High energy visible light absorbing material for ophthalmic substrate and application method

• US 10,429,673 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Innovations, Inc. (Quantum Group, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Quantum Innovations, Inc. (Quantum Group, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kester, Norman L., Hall, Nicholas M., VanDerhoff, Christopher P., Unbankes, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Neill, Gary W
• Application Number:
  US15/832,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20190079318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 35115949, 351 59, 351 6, 351 65
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00634 Production of filters
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00865 Applying coatings; tinting; colouring printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/115 Multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/06 Special ophthalmologic or optometric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/10 Filters, e.g. for facilitating adaptation of the eyes to the dark; Sunglasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/107 Interference colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/108 Colouring materials

Abstract

A high energy visible (HEV) light absorbing material and application method for an ophthalmic substrate includes deposition of an HEV light absorbing material onto the ophthalmic substrate. The HEV light absorbing material is applied through physical vapor deposition as a thin layer on ophthalmic substrates for flexibility and color adaptation. The HEV light absorbing material includes at least one of: aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide with a material commonly used in the design of antireflective absorbing materials. The HEV light absorbing coating is antireflective and transmits up to 98% of light for the rest of spectrum. The HEV light absorbing material allows the ophthalmic substrate to selectively absorb blue light that falls in the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 460 nm.

Claims

1. A high energy visible light absorbing coating for an ophthalmic substrate, the high energy visible light absorbing coating comprising:

a high energy visible light absorbing material comprising at least one of the following;

aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide, the high energy visible light absorbing material selectively absorbing light within a wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 350 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing material enabling transmission of at least 98 percent of light outside the wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 350 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing material further being generally antireflective, the high energy visible light absorbing material forming a high energy visible light absorbing coating with a layer thickness of from about 33 nm to about 117 nm.

2. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 1 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material selectively absorbs light within a wavelength range of the light spectrum between about 400 nm and about 460 nm.

3. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 1 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material comprises at least two of the following:

aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide.

4. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 3 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material comprises aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide.

5. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 1 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material is integrated into an antireflective coating.

6. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 5 wherein the antireflective coating comprises at least one of the following:

SiO₂, MgF₂, ZrO₂, TiO₂, and Ta₃O₅.

7. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 1 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material is deposited through physical vapor deposition.

8. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 7 wherein the physical vapor deposition includes known methods of magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation.

9. A high energy visible light absorbing coating for an ophthalmic substrate, the high energy visible light absorbing coating comprising:

a high energy visible light absorbing material comprising at least one of the following;

aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide, the high energy visible light absorbing material selectively absorbing light within a wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 400 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing material enabling transmission of at least 98 percent of light outside the wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 350 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing material further being generally antireflective, the high energy visible light absorbing material forming a high energy visible light absorbing layer with a coating thickness of from about 33 nm to about 117 nm.

10. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 9 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material comprises at least two of the following:

aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide.

11. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 9 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material comprises aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide.

12. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 9 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material is integrated into an antireflective coating.

13. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 12 wherein the antireflective coating comprises at least one of the following:

SiO₂, MgF₂, ZrO₂, TiO₂, and Ta₃O₅.

14. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 9 wherein the high energy visible light absorbing material is deposited through physical vapor deposition.

15. The high energy visible light absorbing coating of claim 14 wherein the physical vapor deposition includes known methods of magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation.

16. An application method for a high energy visible light absorbing material, comprising:

providing a high energy visible light absorbing material having gallium zinc oxide;

providing an ophthalmic substrate;

applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the ophthalmic substrate; and

forming a high energy visible light absorbing coating on the ophthalmic substrate by depositing the high energy light absorbing material, the high energy visible light absorbing coating selectively absorbing light within a wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 350 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing coating enabling transmission of at least 98 percent of light outside the wavelength range of the light spectrum of between about 350 nm and about 460 nm, the high energy visible light absorbing coating having a layer thickness of from about 33 nm to about 117 nm.

17. The application method of claim 16 wherein applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the ophthalmic substrate comprises applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to an exterior surface of the ophthalmic substrate.

18. The application method of claim 16 wherein providing a high energy visible light absorbing material having at least one of the following:

aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide comprises providing a high energy visible light absorbing material having aluminum zinc oxide, indium zinc oxide and gallium zinc oxide.

19. The application method of claim 16 wherein providing an ophthalmic substrate comprises providing an ophthalmic substrate having an antireflective coating and applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the ophthalmic substrate comprises applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the antireflective coating.

20. The application method of claim 16 wherein applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the ophthalmic substrate comprises applying the high energy visible light absorbing material to the ophthalmic substrate through physical vapor deposition.