Stabilized electro-active contact lens

• US 7,018,040 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Darryl J.
• Application Number:
  US10/996,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159, 351/160.H, 351/160.R, 351/166, 351/174
• US Class Current: 351/160.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00826 with energy receptors for wireless energy transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/048 Means for stabilising the orientation of lenses in the eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/08 Auxiliary lenses; Arrangements for varying focal length
• 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 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13415 Drop filling process
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices

Abstract

An electro-active contact lens system and a method for making the electro-active contact lens system is disclosed. The system includes a contact lens, an electro-active element attached to the contact lens, a view detector attached to the contact lens and in electronic communication with the electro-active element, and a power source attached to the contact lens. In certain embodiments, the view detector may be a rangefinder which determines the distance of an object being viewed and these embodiments further include a means to stabilize the rangefinder between the opening of the eyelids when the electro-active contact lens system is worn by a wearer. The electro-active contact lens system provides electro-active vision correction of one or more focal lengths.

Claims

1. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye, and a power source attached to the contact lens to provide power to the electro-active element and the view detector, wherein the power source is a conformal battery.

2. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a rangefinder.

3. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a tilt switch.

4. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a micro-gyroscope.

5. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the electro-active element is contained within a capsule connected to the contact lens.

6. The contact lens system of claim 5 wherein the capsule is constructed of a rigid material.

7. The contact lens system of claim 6 wherein the capsule provides a fixed distance optical power.

8. The contact lens system of claim 5 wherein the view detector is contained in the capsule.

9. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the contact lens provides a fixed distance optical power.

10. The contact lens system of claim 1 further comprising a truncated portion of the contact lens adapted to stabilize the view detector.

11. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye, and a power source attached to the contact lens to provide power to the electro-active element and the view detector, wherein the power source is adapted to convert kinetic energy from movement of a patient'"'"'s eye into electric energy.

12. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye, and at least one prism adapted to stabilize the view detector.

13. An electro-active contact lens that includes an electro-active element encapsulated within a rigid material, wherein the rigid material is surrounded by a hydrophilic material.

14. The electro-active contact lens of claim 13 wherein the hydrophilic material encapsulates the rigid material.

15. The electro-active contact lens of claim 13 wherein the hydrophilic material comprises a flange around a periphery of the rigid material.

16. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye and further stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eyelid.

17. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye and further stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s pupil.

18. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye and wherein the view detector comprises a radar range finder.

19. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer'"'"'s eye and wherein the view detector comprises a laser range finder.

20. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector, wherein the view detector is stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a horizontal meridian of of the contact lens system.

21. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 20 wherein the view detector is stabilized within plus or minus 5 degrees of the horizontal meridian of the contact lens system.