Contact lens packages and lens supports for use therein

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved contact lens packages and lens supports for use therein. A contact lens package may have a lid, a base having a cavity that houses a contact lens and packaging solution and a lever. A lens support configured lift the contact lens out of the packaging solution in a position on the lens support capable of single-touch transfer by a user. The package may include a locking mechanism configured to lock the lever in place when the lens support is lifted to a predetermined lift angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A contact lens package comprising:
 a lid;   a base composed of a relatively rigid material comprising:
 a cavity that houses a contact lens and packaging solution; and 
 a lever; and 
   a lens support coupled to the lever and configured to lift the contact lens out of the packaging solution in a position on the lens support capable of single-touch transfer by a user.   
     
     
         2 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lever and the lens support is a discrete component that is coupled to the base by an attachment means. 
     
     
         3 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein a pivot line is defined by at least one void in the base. 
     
     
         4 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein a pivot line is imparted into the base by one or more of: a crease, a cut, a thinned line, and an etch. 
     
     
         5 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the base is composed of a relatively rigid material. 
     
     
         6 . The contact lens package of  claim 5 , wherein the lid comprises a film and the base comprises a plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the lens support are a single unitary component. 
     
     
         8 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the lever and the lens support are a single unitary component. 
     
     
         9 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the lens support is coupled to the base by at least one of: i) a laser weld; ii) heat; iii) an ultrasonic weld; and iv) an adhesive. 
     
     
         10 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises at least one finger engagement feature configured to i) aid a user in grasping the package or i) direct the application of force such that the lever hinges downward. 
     
     
         11 . The contact lens package of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one finger engagement feature comprises a dimple sized to accommodate a finger or thumb of the user, wherein the dimple is positioned at an end of the base proximal to the user. 
     
     
         12 . The contact lens package of  claim 1  further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock the lever in place when the lens support is lifted to a predetermined lift angle. 
     
     
         13 . The contact lens package of  claim 12 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one of a latch, ratchet, peg, and an adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The contact lens package of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined lift angle is at least about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the lens support is configured such that the contact lens's upper side emerges from the packaging solution before the contact lens's lower side when lifted. 
     
     
         16 . The contact lens package of  claim 15 , wherein the lens support has an emergence angle of at least zero degrees or at least 5 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . The contact lens package of  claim 15 , wherein the lens support has a primary lens angle of between-4 degrees and 20 degrees and a lever length between about 11 mm and 16 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises at least one lens facing surface that extends downward into the cavity above the contact lens when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         19 . The contact lens package of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one lens facing surface and lens support are configured within the cavity such that the optical zone of the contact lens resides in the packaging solution between the lens facing surface and lens support when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         20 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , further comprising a secondary support configured to support to the lens only when the package is unopened. 
     
     
         21 . The contact lens package of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary support comprises at least one recessed area in a shape and position that allows the lens support to nest together with the secondary support to form a dome shape that mirrors the concave side of the lens when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         22 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity houses the contact lens in a convex position when the package is in an unopened or opened state. 
     
     
         23 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , wherein when the package is an opened state the wetted contact area between the lens support and the contact lens is less than about 30 mm2, less than about 25 mm2, or less than about 20 mm2. 
     
     
         24 . The contact lens package of  claim 1 , comprising at least one lens facing surface in the cavity above a convex side of the contact lens, wherein when the package is in an unopened state the at least one lens facing surface is configured to align the contact lens over the lens support; or protect the contact lens against significant optical damage due to gravitational, mechanical, or air-induced forces. 
     
     
         25 . The contact lens package of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one lens facing surface is provided on a lid insert, wherein the lid insert is attached to an inner surface of the lid. 
     
     
         26 . The contact lens package of  claim 25 , wherein the lid insert includes at least one alignment feature. 
     
     
         27 . The contact lens package of  claim 25 , wherein the lid insert includes at least one lock-out feature. 
     
     
         28 . A contact lens package comprising a contact lens in packaging solution, a lens support, and a locking mechanism wherein the lens support is configured to lift the contact lens out of the packaging solution and the locking mechanism is configured to lock at a predetermined lift angle the lens support having the contact lens thereupon. 
     
     
         29 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the package comprises a lever configured to cause the lens support to lift the contact lens out of the packaging solution when a user applies force to the lever. 
     
     
         30 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein the package is configured such that the force being applied to the lever causes the lens support to lift the contact lens out of the packaging solution in a position on the lens support capable of single-touch transfer by the user. 
     
     
         31 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein at least one of the lever and the lens support is a discrete component that is coupled to the base by an attachment means. 
     
     
         32 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein the base is composed of a relatively rigid material. 
     
     
         33 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the base and at least one of the lever and the lens support are a single unitary component. 
     
     
         34 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein the lever and the lens support are a single unitary component. 
     
     
         35 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein the lens support is coupled to the base by at least one of: i) a laser weld; ii) heat; iii) an ultrasonic weld; iv) mechanical clipping; and v) an adhesive. 
     
     
         36 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein the base comprises at least one finger engagement feature configured to i) aid a user in grasping the package or i) direct the application of force such that the lever hinges downward. 
     
     
         37 . The contact lens package of  claim 28  further comprising at least one finger engagement feature having a dimple sized to accommodate a finger or thumb of the user, wherein the dimple is positioned at an end of the base proximal to the user. 
     
     
         38 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one of a latch, ratchet, peg, and an adhesive. 
     
     
         39 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the predetermined lift angle is at least about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         40 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the lens support is configured such that the contact lens's upper side emerges from the packaging solution before the contact lens's lower side when lifted. 
     
     
         41 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the lens support has an emergence angle of at least zero degrees or at least 5 degrees. 
     
     
         42 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the lens support has a primary lens angle of between-4 degrees and 20 degrees and a lever length between about 11 mm and 16 mm. 
     
     
         43 . The contact lens package of  claim 29 , wherein a lid of the package comprises a lens facing surface that extends downward into the cavity above the contact lens when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         44 . The contact lens package of  claim 43 , wherein the lens facing surface and lens support are configured such that the optical zone of the contact lens resides in the packaging solution between the lens facing surface and lens support when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         45 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , further comprising a secondary support configured to support to the lens only when the package is unopened. 
     
     
         46 . The contact lens package of  claim 45 , wherein the secondary support comprises at least one recessed area in a shape and position that allows the lens support to nest together with the secondary support to form a dome shape that mirrors the concave side of the lens when the package is in an unopened state. 
     
     
         47 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein the package houses the contact lens in a convex position when the package is in an unopened or opened state. 
     
     
         48 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , wherein when the package is in an opened state, wetted contact area between the lens support and the contact lens is less than about 30 mm 2 , less than about 25 mm 2 , or less than about 20 mm 2 . 
     
     
         49 . The contact lens package of  claim 28 , comprising at least one lens facing surface in the cavity above a convex side of the contact lens, wherein when the package is in an unopened state the at least one lens facing surface is configured to align the contact lens over the lens support; or protect the contact lens against significant optical damage due to gravitational, mechanical, or air-induced forces. 
     
     
         50 . The contact lens package of  claim 28  further comprising a lid insert. 
     
     
         51 . The contact lens package of  claim 50 , wherein the lid insert includes at least one alignment feature. 
     
     
         52 . The contact lens package of  claim 50 , wherein the lid insert includes at least one lock-out feature. 
     
     
         53 . A lens support for lifting a contact lens out of packaging solution contained in a cavity in a contact lens package base, wherein the lens support holds the lens in a convex position and the lens support is configured such that the contact lens's upper side emerges from the packaging solution before the contact lens's lower side when lifted. 
     
     
         54 . The lens support of  claim 53 , wherein the lens support has an emergence angle of at least zero degrees or at least 5 degrees. 
     
     
         55 . The contact lens package of  claim 53 , wherein the lens support has a primary lens angle of between-4 degrees and 20 degrees and a lever length between about 11 mm and 16 mm. 
     
     
         56 . The contact lens package of  claim 53 , wherein the lens support is configured to produce a wetted contact area between the lens support and the contact lens of less than about 30 mm 2 , less than about 25 mm 2 , or less than about 20 mm 2 .