ACCOMODATING SOFT CONTACT LENS

• US 20160004098A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onefocus Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Onefocus Technology, LLC
• Inventors: WAITE, Steven B., GUPTA, Amitava, SCHNELL, Urban
• Granted Patent: US 10,018,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/021 with pattern for identification or with cosmetic or therapeutic effects methods and processes take preference, e.g. printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; surface treatment of glass C03C15/00 - C03C23/00; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/045 Sectorial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/048 Means for stabilising the orientation of lenses in the eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/085 Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses

Abstract

An accommodating contact lens comprises a variable focus optical module, which comprises an optical chamber and one or more eyelid engaging chambers coupled to the optical chamber with one or more extensions comprising channels extending between the optical chamber and the more eyelid engaging chambers. The module may comprise a self-supporting module capable of supporting itself prior to placement in a contact lens to facilitate placement prior to encapsulation in the contact lens. The module may comprise one or more optically transmissive materials, provides improved optical correction, and can be combined with soft contact lens materials such as hydrogels. In many embodiments, the module comprises a support structure extending between an upper membrane and a lower membrane in order to provide variable optical power accurately with decreased amounts distortion and improved responsiveness to eyelid induced pressure.

Claims

1. An accommodation module capable of use with a contact lens, the accommodation module comprising:

a chamber and one or more chambers coupled to the chamber with one or more channels.

71. An accommodating contact lens as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more chambers comprises a plurality of chambers arranged to be selectively engaged with an eyelid in order to provide incremental increases in optical power.

72. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 71, wherein the plurality of chambers comprises a first chamber and a second chamber, and wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are arranged to engage the first chamber with the eyelid before the second chamber in order to provide a first amount of intermediate vision correction when the first chamber is engaged, and to engage the second chamber and the first chamber together with the eyelid to provide a second amount of optical correction corresponding to near vision correction.

73. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 72, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are arranged to engage the first chamber with the eyelid margin before the second chamber in order to provide a first amount of intermediate vision correction when the first chamber is engaged with the eyelid margin, and to engage the second chamber and the first chamber together with the eyelid margin to provide a second amount of optical correction corresponding to near vision correction.

74. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 72, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are arranged to engage the first chamber with the eyelid margin before the second chamber in order to provide a first amount of intermediate vision correction when the first chamber is engaged with the eyelid margin, and to engage the second chamber and the first chamber together with the eyelid margin to provide a second amount of optical correction corresponding to near vision correction.

2. An accommodating contact lens comprising:

an accommodation module encapsulated within a soft contact lens material.

3. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 2 wherein the accommodation module comprises a sealed module, the sealed module comprising,

a chamber comprising a support structure extending around the chamber, the support structure comprising an upper portion and a lower portion,

an upper membrane and a lower membrane coupled to the upper portion and the lower portion, respectively, so as to define the chamber,

one or more extensions each comprising a channel,

one or more chambers coupled to the chamber with the one or more extensions, wherein the one or more chambers comprises a fluid.

4. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure holds the upper membrane and the lower membrane with a substantially fixed distance between outer portions of the upper membrane and the lower membrane near the support structure when the contact lens accommodates in order to inhibit optical distortion of one or more of the upper membrane or the lower membrane when fluid is transmitted from the one or more chambers to the chamber.

5. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the sealed module is located inside the soft contact lens such that a geometrical center of an optic of the soft contact lens is co-linear with a geometrical center of the chamber of the fluidic module.

6. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the channel of each of the one or more extensions comprises a cross sectional width and a cross sectional height and wherein the cross-sectional width is greater than the cross sectional height and wherein each of the one or more extensions comprises an upper membrane and a lower membrane.

7. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional width comprises a distance within a range from about 10 um to about 1.5 mm and wherein the cross-sectional height comprises a distance within a range from about 10 um to about 50 um and wherein the extension comprises a length extending a distance extending between the chamber and the one or more chambers within a range from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

8. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, the chamber and the one or more chambers each comprise a positive pressure.

9. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 8, the chamber and the one or more chambers each comprise a positive pressure providing a deflection of an upper membrane of the chamber and an upper membrane of the one or more chambers in order to facilitate fluidic communication and responsiveness between the chamber and the two or more chambers.

10. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 8, wherein an upper membrane of the chamber comprises a first elastic deflection and an upper membrane of the one or more chambers comprises a second elastic deflection and wherein a force of the first elastic deflection opposes a force of the second elastic deflection in order to maintain the pressure of the fluid in the chamber and the one or more chambers.

11. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein top and bottom surfaces of the contact lens extend over the module.

12. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein an index of refraction of the fluid is within a range from about 1.44 to 1.55 and the upper membrane and the lower membrane comprise a similar index of refraction to within about 0.05.

13. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the chamber comprises an internal diameter within a range from about 3 mm to about 5 mm.

14. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the accommodation module comprises an anchor connected to one or more of the chamber or the one or more chambers.

15. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 14, wherein the anchor is connected to the support structure.

16. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 14, wherein the anchor comprises a flange having a plurality of openings and wherein a soft material of the contact lens extends through the plurality of openings.

17. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 14, wherein the anchor comprises a plurality of anchors located around the chamber and each of the plurality of anchors comprises a plurality of openings in a flange.

18. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 14, wherein the anchor comprises a plurality of anchors.

19. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises one or more of a ring, an oval or an annulus extending around the chamber.

20. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure defines a maximum dimension across the chamber and wherein the maximum distance across the chamber remains substantially fixed when a curvature of one or more of the upper or lower surfaces increases to provide increased optical power.

21. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises a material similar to the one or more of the upper membrane or the lower membrane.

22. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises a material of the one or more of the upper membrane or the lower membrane.

23. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises a stiff structure extending around the chamber and comprises a thickness greater than a thickness of one or more of the upper membrane or the lower membrane to add rigidity to the stiff structure.

24. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 22 or 23, wherein the support structure comprises the material of the upper membrane and the material of the lower membrane and wherein the material of the upper membrane is bonded to the material of the lower membrane to define the support structure and add stiffness to the support structure.

25. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises an annular structure having a substantially fixed inner diameter and a substantially fixed length when the upper membrane increases in curvature to provide at least about 1.5 Diopter of optical power.

26. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure is connected to the upper membrane and the upper membrane deflects to a spherical shape in response to pressure of the eyelid and the stiff structure comprises a substantially fixed maximum dimension across in order to provide the spherical shape when the upper membrane deflects to the spherical shape.

27. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the module comprises a self supporting module capable of supporting itself when removed from the contact lens.

28. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises a stiff structure comprising a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the upper membrane.

29. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the support structure comprises a length extending along an optical axis of the eye corresponding to a thickness of the upper membrane and the lower membrane.

30. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, the upper membrane comprises an upper membrane thickness and the lower membrane comprises a lower membrane thickness, and wherein an upper flange extends an upper distance from the upper membrane and a lower flange extends a lower distance from the lower membrane and wherein the lower distance is greater than the lower thickness and the upper distance is greater than the upper thickness.

31. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 30, wherein the upper flange is bonded to the lower flange and wherein the upper flange is bonded to the lower flange to define the support structure.

32. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein each of the one or more chambers comprises a lower membrane and an upper membrane and an upper flange extending from the upper membrane and a lower flange extending from the lower membrane and wherein the upper flange is bonded to the lower flange to define a support structure extending around each of the one or more chambers.

33. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein each of the one or more extensions comprises a lower membrane and an upper membrane and an upper flange extending from the upper membrane and a lower flange extending from the lower membrane and wherein the upper flange is bonded to the lower flange to define a support structure extending around each of the one or more chambers.

34. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 3, wherein the module comprises an upper face having an upper thickness and the lower face having a lower thickness greater than the upper thickness, and wherein the module comprises an indicia to indicate an orientation of the upper face and the lower face.

35. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 34, wherein the indicia comprises one or more of a marker or an arrangement of structures to identify the upper face or the lower face.

36. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 35, wherein the module comprises a midline extending through an optical zone of the contact lens, and wherein the module is disposed about the midline and wherein the marker or arrangement of structures on a first side of the midline identifies the upper face in an upper orientation and wherein the marker or arrangement on a second side of the midline identifies the upper face in a lower configuration.

37. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 36, the midline is oriented to within about +/−

fifteen degrees of a vertical direction when the user is upright to provide an even weight distribution and inhibit cyclo rotation of the lens relative to the cornea about an optical axis of the eye.

38. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 36, the marker or arrangement of structures comprises an index of refraction similar to an index of refraction of the contact lens material to inhibit visibility of the marker or arrangement of structures when the contact lens material encapsulates the module and wherein the marker or arrangement is visible when the module is exposed to air.

39. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 34, wherein the arrangement of structures comprises an arrangement of openings in an anchor of the module or wherein the marker comprises a marking on the module.

40. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 2, wherein the contact lens comprises an optical correction zone to correct a refractive error of the eye and wherein one or more of an eyelid engaging chamber, an extension, a support structure or an anchor extends at least partially within the optical correction zone.

41. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 40, wherein the optical correction zone comprises a lens anterior surface and a lens posterior surface of the contact lens and the module comprises a module anterior surface and a module posterior surface and wherein the contact lens material comprises an anterior thickness profile extending between the lens anterior surface and the module anterior surface and a posterior thickness profile extending between the lens posterior surface and the module posterior surface and wherein the module comprises a module thickness profile extending between the module anterior surface and the module posterior surface and wherein the anterior thickness profile, the posterior thickness profile and the module thickness profile together provide optical power of the optical correction zone to correct vision of the eye.

42. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the eyelid engaging chamber extends within the optical correction zone and light transmitted through the at least the portion corrects vision of the eye.

43. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the extension extends within the optical correction zone and light transmitted through the at least the portion corrects vision of the eye.

44. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the support structure extends within the optical correction zone and light transmitted through the at least the portion corrects vision of the eye.

45. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the anchor extends within the optical correction zone and light transmitted through the at least the portion corrects vision of the eye.

46. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 45, wherein the anchor comprises one or more openings and the contact lens material extends through the one or more openings and wherein an optically transmissive support material extends around the one or more openings to define the openings and wherein the optically transmissive support material and the contact lens material comprise similar indices of refraction to inhibit optical artifacts.

47. An accommodating contact lens comprising:

a support structure extending around an optical chamber;

one or more chambers coupled to the optical chamber; and

a soft material encapsulating the support structure and the one or more chambers.

48. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 47, wherein the support structure comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, and further comprising:

an upper membrane coupled to the upper portion;

a lower membrane coupled to the lower portion;

one or more extensions each comprising a channel coupled to the optical chamber and the one or more chambers;

wherein the soft contact lens material encapsulates the one or more extensions;

wherein pressure of an eyelid to the one or more chambers deflects the upper membrane and an upper surface of the contact lens.

49. An accommodating soft contact lens comprising a hermetically sealed fluid filled module further comprising a circularly symmetric central chamber wherein said lens alters its refractive power by at least 0.5 diopters upon down-gaze.

50. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said lens alters its refractive power by at least 1.5 diopters upon down-gaze.

51. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said module comprises said central chamber and at least one peripheral chamber.

52. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 51, wherein said module comprises one or more micro-channels connecting said central chamber and said peripheral chamber.

53. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said module is filled with a fluid that cannot permeate through the walls of said module.

54. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said chamber is cylindrical in shape and comprises relatively flexible membranes on the top and bottom surfaces, and furthermore comprises a relatively rigid membrane at the edge.

55. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said chamber is of 4.0-5.0 mm in diameter.

56. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein edges of said chamber are 10-40 microns in length.

57. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, further comprising membranes comprising the top and bottom surfaces of said central chamber wherein said membranes vary in nominal thickness from 5-25 microns.

58. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 57, wherein the thickness of said membrane comprising the bottom surface is greater than the thickness of the membrane comprising the top surface.

59. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 57, said membranes has a refractive index substantially equal to that of the fluid therein and also the contact lens.

60. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein one or more micro-channels are connected to an edge of said central chamber.

61. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said central chamber is completely filled with fluid without the presence of any bubbles or discontinuities.

62. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said module comprises one or more micro-channels connecting said central chamber and a peripheral chamber, wherein said central chamber is inflated when fluid is injected into it through said micro-channels, and wherein said inflation causes a decrease in curvature of the membrane comprising the top surface of said central chamber.

63. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein said central chamber is either circular or elongated in shape at the top or the bottom surfaces.

64. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 49, wherein a peripheral chamber is connected to the central chamber by means of a micro-channel.

65. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 64, wherein the total volume of said chambers is in the range 0.2 to 0.5 microliters.

66. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 64, wherein fluid within said chambers and said micro-channel has a refractive index substantially equal to that of the contact lens and also that of membranes comprising the top and bottom surfaces of said central chamber.

67. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 64, wherein said fluid comprises a fluorocarbon, a siloxane, an ester, or an ether.

68. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 64, wherein said micro-channel has an internal diameter in the range 20-50 microns.

69. An accommodating contact lens as in claim 64, wherein said micro-channel has micro-indentations on its inner surface, oriented to modulate the flow of fluid therein in preferential directions.

70. An accommodating soft contact lens comprising a hermetically sealed fluid filled module further comprising a circularly symmetric central chamber wherein said module is embedded in said contact lens, with the anterior surface of the module being within 5 microns and 15 microns of the anterior surface of said lens.

75. A method of treating an eye, the method comprising:

providing an accommodating contact lens comprising a chamber and one or more chambers coupled to the chamber.

76. A method as in claim 75, wherein the accommodating contact lens further comprises an optically transmissive module encapsulated in the contact lens, wherein the module comprises the chamber and the one or more chambers and wherein the optically transmissive module is encapsulated within an optically transmissive contact lens material of the contact lens.

77. A method as in claim 75, wherein a support structure extends around the chamber to inhibit distortion.

78. A method as in claim 75, wherein a plurality of anchors couples the optically transmissive chamber and the one or more chambers to an optically transmissive hydrogel material of the contact lens.

79. A method as in claim 75, wherein the one or more chambers comprises a plurality of chambers arranged to provide incremental increases in optical power with increasing engagement of an eyelid.