Colored contact lens

• US 20050213028A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel G. Strebig
• Original Assignee: Daniel G. Strebig
• Inventors: Strebig, Daniel G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/162
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/046 Contact lenses having an iris pattern

Abstract

A colored contact lens comprising a generally uncolored pupil region, a generally annular-shaped iris region and a multicolored pattern on the iris region. The multicolored pattern is sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens and comprises a plurality of color elements. The multicolored pattern further comprising a collarette region that comprises at least some of the color elements and a collarette band at least substantially surrounding the pupil region that has generally jagged inner and outer peripheries. The collarette band including at least a first portion spaced less than 4 mm from the center of the pupil region and a second portion spaced at least 6.5 mm from the center of the pupil region.

Claims

1. A colored contact lens comprising:

(a) a generally uncolored pupil region, the pupil region having a center;

(b) a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

(c) a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising;

(i) a plurality of color elements; and

(ii) a collarette region, the collarette region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the collarette region comprising a collarette band at least substantially surrounding the pupil region, the collarette band having a generally jagged outer periphery and a generally jagged inner periphery, the collarette band including at least a first portion spaced less than 4 mm from the center of the pupil region and a second portion spaced at least 6.5 mm from the center of the pupil region.

2. The colored contact lens of claim 1 wherein the color elements are sufficiently colored to mask regions of the wearer'"'"'s iris that underlie the color elements when the wearer is wearing the contact lens, and the lens further comprises a generally uncolored region defined by one or more of the color elements, the generally uncolored region comprising a generally uncolored segment having a length of at least 30 microns and a width of no greater than 60 microns, wherein both the generally uncolored region and the generally uncolored segment are sufficiently devoid of colorant so as not to mask regions of the wearer'"'"'s iris that underlie the generally uncolored region and the generally uncolored segment when the wearer is wearing the contact lens.

3. The colored contact lens of claim 1 wherein the multicolored pattern further comprises a plurality of crypts of Fuchs elements each having the appearance of a crypts of Fuchs, each of the crypts of Fuchs elements being comprised of at least some of the color elements, and contrasting in color with the color elements adjacent the crypts of Fuchs elements and having a generally oblong shape.

4. The colored contact lens of claim 1 wherein the multicolored pattern further comprises a pupillary margin region including a generally annular-shaped band and a plurality of fingers, the pupillary margin region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the generally annular-shaped band surrounding the pupil region with at least 90% of the band being within a radius of 4 mm from the center, the plurality of fingers extending generally radially outwardly from the generally annular-shaped band and away from the center with at least 90% of the plurality of fingers in aggregate being within a radius of 5 mm from the center.

5. The colored contact lens of claim 1 wherein its is hydrophilic and hydrated.

6. A colored contact lens comprising:

(a) a generally uncolored pupil region, the pupil region having a center;

(b) a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

(c) a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising;

(i) a plurality of color elements, which are sufficiently colored to mask regions of the wearer'"'"'s iris that underlie the color elements when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

(ii) a collarette region, the collarette region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the collarette region comprising a collarette band at least substantially surrounding the pupil region, the collarette band having a generally jagged outer periphery and a generally jagged inner periphery, the collarette band including at least a first portion spaced less than 4 mm from the center of the pupil region and a second portion spaced at least 6.5 mm from the center of the pupil region; and

(iii) a plurality of crypts of Fuchs elements each having the appearance of a crypts of Fuchs, each of the crypts of Fuchs elements being comprised of at least some of the color elements, each of the plurality of crypts of Fuchs elements contrasting in color with the color elements adjacent the crypts of Fuchs elements and having a generally oblong shape; and

(d) a generally uncolored region defined by one or more of the color elements, the generally uncolored region comprising a generally uncolored segment, the generally uncolored segment having a length of at least 30 microns and a width of no greater than 60 microns, wherein both the generally uncolored region and the generally uncolored segment are sufficiently devoid of colorant so as not to mask regions of the wearer'"'"'s iris that underlie the generally uncolored region and the generally uncolored segment when the wearer is wearing the contact lens.

7. The colored contact lens of claim 6 wherein the multicolored pattern further comprises:

(iv) a pupillary margin region including a generally annular-shaped band and a plurality of fingers, the pupillary margin region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the generally annular-shaped band surrounding the pupil region with at least 90% of the band being within a radius of 4 mm from the center, the plurality of fingers extending generally radially outwardly from the generally annular-shaped band and away from the center with at least 90% of the plurality of fingers in aggregate being within a radius of 5 mm from the center.

8. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein its is hydrophilic and hydrated.

9. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein each of the crypts of Fuchs elements extends generally radially away from the pupil region.

10. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein the generally annular-shaped band and the fingers are of a predominately first color and a predominately second color, respectively, and the predominately first color is darker than the predominately second color.

11. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein the generally annular-shaped band is of at least one generally dark, light-absorbing color.

12. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein the generally uncolored segment has a length of at least 100 microns and a width of no greater than 40 microns.

13. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein the generally uncolored region is completely encircled by a single color element.

14. The colored contact lens of claim 7 wherein the lens comprises a plurality of generally uncolored regions.

15. The colored contact lens of claim 14 wherein the lens comprises at least 1000 generally uncolored regions.

16. The colored contact lens of claim 15 wherein the at least 1000 generally uncolored regions comprise at least 1000 generally uncolored segments.

17. A colored contact lens comprising:

(a) a generally uncolored pupil region, the pupil region having a center;

(b) a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

(c) a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising;

(i) a plurality of color elements; and

(ii) a collarette region, the collarette region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the collarette region comprising a collarette band at least substantially surrounding the pupil region, the collarette band having a generally jagged outer periphery and a generally jagged inner periphery, the collarette band including at least a first portion spaced less than 4 mm from the center of the pupil region and a second portion spaced at least 6.5 mm from the center of the pupil region; and

(d) more than 1000 discrete generally uncolored regions defined by the color elements, wherein at least 1000 of the discrete generally uncolored regions are sufficiently small such that their presence cannot be detected, and sufficiently large such that they contribute to the overall appearance of the contact lens when an ordinary viewer with 20/20 vision is viewing the contact lens from a distance of sixteen inches while a wearer is wearing the contact lens.

18. The colored contact lens of claim 17 wherein the lens comprises more than 10,000 discrete generally uncolored regions of which at least 5000 are sufficiently small such that their presence cannot be detected, and sufficiently large such that they contribute to the overall appearance of the contact lens when the ordinary viewer with 20/20 vision is viewing the contact lens from a distance of sixteen inches while the wearer is wearing the contact lens.

19. The colored contact lens of claim 17 wherein the color elements are sufficiently colored to mask regions of the wearer'"'"'s iris that underlie the color elements when the wearer is wearing the contact lens.

20. The colored contact lens of claim 17 wherein the multicolored pattern further comprises a plurality of crypts of Fuchs elements each having the appearance of a crypts of Fuchs, each of the crypts of Fuchs elements being comprised of at least some of the color elements, each of the plurality of crypts of Fuchs elements contrasting in color with the color elements adjacent the crypts of Fuchs elements and having a generally oblong shape.

21. The colored contact lens of claim 17 wherein the multicolored pattern further comprises a pupillary margin region including a generally annular-shaped band and a plurality of fingers, the pupillary margin region being comprised of at least some of the color elements, the band surrounding the pupil region, at least 90% of the band being within a radius of 4 mm from the center, the plurality of fingers extending generally radially outwardly from the band and away from the center, at least 90% of the plurality of fingers in aggregate being within a radius of 5 mm from the center.

22. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements; and

a plurality of discrete generally uncolored regions defined by at least some of the color elements, the generally uncolored regions being sufficiently small such that an ordinary viewer viewing the contact lens from a distance of sixteen inches cannot detect the presence of the generally uncolored regions when the wearer is wearing the contact lens, the generally uncolored regions being sufficiently large such that the generally uncolored regions contribute to the overall appearance of the contact lens as viewed by the ordinary viewer from a distance of sixteen inches, the ordinary viewer having 20/20 vision.

23. A colored contact lens as set forth in claim 22 wherein each of at least a majority of the generally uncolored regions of said plurality of generally uncolored regions has an area of not greater than approximately 1200 square microns.

24. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of discrete color regions,

generally uncolored interstices between at least some of the discrete color regions, the interstices being sufficiently small such that an ordinary viewer viewing the contact lens from a distance of sixteen inches cannot detect the presence of the interstices when the wearer is wearing the contact lens, the interstices being sufficiently large such that the interstices contribute to the overall appearance of the contact lens as viewed by the ordinary viewer from a distance of sixteen inches, the ordinary viewer having 20/20 vision.

25. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements, the multicolored pattern comprising an annular-shaped outer region and an annular-shaped inner region, the outer region generally circumscribing the inner region, the outer region having a first plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the inner region having a second plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the first plurality of the generally uncolored regions combining to have a first aggregate uncolored area, the second plurality of the generally uncolored region combining to have a second aggregate uncolored area, at least 60% of the first aggregate uncolored area being comprised of generally uncolored regions each having an area not greater than approximately 900 square microns, at least 50% of the second aggregate uncolored area being comprised of generally uncolored regions each having an area greater than approximately 900 square microns.

26. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements, the multicolored pattern comprising an annular-shaped outer region and an annular shaped inner region, the outer region generally circumscribing the inner region, the outer region having a first plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the inner region having a second plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, each of at least 60% of the generally uncolored regions of the first plurality of generally uncolored regions having an area not greater than approximately 900 square microns, each of at least 50% of the generally uncolored regions of the second plurality of generally uncolored regions having an area greater than approximately 900 square microns.