ELECTRO-OPTIC LENSES FOR CORRECTION OF HIGHER ORDER ABERRATIONS

• US 20090279050A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• 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: DUSTON, Dwight P., MCGINN, Joseph Thomas, VAN HEUGTEN, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/168
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/22 Correction of higher order and chromatic aberrations, wave front measurement and calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/061 Spectacle lenses with progressively varying focal power
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices

Abstract

A lens is presented in which the lens includes a substrate and an electrode layer. The electrode layer is positioned upon the substrate. The electrode layer has radially alternating rings of electrodes and resistive material. When voltage is applied across two adjacent electrodes the profile of the electric field therebetween is linear. When voltage is applied to the rings of electrodes, the optical phase profile of the lens closely approximates the optical phase of ideal spherical aberration correction.

Claims

1. A lens, comprising:

a. a substrate; and

b. an electrode layer positioned upon the substrate, wherein the electrode layer has radially alternating rings of electrodes and resistive material, wherein when voltage is applied across two adjacent electrodes the profile of the electric field therebetween is linear.

2. The lens of claim 1, wherein when voltage is applied to the rings of electrodes, the optical phase profile of the lens closely approximates the optical phase of ideal spherical aberration correction.

3. The lens of claim 1, wherein the radial width of each electrode ring is approximately 10 microns or less.

4. The lens of claim 1, wherein the radial width of each one of the rings of electrodes is at least 10 times smaller than the radial width of each one of the rings of resistive material.

5. The lens of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the rings of resistive material is significantly greater than the resistance of the rings of electrodes.

6. The lens of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the resistive material is in a range of from 0.1 Mega-Ohms per square to 100 Mega-Ohms per square.

7. The lens of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the electrode rings is less than 200 Ohms per square.

8. The lens of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the substrate layer is greater than approximately 1000 Mega-Ohms per square.

9. The lens of claim 1, wherein the rings of electrodes are composed of indium tin oxide (ITO).

10. The lens of claim 1, wherein the rings of resistive material are composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

11. The lens of claim 1, wherein the substrate is composed of quartz silicon.

12. A lens for correcting spherical aberration, comprising:

a plurality of concentric electrode rings, wherein when voltage is applied to the electrode rings the optical phase profile between adjacent electrode rings closely approximates the optical phase profile of ideal spherical aberration correction.

13. The lens of claim 12, further comprising a layer of resistive material covering the electrode rings.

14. The lens of claim 12, further comprising a uniform electrode layer in a first plane spaced from and parallel to a second plane of the plurality of concentric electrode rings, wherein, in the second plane, adjacent electrode rings are spaced by a distance that is substantially greater than the distance between the first and second planes.

15. The lens of claim 12, wherein the optical phase profile between adjacent electrode rings is linear.

16. The lens of claim 12, wherein the optical phase profile of the lens is changed between a first state and a second state, wherein the first optical phase state approximates the optical phase of an ideal spherical aberration correction due to relatively low ambient light and the second optical phase state approximates the optical phase of an ideal spherical aberration correction due to relatively high ambient light.

17. The lens of claim 12, further comprising a sensor for sensing a change in ambient light, wherein, when the sensor senses a change in ambient light, a controller changes the voltage applied to the plurality of electrode rings to change the optical phase profile between electrode rings to closely approximates the optical phase of ideal spherical aberration correction due to the sensed change in ambient light.

18. The lens of claim 17, wherein the changed optical phase profile of the lens causes the lens to cancel spherical aberration of an eye due to the sensed change in ambient light.

19. A lens, comprising:

a. a uniform electrode layer; and

b. a patterned electrode layer spaced from the uniform electrode layer, wherein the patterned electrode layer has concentric rings of electrodes and is coated with a resistive material, wherein adjacent electrode rings are spaced by a distance that is substantially greater than the distance of the space between the electrode layers, wherein when voltage is applied across the electrode layers the optical phase profile of the lens approximates the optical phase profile of ideal spherical aberration correction.

20. The lens of claim 19, wherein adjacent electrode rings are spaced by a distance that is at least 10 times greater than the distance of the space between the electrode layers.

21. A lens system, comprising:

(a) a lens having an electro-active element;

(b) a sensor for sensing pupil size;

(c) a controller in operative communication with the sensor; and

(d) a plurality of pixelated electrodes electrically connected to the controller, wherein the controller applies a first set of voltages to the plurality of pixelated electrodes corresponding to a first sensed pupil size and a second set of voltages to the plurality of pixelated electrodes corresponding to a second sensed pupil size, wherein the application of voltage causes a change in the refractive index of the lens for correcting a higher order aberration of the eye corresponding to the sensed pupil size.

22. The lens of claim 21, wherein the refractive index of the lens is changed between a first state and a second state, wherein the first refractive index state negates a higher order aberration due to relatively low ambient light and the second refractive index state negates a higher order aberration due to relatively high ambient light.

23. The lens of claim 21, wherein the higher order aberration comprises one or more of the group consisting of:

spherical aberration, trefoil, and coma.

24. A lens system, comprising:

(a) a lens having an electro-active element;

(b) a sensor for sensing an amount of ambient light;

(c) a controller in operative communication with the sensor; and

(d) a plurality of pixelated electrodes electrically connected to the controller, wherein the controller applies a first set of voltages to the plurality of pixelated electrodes corresponding to a first sensed amount of ambient light and a second set of voltages to the plurality of pixelated electrodes corresponding to a second sensed amount of ambient light, wherein the application of voltage causes a change in the refractive index of the lens for correcting a higher order aberration of the eye corresponding to the sensed amount of ambient light.

25. The lens system of claim 24, wherein the application of voltage to the plurality of pixelated electrodes causes a change in the refractive index of the lens for correcting an arbitrarily distorted wavefront of at least one higher order aberration.