); B65D 2585/545 (2013.01)] 35 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A contact lens package, comprising:
a container having a reservoir that houses a contact lens and packaging solution; and
a plug, a portion of the plug sized to be received in the container, the plug having an interior-facing surface and an exterior-facing surface;
such that, when the plug is received in the container, the contact lens and the packaging solution are held in a portion of the reservoir between the container and the plug; and
further comprising a surface film layer on the interior-facing surface to cause surface tension between the contact lens and the interior-facing surface.
 
29. A method of applying a contact lens to a wearer's eye, the contact lens stored in a package comprising a container having a reservoir and a plug in the container, the plug having an interior-facing surface and an exterior-facing surface; such that, when the plug is received in the container, the contact lens and the packaging solution is held in a portion of the reservoir between the container and the plug, the method comprising:
removing the plug from the container, the contact lens adhering to the interior-facing surface of the plug via surface tension and in an orientation ready for insertion in the wearer's eye; and
applying the contact lens to the wearer's eye;
wherein the plug further comprises a surface film layer on the interior-facing surface to cause surface tension between the contact lens and the interior-facing surface.
 
34. A method of packaging a contact lens, comprising:
providing packaging solution in a container;
providing a contact lens in a convex up orientation in the container; and
inserting a plug having a concave face over the contact lens such that the concave face of the plug is adjacent to the contact lens;
wherein the plug comprises an interior-facing surface and an exterior-facing surface, and a surface film layer on the interior-facing surface to cause surface tension between the contact lens and the interior-facing surface.