METHODS AND LENSES FOR CORRECTION OF CHROMATIC ABERRATION

• US 20080088793A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Ophthonix Incorporated
• Inventors: Sigarlaki, Sean, Jethmalani, Jagdish, Chomyn, Jeffrey, Sverdrup, Lawrence, Dreher, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/159
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/146 with corrections for use in multiple wavelength bands, such as infrared and visible light, e.g. FLIR systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/04 with continuous faces that are rotationally symmetrical but deviate from a true sphere , e.g. so called "aspheric" lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/02 Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses

Abstract

The subject invention provides lenses, and methods for designing and manufacturing these lenses, with reduced chromatic aberration. Advantageously, these lenses are specifically designed to correct chromatic aberration that results as multichromatic light passes through the lenses.

Claims

1. A composite ophthalmic lens, comprising:

a first sublens;

a second sublens; and

a compensation layer between the first sublens and the second sublens, wherein the compensation layer is in contact with a first surface of the first sublens, wherein the compensation layer is in contact with a second surface of the second sublens, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens is higher than the Abbe number of the first sublens and second sublens over at least a portion of the lens.

2. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the compensation layer comprises a thickness variation between the optical center of the composite lens and outer regions of the composite lens.

3. The composite lens according to claim 2, wherein a combination of the first sublens first surface'"'"'s curvature and the second sublens second surface'"'"'s curvature control the thickness variation of the compensation layer.

4. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the compensation layer has a higher index of refraction than the first sublens.

5. The composite lens according to claim 4, wherein the compensation layer has a higher index of refraction than the second sublens.

6. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens varies from the optical center of the composite lens to an outer region of the composite lens.

7. The composite lens according to claim 6, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens increases from the optical center of the composite lens to the outer region of the composite lens.

8. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the compensation layer comprises a polymeric material.

9. The composite lens according to claim 8, wherein both of the first sublens and second sublens comprise a material having a higher index of refraction than the polymeric material.

10. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the compensation layer comprises an Abbe number smaller than the Abbe number of the first sublens.

11. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the compensation layer comprises a power having an opposite power from the power of the combination of the first sublens and the second sublens.

12. The composite lens according to claim 11, wherein the compensation layer has a positive power.

13. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the composite lens has a negative power.

14. The composite lens according to claim 13, wherein the compensation layer is thicker near the optical center of the composite lens than at outer regions of the composite lens.

15. The composite lens according to claim 1, wherein the composite lens has a positive power.

16. The composite lens according to claim 15, wherein the compensation layer is thinner near the optical center of the lens than at outer regions of the composite lens.

17. A method of reducing chromatic aberration for a lens wearer, comprising:

providing a composite lens of negative power to a user, wherein the composite lens comprises;

a first sublens;

a second sublens; and

a compensation layer between the first sublens and the second sublens, wherein the compensation layer is in contact with a first surface of the first sublens, wherein the compensation layer is in contact with a second surface of the second sublens, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens is higher than the Abbe number of the first sublens and second sublens over at least a portion of the lens, wherein chromatic aberration is reduced due to the incorporation of the compensation layer.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens varies from the optical center of the composite lens to an outer region of the composite lens.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens increases from the optical center of the lens to an outer region of the lens.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the compensation layer comprises a thickness variation between the optical center of the composite lens and outer regions of the composite lens.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens varies from the optical center of the composite lens to an outer region of the composite lens.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the effective Abbe number of the composite lens increases from the optical center of the composite lens to the outer region of the composite lens.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the compensation layer comprises an Abbe number smaller than the Abbe number of the first sublens.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the compensation layer comprises an opposite power from the power of the first sublens and the second sublens.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the compensation layer has a higher index of refraction than the first sublens.