Electro-active contact lens system

• US 20040027536A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William
• Granted Patent: US 6,851,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/168
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00826 with energy receptors for wireless energy transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/048 Means for stabilising the orientation of lenses in the eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/08 Auxiliary lenses; Arrangements for varying focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13415 Drop filling process
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices

Abstract

An electro-active contact lens system and a method for making the electro-active contact lens system is disclosed. The system includes a contact lens, an electro-active element attached to the contact lens, a view detector attached to the contact lens and in electronic communication with the electro-active element, and a power source attached to the contact lens. In certain embodiments, the view detector may be a rangefinder which determines the distance of an object being viewed and these embodiments further include a means to stabilize the rangefinder between the opening of the eyelids when the electro-active contact lens system is worn by a wearer. The electro-active contact lens system provides electro-active vision correction of one or more focal lengths.

Claims

1. An electro-active contact lens system comprising:

a contact lens;

an electro-active element attached to the contact lens;

a view detector attached to the contact lens and in electronic communication with the electro-active element; and

a power source attached to the contact lens to provide power to the electro-active element and the view detector.

2. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a rangefinder.

3. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a tilt switch.

4. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a micro-gyroscope.

5. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the power source is a conformal battery.

6. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 further comprising:

a means for stabilizing the view detector between a palpebral fissure of a patient'"'"'s eye when the contact lens system is worn by the patient.

7. The contact lens system of claim 6 wherein the means for stabilizing the view detector comprises at least one prism weight attached to the contact lens.

8. The contact lens system of claim 6 wherein the means for stabilizing the view detector comprises at least one slab-off attached to the contact lens.

9. The contact lens system of claim 6 wherein the means for stabilizing the view detector comprises a truncated contact lens, wherein a portion of the contact lens is truncated along a chord below and substantially parallel to a horizontal meridian of the contact lens.

10. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the contact lens is manufactured from the group consisting of gas permeable, non-gas permeable, and hydrophilic optical materials.

11. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the electro-active element is contained within a capsule connected to the contact lens.

12. The contact lens system of claim 11 wherein the capsule is constructed of a rigid material.

13. The contact lens system of claim 11 wherein the capsule provides a fixed distance optical power.

14. The contact lens system of claim 11 wherein the view detector is contained in the capsule.

15. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the contact lens provides a fixed distance optical power.

16. A method for making an electro-active contact lens system comprising:

encapsulating an electro-active element; and

attaching the encapsulated electro-active element and a power source to provide power to the electro-active element to a contact lens.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein a view detector is attached to the contact lens and the view detector is in electronic communication with the electro-active element.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the view detector comprises a rangefinder.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the view detector is encapsulated with the electro-active element.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising stabilizing the view detector on the contact lens between a palpebral fissure of a patient'"'"'s eye when the contact lens is worn by the patient.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the view detector is stabilized by attaching at least one prism weight to the contact lens.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the view detector is stabilized by attaching at least one slab-off to the contact lens.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the view detector is stabilized by truncating a portion of the contact lens along a chord below and substantially parallel to a horizontal meridian of the contact lens.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the electro-active element is encapsulated within a rigid material.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein the contact lens comprises a hydrophilic material.