Dilating ocular prosthesis
First Claim
1. A prosthetic eye comprising:
- a prosthesis having a surface containing an image of a natural eye;
an iris image having a plurality of holes therein corresponding to a predetermined pixelation pattern;
an annular visual display having a plurality of concentric rings and operable for selective activation and deactivation of each of said concentric rings;
a light sensor adapted to provide an ambient light signal; and
a control circuit operable to selectively activate each of said concentric rings in response to said ambient light signal;
wherein said annular visual display is visible through said pixelation pattern such that said iris image has an appearance of a first color and pattern when said rings are activated and a second color and pattern when said rings are deactivated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ocular prosthetic device is provided which includes a simulated pupil that does not interfere with the intended appearance of the iris image, and further which adapts to a range of ambient lighting environments to simulate the appearance of a natural eye. An iris image is provided to reproduce the color and pattern of a natural eye. A visual display, or light source, is located behind the iris image. The visual display has a series of concentric rings to produce a size range similar to the size range between that of a dilated and contracted pupil. The iris image has a pattern of light transmissive openings to permit light from the rearwardly disposed visual display to pass through the openings. The concentric rings, when activated, are visible through the openings in the iris image, and present the appearance of a pupil of a size dependent on the number of activated rings. When the rings are not activated, that is, when they are not darkened, the iris image, which overlies the deactivated rings, is visible such that the pupil appears more contracted. A light sensor located at the center of the visual display receives light through clear areas in the center of both the iris image and the visual display. By selectively activating and darkening increasingly sized rings in the series of concentric rings, the appearance of a pupil is provided. The sclera of a natural eye is also reproduced on the prosthetic eye.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A prosthetic eye comprising:
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a prosthesis having a surface containing an image of a natural eye;
an iris image having a plurality of holes therein corresponding to a predetermined pixelation pattern;
an annular visual display having a plurality of concentric rings and operable for selective activation and deactivation of each of said concentric rings;
a light sensor adapted to provide an ambient light signal; and
a control circuit operable to selectively activate each of said concentric rings in response to said ambient light signal;
whereinsaid annular visual display is visible through said pixelation pattern such that said iris image has an appearance of a first color and pattern when said rings are activated and a second color and pattern when said rings are deactivated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of forming a prosthetic eye comprising the steps of:
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providing a digitized visual image of a natural eye including the sclera and iris;
pixelating the digital iris image to create a pixelated digital iris image having a predetermined pattern of transparent holes;
providing a visual display having a darkened activated state and a lighter inactivated state;
adjusting the color and pattern of the pixelated digital iris image such that the appearance of the iris image when viewed with the lighter, inactivated visual display behind and visible through the pixelated digital iris image approximates the appearance of said iris of a natural eye;
printing onto a clear medium the reproduction of a natural eye including the pixelated digital iris image to form a simulated natural image;
disposing said visual display behind said simulated natural image such that said visual display is visible through said holes in the digital iris image;
connecting to said visual display a control circuit operable to selectively activate and thereby darken said visual display such that the appearance of said iris image when viewed with the darkened, activated display behind it approximates the appearance of the pupil of said natural eye. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification