SBIR Phase II: Lens-forming nanocomposites for high strength, clear ophthalmic lenses

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目致力于开发一种UV固化的大块纳米复合材料，该材料具有增强眼科镜片的光学和机械性能。这项工作的重点是将金属氧化物纳米颗粒结合到透明聚合物中，以设计折射率和机械性能。这需要合成直径约为20纳米或更小的稳定纳米颗粒。纳米颗粒需要表面处理，这将有助于单体的稳定性和提高聚合透镜的机械性能。然后，功能化的分散体可以加入到第二个单体中，然后使用镜片铸造系统聚合成成品眼科眼镜镜片，目前有数百家Vision Dynamics LLC客户使用该镜片铸造系统。这扩展了独立零售分配器的能力，在不到一个小时的时间内为消费者提供高质量的眼镜镜片。纳米复合材料是一种非常独特和重要的材料，该项目将进一步了解纳米复合材料。这个SBIR二期项目是针对眼科眼镜镜片市场，这是一个70亿美元的产业在美国。该行业的大部分眼镜镜片都是从海外进口的，通过最近的整合，三大镜片生产商都是外国公司。如果成功，这项技术将消除消费者和眼镜商之间的分销阶梯，使独立零售商能够更有效地向客户提供高质量的眼镜。这使得零售商能够在这个艰难的环境中继续竞争，因为收购和合并一直在挤压独立零售商。此外，紫外光固化因其低挥发性有机化合物排放和低能耗而被确定为绿色涂料技术。目前，UV固化聚合物的折射率有限，因此这项技术将在几个行业中发挥作用。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the development of a UV curable bulk nanocomposite having enhanced optical and mechanical properties for ophthalmic lenses. The work focuses the incorporation of metal oxide nanoparticles into a transparent polymer to engineer the refractive index and mechanical properties. This requires the synthesis of stable nanoparticles approximately 20 nm or less in diameter. The nanoparticles require a surface treatment that will aid in the monomer stability and impart improved mechanical properties to the polymerized lens. The functionalized dispersion can then be incorporated into a second monomer and then polymerized into a finished ophthalmic eyeglass lens using the lens casting system currently used by several hundred Vision Dynamics LLC customers. This extends the capabilities of an independent retail dispenser to deliver quality eyeglass lenses to consumers in less than an hour. The project will further the understanding of nanocomposites which are a very unique and important material.This SBIR Phase II project is directed toward the ophthalmic eyeglass lens market which is a $7B industry in the United States. Much of the eyeglass lenses in this industry are imported from overseas and through recent consolidations the three largest producers of lenses are foreign companies. If successful this technology removes the distribution rungs between the consumer and the optician, allowing independent retailers to more efficiently deliver quality eyewear to their customers. This allows retailers to continue to compete in this difficult landscape that has been dominated by acquisitions and mergers squeezing the independents. Furthermore, UV curing has been identified as a green coating technology for its low VOC emissions and low energy consumption. Currently UV cured polymers are limited in refractive index so this technology will play out in several industries.