Biocompatible polymeric materials, methods of preparing such materials and uses thereof

The present invention is directed to a biocompatible polymeric material and methods of making prepared by forming a mixture of collagen, a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated compound and a cross-linking agent at a temperature of 30 DEG C. to 42 DEG C.; adjusting the pH of the mixture to 3.2 to 5.0; and polymerizing the mixture. The resulting material is rinsed in a physiologic solution at a temperature of 25 DEG C. to 80 DEG C. The resulting polymeric material has a modules of elasticity in the range of 10 to 27x105 N/m2. Mechanical strength of the polymeric material is 20 to 100 times greater than polymeric material prepared by known methods. The material is optically transparent and is characterized by 95% or more light transmission in the visible spectrum and by resolution of 200 lines per mm for a +20D intraocular lens. The material is characterized by low protein absorption of about 0.1x10-3 mu g/mg and the material is resistant to proteolytic enzymes including pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and collagenase. The present invention is further directed to intraocular lenses and contact lenses produced from the present material, and the use of such lenses in patients having impaired vision to correct or improve such impaired vision.