Automated method and apparatus for hydrating soft contact lenses

An automated means for hydrating a molded hydrophilic contact lens is provided in which a first robotic assembly removes a plurality of contact lens molds from a production line carrier, each of the lens molds having a contact lens adhered therein. The first robotic assembly transports the molds to a first staging area where the lens molds are sandwiched between a lens mold carrier and a top chamber plate to form a first hydration carrier. A first rotary transfer device then hands the first hydration carrier to a second robotic assembly which immerses the first hydration carrier in a hydration bath to hydrate the lens and to release the lens from the lens mold. While the lens is immersed in the hydration bath, each lens is transferred from its respective mold to a lens transfer means found within the top chamber plate. After a predetermined period of time, the second robotic assembly removes the first hydration carrier from the hydration bath and hands the hydration carrier off to a second rotary transfer device which rotates the first hydration carrier and aligns it for transfer to a third robotic assembly. The third robotic assembly then carries the top chamber plate and contact lenses through a series of steps in which the lens mold carrier and lens molds are removed from the top chamber plate. The lenses carried on the lens transfer means are then flushed and transported for assembly with a hydration base member to form a second hydration carrier for processing the lens in subsequent extraction stations. The second hydration carrier is then transported through a plurality of flushing or extraction stations wherein fresh deionized water is introduced into the hydration chambers at each hydration station to flush leachable substances from the hydration chamber. At each flushing station, fresh deionized water is introduced into the hydration chamber to remove previously extracted impurities and the products of hydrolysis. A final robotic dis-assembly device separates the top chamber plate and lens transfer means from the hydration base member, to provide fully hydrated lenses in a concave lens holding means ready for transfer to inspection and packaging stations.