Colored contact lens

• US 7,296,891 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Streibig, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US11/432,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 351/162
• US Class Current: 351/162
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/046 Contact lenses having an iris pattern

Abstract

A colored contact lens comprising a generally uncolored pupil region, a generally annular-shaped iris region and a multicolored pattern on the iris region. The multicolored pattern is sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens and comprises a plurality of color elements. The multicolored pattern further comprising a collarette region that comprises at least some of the color elements and a collarette band at least substantially surrounding the pupil region that has generally jagged inner and outer peripheries. The collarette band including at least a first portion spaced less than 4 mm from the center of the pupil region and a second portion spaced at least 6.5 mm from the center of the pupil region.

Claims

1. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements; and

a plurality of discrete generally uncolored regions defined by at least some of the color elements, the generally uncolored regions being sufficiently small such that an ordinary viewer viewing the contact lens from a distance of sixteen inches cannot detect the presence of the generally uncolored regions when the wearer is wearing the contact lens, the generally uncolored regions being sufficiently large such that the generally uncolored regions contribute to the natural overall appearance of the contact lens as viewed by the ordinary viewer from a distance of sixteen inches, the ordinary viewer having 20/20 vision, wherein each of a majority of the generally uncolored regions of said lens has an area of not greater than approximately 1200 square microns.

2. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements, the multicolored pattern comprising an annular-shaped outer region and an annular-shaped inner region, the outer region generally circumscribing the inner region, the outer region having a first plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the inner region having a second plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the generally uncolored regions of the outer region combining to have a first aggregate uncolored area, the generally uncolored regions of the inner region combining to have a second aggregate uncolored area, at least 60% of the first aggregate uncolored area being comprised of generally uncolored regions each having an area not greater than approximately 900 square microns, at least 50% of the second aggregate uncolored area being comprised of generally uncolored regions each having an area greater than approximately 900 square microns.

3. A colored contact lens comprising:

a generally uncolored pupil region;

a generally annular-shaped iris region surrounding the pupil region and adapted to cover at least 80% of a wearer'"'"'s iris when the wearer is wearing the contact lens;

a multicolored pattern on the iris region, the multicolored pattern being sufficiently colored to change the apparent color of an iris of a person wearing the contact lens, the multicolored pattern comprising a plurality of color elements, the multicolored pattern comprising an annular-shaped outer region and an annular-shaped inner region, the outer region generally circumscribing the inner region, the outer region having a first plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, the inner region having a second plurality of generally uncolored regions defined by some of the colored elements, each of at least 60% of the generally uncolored regions of the outer region having an area not greater than approximately 900 square microns, each of at least 50% of the generally uncolored regions of the inner region having an area greater than approximately 900 square microns.