Optical filters affecting color vision in a desired manner and design method thereof by non-linear optimization

• US 10,606,101 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnChroma, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EnChroma, Inc.
• Inventors: Schmeder, Andrew W., McPherson, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Jordan M
• Application Number:
  US15/917,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 35115963, 35115973, 35115974, 35115975, 349104, 349106
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/065 use of particular optical filters A61F9/022, A61F9/062 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0012 Optical design, e.g. procedures, algorithms, optimisation routines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/223 containing organic substances, e.g. dyes, inks or pigments
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/23 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/024 Methods of designing ophthalmic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/102 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/104 having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/108 Colouring materials

Abstract

The invention generally relates to optical filters that provide regulation and/or enhancement of chromatic and luminous aspects of the color appearance of light to human vision, generally to applications of such optical filters, to therapeutic applications of such optical filters, to industrial and safety applications of such optical filters when incorporated, for example, in radiation-protective eyewear, to methods of designing such optical filters, to methods of manufacturing such optical filters, and to designs and methods of incorporating such optical filters into apparatus including, for example, eyewear and illuminants.

Claims

1. A method of prescribing a lens to accommodate the color vision deficiency of an individual who has deuteranomaly or protanomaly, the method comprising

if the individual has deuteranomaly then prescribing an ophthalmic lens comprising an optical filter comprising one or more narrow-band dyes, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter is between 40% and 80%, the red-green separation factor of the filter is greater than 1.0, and the luminous transmittance of the optical filter is defined as the weighted photopic transmittance through the filter of CIE Standard Illuminant D65 according to the CIE 1931 2-degree Standard Observer, and the transmittance of the filter at 575 nanometers is at least two times greater than the transmittance at 595 nanometers, and

if the individual has protanomaly then prescribing an ophthalmic lens comprising an optical filter comprising one or more narrow-band dyes, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter is between 40% and 80%, the red-green separation factor of the filter is greater than 1.0, and the luminous transmittance of the optical filter is defined as the weighted photopic transmittance through the filter of CIE Standard Illuminant D65 according to the CIE 1931 2-degree Standard Observer, and the transmittance of the filter at 595 nanometers is at least two times greater than the transmittance at 575 nanometers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly is blue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter prescribed for protanomaly is purple.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly is blue and the filter prescribed for protanomaly is purple.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly or protanomaly is greater than 50%.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly is greater than 50%.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter prescribed for protanomaly is greater than 50%.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the luminous transmittance of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly or protanomaly is greater than 50%.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly or protanomaly is greater than 1.25.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly is greater than 1.25.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for protanomaly is greater than 1.25.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for protanomaly is greater than 1.25.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly or protanomaly is greater than 1.25.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly is greater than 1.25.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for protanomaly is greater than 1.25.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the red-green separation factor of the filter prescribed for deuteranomaly or protanomaly is greater than 1.25.