FLEXIBLE ELECTRO-ACTIVE LENS

• US 20080208335A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kokonaski, William, Haddock, Joshua N., BLUM, Ronald D., Hunkeler, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/6.22
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/145 Corneal inlays, onlays, or lenses for refractive correction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1616 Pseudo-accommodative, e.g. multifocal or enabling monovision
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1627 for changing index of refraction, e.g. by external means or by tilting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 29/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated ethers C08L35/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/24 Homopolymers or copolymers of amides or imides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 81/06 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses

Abstract

A lens including a flexible refractive optic having a fixed refractive index, an electro-active element embedded within the flexible refractive optic, wherein the electro-active element has an alterable refractive index, and a controller electrically connected to the electro-active element wherein when power is applied thereto the refractive index of the electro-active element is altered.

Claims

1. A flexible electro-active lens, comprising:

a flexible refractive optic having a fixed refractive index;

an electro-active element embedded within said flexible refractive optic, wherein said electro-active element has an alterable refractive index; and

a controller electrically connected to said electro-active element wherein when power is applied thereto the refractive index of said electro-active element is altered.

2. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein said electro-active element is less flexible that said flexible refractive optic.

3. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein said electro-active element is not flexible.

4. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein said electro-active element is as flexible as said flexible refractive optic.

5. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein said flexible refractive optic comprises at least one of a polysulphone and a polyetherimide material.

6. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein the majority of the optical power is provided by said flexible refractive optic.

7. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, further comprising a photovoltaic cell electrically connected to said electro-active element for providing power thereto.

8. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, further comprising a kinetic energy driver electrically connected to said electro-active element for converting the motion of the eye into electrical power for providing said electro-active element with said electrical power.

9. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, further comprising a piezo-electric film adapted for connecting the lens to an eye structure, wherein the tension of said piezo-electric film is changed by the motion of the eye for transducing said change in tension into electrical power.

10. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein said electro-active element is adapted for remote tuning.

11. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 1, wherein the lens is one of an intraocular lens, intraocular optic, contact lens, corneal inlay, and corneal onlay.

12. A flexible electro-active lens comprising:

a flexible housing having a fixed optical power;

a flexible electro-active element embedded in said housing, wherein said electro-active element has an optical power adapted for changing within an optical power range of from a minimum optical power to a maximum optical power, wherein said fixed optical power is greater than said maximum optical power.

13. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising a photovoltaic cell electrically connected to said electro-active element for providing power thereto.

14. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising a kinetic energy driver electrically connected to said electro-active element for providing power thereto, wherein said kinetic energy driver is adapted for converting the motion of the eye into electrical power.

15. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising a piezo-electric film electrically connected to said electro-active element for providing power thereto, wherein the tension of said piezo-electric film is changed by the motion of the eye for transducing said change in tension into electrical power.

16. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising concentric ring shaped electrodes electrically connected to said electro-active element, wherein when electrical power is applied to said electro-active element said element is diffractive.

17. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising a flexible film.

18. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 17, wherein said flexible film comprises at least one of a polysulphone and a polyetherimide material.

19. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, wherein said housing comprises a refractive optic.

20. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising a rigid housing, wherein the lens is embedded in said rigid housing for use as a spectacle lens.

21. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, wherein said electro-active element is less flexible that said housing.

22. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, wherein said electro-active element is as flexible as said housing.

23. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, further comprising memory metal.

24. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 12, wherein the lens is one of an intraocular lens, intraocular optic, contact lens, corneal inlay, and corneal onlay.

25. A flexible electro-active lens, comprising:

a flexible housing;

a rigid electro-active element embedded within said flexible housing, wherein said rigid electro-active element has an alterable refractive index; and

a controller electrically connected to said rigid electro-active element wherein when power is applied thereto the refractive index of said rigid electro-active element is altered.

26. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, further comprising a kinetic energy driver electrically connected to said rigid electro-active element for converting the motion of the eye into electrical power for providing said rigid electro-active element with said electrical power.

27. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, further comprising a photovoltaic cell electrically connected to said rigid electro-active element for providing power thereto.

28. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, further comprising a piezo-electric film adapted for connecting the lens to an eye structure, wherein the tension of said piezo-electric film is changed by the motion of the eye for transducing said change in tension into electrical power.

29. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, wherein said flexible housing comprises at least one of a polysulphone and a polyetherimide material.

30. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, wherein said electro-active element is adapted for remote tuning.

31. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 25, wherein the lens is one of an intraocular lens, intraocular optic, contact lens, corneal inlay, and corneal onlay.

32. A flexible electro-active lens, comprising:

a first flexible film having a surface relief diffractive pattern;

a second flexible film;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between said first and second films, wherein said liquid crystal layer has an alterable refractive index; and

electrodes electrically connected to said liquid crystal layer, wherein when power is applied thereto the refractive index of said liquid crystal layer is altered.

33. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein each of said first and second flexible films are adapted for moving between a folded and an unfolded state and the lens further comprises a memory metal material for biasing the lens toward said unfolded state.

34. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein said first and second films comprise at least one of a polysulphone and a polyetherimide material.

35. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, further comprising a kinetic energy driver electrically connected to said liquid crystal layer for converting the motion of the eye into electrical power for providing said liquid crystal layer with electrical power.

36. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, further comprising a photovoltaic cell electrically connected to said liquid crystal layer for providing power thereto.

37. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, further comprising a piezo-electric film adapted for connecting the lens to an eye structure, wherein the tension of said piezo-electric film is changed by the motion of the eye for transducing said change in tension into electrical power.

38. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein the lens is one of an intraocular lens, intraocular optic, contact lens, corneal inlay, and corneal onlay.

39. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein the lens is an inter-ocular lens.

40. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, further comprising a rigid housing, wherein said flexible electro-active lens is embedded in said rigid housing for use as a spectacle lens.

41. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein said refractive index of said liquid crystal layer is adapted for remote tuning.

42. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises bi-stable liquid crystals.

43. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein at least one of said electrodes comprises a patterned electrode.

44. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein said electrodes comprise transparent conductive oxides.

45. The flexible electro-active lens of claim 32, wherein said electrodes are flexible.