Ophthalmic lenses incorporating a diffractive element

• US 20060066808A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Duston, Dwight P., Kokonaski, William
• Application Number:
  US11/232,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066808A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/159
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/061 Spectacle lenses with progressively varying focal power
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses

Abstract

An ophthalmic lens is provided that comprises a correction lens having a first focal region having a first focal power and a second focal region having a second focal power different from the first focal power. The ophthalmic lens further comprises a diffractive element having a diffractive element focal power that is additive to the second focal power. In some embodiments, the second focal region is a multi-focal region that may be a progressive addition region or an electro-active region.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic lens comprising:

a correction lens having a first focal region having a first focal power and a second focal region having a second focal power different from the first focal power; and

a diffractive element having a diffractive element focal power that is additive to the second focal power.

2. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the second focal region is a multi-focal region.

3. The ophthalmic lens of claim 2 wherein the second focal region is a progressive addition region that provides an addition power.

4. The ophthalmic lens of claim 3, wherein the addition power is in a range of about +0.5 diopters to about +1.0 diopters.

5. The ophthalmic lens of claim 3, wherein the addition power and the diffractive element focal power are adapted to provide a combined depth of field in a predetermined range.

6. The ophthalmic lens of claim 2, wherein the second focal region is an electro-active region adapted for selectively varying the second focal power.

7. The ophthalmic lens of claim 6, wherein the second focal power and the diffractive element focal power are adapted to provide a combined depth of field in a predetermined range.

8. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the first focal region has a fixed focus.

9. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the second focal region is an electro-active region adapted for selectively increasing the optical power of at least a portion of the ophthalmic lens by a fixed amount.

10. The ophthalmic lens system of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element is formed on a rear surface of the correction lens in the second focal region.

11. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1 wherein the diffractive element is formed by removing material from the rear surface of the correction lens.

12. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1 wherein the diffractive element is integrally formed with the correction lens.

13. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1 wherein the diffractive element is a distinct lens element attached to the correction lens.

14. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is a spectacle lens.

15. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is an intraocular lens.

16. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the first focal region has a first optical center and the diffractive element has a diffractive element optical center spaced apart from the first optical center by an offset including at least one of a horizontal offset in a horizontal direction and a vertical offset in a vertical direction.

17. The ophthalmic lens of claim 16, wherein the horizontal and vertical offsets are each in a range of about 0 mm to about 10 mm.

18. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element has a depth of focus in a range of about 0 to about 4 feet.

19. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element has a depth of focus corresponding to a range of about 1 diopter to about 3 diopters.

20. The ophthalmic lens of claim 1 wherein said diffractive element is adapted to provide a depth of focus for enhancing vision.