HYBRID CONTACT LENS SYSTEM AND METHOD OF FITTING

• US 20070273825A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SynergEyes, Inc. (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SynergEyes, Inc. (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Legerton, Jerome, Chen, Barry, Collins, Joseph, Merz, Diethard
• Granted Patent: US 7,537,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/160.R
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00048 composed of parts with dissimilar composition B29D11/00057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00057 characterised by the shape or surface condition of the edge, e.g. flashless, burrless, smooth
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/08 Series of lenses, lens blanks
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures

Abstract

A hybrid contact lens comprises a substantially rigid zone having a base curve with a first curved section defined by an apical radius and an aspheric section defined by a conic constant. A substantially flexible hydrophilic peripheral portion is coupled to the substantially rigid zone, the peripheral portion having one of a plurality of radii, wherein a conic constant of the aspheric section varies with apical radius, so as to provide a nearly constant deviation between the aspheric shape of the aspheric section and a sphere having a radius equal to the apical radius, regardless of the length of the apical radius.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing hybrid contact lenses, comprising:

forming a first hybrid contact lens comprising a first substantially rigid zone having a base curve including (i) a first spheric curve defined by a first apical radius extending from a first point and (ii) a first aspheric curve defined by a first conic constant, the first aspheric curve having a contour that deviates by a first amount from a sphere centered on said first point and having a radius equal to the first apical radius, the first hybrid contact lens further comprising a first substantially flexible portion coupled to the first substantially rigid zone at a junction; and

forming a second hybrid contact lens comprising a second substantially rigid zone having a second base curve including (i) a second spheric curve defined by a second apical radius extending from a second point and (ii) a second aspheric curve defined by a second conic constant, the second aspheric curve having a contour that deviates by a second amount from a sphere centered on said second point and having a radius equal to the second apical radius, the second hybrid contact lens further comprising a second substantially flexible portion coupled to the second substantially rigid zone at a junction,

wherein (a) the first amount and the second amount are substantially the same and (b) the first and second apical radii of said respective first and second hybrid contact lens rigid zones are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first substantially flexible portion has a first radius of curvature different than the first apical radius and the second substantially flexible portion has a second radius of curvature different than the second apical radius curve.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first aspheric curve transitions to the first radius of curvature outside the junction between the substantially rigid portion and the substantially flexible portion of the first hybrid contact lens.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second radii of curvature of said respective first and second hybrid contact lens flexible portions are different.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first amount is about 100 microns at a chord of 9.0 mm centered about the apical radius.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first substantially flexible portion comprises hydrophilic material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conic constant and the second conic constant are different.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially first and second rigid zones have a DK greater than about 30×

100<sup>−

11</sup> [cm³/sec][ml O₂/ml mm Hg].

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second aspheric curves is an oblate ellipsoid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second substantially flexible portions is spherical.

11. A hybrid contact lens, comprising:

a substantially rigid zone having (i) a spherical section defined by a first radius extending from a first point and (ii) an aspheric section defined by a conic constant, the spherical and aspherical sections defining a base curve of the substantially rigid zone, the aspherical section having a contour that defines a deviation from a sphere centered on said first point and having a radius equal to the first radius; and

a substantially flexible portion coupled to the substantially rigid zone at a junction, the substantially flexible portion having a second radius defining a second curvature different from the base curve,

wherein a transition between the aspheric section and the second curvature occurs within the substantially flexible portion.

12. The hybrid contact lens of claim 11, wherein the first radius is between about 7.5 mm and about 9.6 mm.

13. The hybrid contact lens of claim 12, wherein the conic constant is greater than about 2.0.

14. The hybrid contact lens of claim 11, wherein the second radius of curvature is between about 8.0 mm and 9.5 mm.

15. A hybrid contact lens, comprising:

a substantially rigid zone having a base curve defined by (i) a first curved section defined by an apical radius centered on a first point and (ii) an aspheric section defined by a conic constant, the aspherical section having a contour that defines a deviation from a sphere centered on said first point and having a radius equal to the apical radius; and

a substantially flexible portion coupled to the substantially rigid zone at a junction, the substantially flexible portion having a second curved section,

wherein a transition between the aspheric section and the second curved section occurs within the substantially flexible portion.

16. The hybrid contact lens of claim 15, wherein the first curved section has a spherical contour defined by the apical radius.

17. The hybrid contact lens of claim 15, wherein the second curved section has a contour different from the first curved section and the aspheric section.

18. A kit for fitting a hybrid contact lens, comprising:

a first contact lens having a substantially rigid zone with a first base curve having (i) a first spheric curve defined by a first apical radius extending from a first point and (ii) a first aspheric curve defined by a first conic constant, the first aspheric curve having a contour that deviates from a sphere centered on said first point and having a radius equal to the first apical radius by a first amount, the first contact lens also having a substantially flexible portion coupled to the substantially rigid zone; and

a second contact lens having a second substantially rigid zone with a second base curve having (i) a second spheric curve defined by a second apical radius extending from a second point and (ii) a second aspheric curve defined by a second conic constant, the second aspheric curve having a contour that deviates from a sphere centered on said second point and having a radius equal to the second apical radius by a second amount, the second contact lens also having a second substantially flexible portion coupled to the second substantially rigid zone;

wherein (i) the first and second amounts are substantially the same and (ii) the first and second apical radii of the respective first and second contact lenses are different.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the substantially flexible portion has a first radius of curvature different from the first apical radius, and the second substantially flexible portion has a second radius of curvature different from the second apical radius.

20. The kit of claim 19, wherein the first and second radii of curvature of the respective first and second contact lenses are different.

21. The kit of claim 19, wherein the first apical radius is shorter than said first radius of curvature of said substantially flexible portion.

22. The kit of claim 19, wherein the first apical radius is longer than said first radius of curvature of said substantially flexible portion.

23. The kit of claim 18, wherein the first and second conic constants of said respective first and second contact lenses are different.

24. A method of fitting a patient with hybrid contact lenses, comprising:

selecting a first hybrid contact lens having a first substantially rigid zone with a first base curve including (i) a first spheric curve defined by a first apical radius extending from a first point and (ii) a first aspheric curve defined by a first conic constant, the first aspheric curve having a curvature that deviates from a sphere centered on said first point and having a radius equal to the first apical radius by a first amount, and a first substantially flexible portion coupled to the first substantially rigid zone, the first substantially flexible portion having a first radius of curvature different than said first apical radius;

selecting a second hybrid contact lens having a second substantially rigid zone with a second base curve including (i) a second spheric curve defined by a second apical radius extending from a second point and (ii) a second aspheric curve defined by a second conic constant, the second aspheric curve having a curvature that deviates from a sphere centered on said second point and having a radius equal to the second apical radius by a second amount, and a second substantially flexible portion coupled to the second substantially rigid zone, the second substantially flexible portion having a second radius of curvature different than said second apical radius, the first and second amounts being substantially the same and the first and second apical radii of said respective first and second hybrid contact lenses being different; and

choosing one of the first and second hybrid contact lenses based on which provides the better conformance to the shape of the eye.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein choosing one of the first and second hybrid contact lenses includes evaluating a tear thickness between the selected hybrid contact lens and a patient'"'"'s eye.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein evaluating said tear thickness includes introducing a fluorescent dye between the selected hybrid contact lens and the patient'"'"'s eye and evaluating a fluorescent pattern generated by said dye.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein choosing one of the first and second hybrid contact lenses includes evaluating a degree of impingement on a sclera of a patient'"'"'s eye caused by the selected hybrid contact lens.