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

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目致力于开发一种用于眼科镜片的具有增强光学和机械性能的UV固化块状纳米复合材料。这项工作的重点是将金属氧化物纳米颗粒掺入透明聚合物中，以设计折射率和机械性能。这需要合成直径约为20 nm或更小的稳定纳米颗粒。纳米颗粒需要表面处理，这将有助于单体稳定性并赋予聚合透镜改进的机械性能。然后可以将官能化的分散体掺入第二单体中，然后使用目前由数百名Vision Dynamics LLC客户使用的透镜浇铸系统聚合成成品眼科镜片透镜。这扩展了独立零售分配器的能力，可以在不到一小时的时间内将优质镜片交付给消费者。该项目将进一步了解纳米复合材料，这是一种非常独特和重要的材料。该SBIR第二阶段项目是针对眼科手术透镜市场，这是一个70亿美元的行业在美国。该行业的大部分镜片都是从海外进口的，通过最近的合并，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环节，使独立零售商能够更有效地向客户提供优质眼镜。这使得零售商能够继续在这个艰难的环境中竞争，这个环境一直被收购和合并所主导，挤压着独立零售商。此外，UV固化因其低VOC排放和低能耗而被认为是一种绿色涂层技术。目前，UV固化聚合物的折射率有限，因此这项技术将在多个行业中发挥作用。

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.