Gas-to-liquid permeation in silicon-containing, crosslinked, glassy copolymers of methyl methacrylate

Copolymers of methyl methacrylate with disiloxane derivatives have been proposed as biomaterials for contact lens applications. Although glassy, these copolymers exhibit high oxygen permeability and adequate wettability so that they can be used for manufacture of hard, extended wear lenses. Crosslinked copolymers of poly(methylmethacrylate-co-1,3-bis(methacryloxymethyl) -1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-disiloxane), P(MMA-co-BMTDS), containing from 0.085 to 0.53 mole fraction of BMTDS were prepared and tested for oxygen permeation using a novel apparatus which simulates the atmosphere/lens/cornea conditions. The gas-to-liquid dissolved oxygen permeability, P gd1 was determined and it was found to increase with BMTDS content. Permeability values for P(MMA-co-BMTDS) at 34 degrees C were significantly higher than for pure homopolymer PMMA, although these copolymers were glassy at this temperature. The increased oxygen permeation was attributed to increased oxygen solubility in the copolymers due to the presence of the -Si-O-bonds.