Ophthalmic lenses with reduced chromatic blur

• US 6,851,803 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Essilor International SA (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Inventors: Gupta, Amitava, Wooley, C. Benjamin, Grossinger, Israel
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US10/279,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 351/160.R, 351/160.H, 351/161, 351/162, 351/159, 351/41, 351/168, 351170-172, 351/177, 623/6.3, 623/6.31, 623 624- 627
• US Class Current: 351/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1613 having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/02 Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses

Abstract

The present invention provides single vision and multifocal lenses, as well as methods for their production, having a transverse chromatic aberration enabling provision of a lens the performance of which is equivalent to a refractive lens with a higher Abbe number.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic lens, comprising a spherical power Φ

, a diffractive element comprising a first spherical power Φ

_D and a refractive element comprising a second spherical power Φ

_R, wherein the diffractive element comprises a material having an Abbe number of about 30 to about 60, wherein;

$<br><br>\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_R}{V_R}+\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D}{V_D}<br><br>=0$

and wherein V_R is the Abbe number of the refractive element of the lens and V_D is an effective Abbe number of the diffractive element of the lens.

2. The lens of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element comprises a diffractive power of:

$2<br><br><br><br>\frac{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}{1-\frac{V_R}{V_D}}<br><br>><br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D<br><br>><br><br>0.$

3. The lens of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element comprises a diffractive power of:

$1.5<br><br><br><br>\frac{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}{1-\frac{V_R}{V_D}}<br><br>><br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D<br><br>><br><br>\mathrm{.5}<br><br><br><br>{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D<br><br>.$

4. The lens of claim 1, wherein the diffractive element comprises a diffractive power of:

$\left[V_D·<br><br>\frac{\left(\frac{-\mathrm{TCA}}{0.1·<br><br>y}·<br><br>V_R-\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}\right)}{V_R-V_D}\right]><br><br>{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D><br><br>V_D·<br><br>\frac{\left(\frac{\mathrm{TCA}}{0.1·<br><br>y}·<br><br>V_R-\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}\right)}{V_R-V_D}.$

5. The lens of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the diffractive element comprises substantially the entire back surface of the lens.

6. The lens of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the diffractive element comprises substantially the entire front surface of the lens.

7. The lens of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the diffractive element comprises a surface intermediate a front and a back surface of the lens.

8. The lens of claim 5, wherein the lens comprises a single vision lens.

9. The lens of claim 6, wherein the lens comprises a single vision lens.

10. The lens of claim 7, wherein the lens comprises a single vision lens.

11. The lens of claim 5, wherein the lens comprises a multifocal lens.

12. The lens of claim 6, wherein the lens comprises a multifocal lens.

13. The lens of claim 7, wherein the lens comprises a multifocal lens.

14. A method for producing a customized lens comprising the step of providing a lens comprising a spherical power Φ

, a diffractive element comprising a first spherical power Φ

_D and a refractive element comprising a second spherical power Φ

_R, wherein the diffractive element comprises a material having an Abbe number of about 30 to about 60, wherein;

$<br><br>\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_R}{V_R}+\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_D}{V_D}<br><br>=0$

and wherein V_R is the Abbe number of the refractive element of the lens and V_D is an effective Abbe number of the diffractive element of the lens.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lens is a single vision lens.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the lens is a multifocal lens.