Method and apparatus for correcting vision using an electro-active phoropter

• US 7,533,993 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E-Vision Optics LLC
• Original Assignee: e-Vision, LLC (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Duston, Dwight P., Kokonaski, William
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US11/968,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 351/222, 351227-231, 351233-236
• US Class Current: 351/233
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0285 Phoropters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/04 Trial frames; Sets of lenses for use therewith lenses per se G02C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/22 Correction of higher order and chromatic aberrations, wave front measurement and calculation
• 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

Abstract

An electro-active phoropter and a method of using the electro-active phoropter to measure a patient'"'"'s vision prescription is disclosed. The electro-active phoropter includes a series of individually addressable electro-active lenses. The lenses have either a positive or negative optical power when an electrical potential is applied across the lens and a neutral optical power when no electrical potential is applied across the lens. Each lens provides an optical power that is part of a net optical power of the series of lenses when a patient views through the phoropter. The optical power of the phoropter can be incrementally adjusted by changing the distribution of the electrical potential across the different lenses of the series to provide increasing or decreasing optical power until a patient achieves a desired level of clarity and a vision prescription has been determined.

Claims

1. A phoropter for measuring a refractive error of an eye, comprising:

a lens having an optical power, wherein said lens is adapted for altering said optical power from a first optical power to a second optical power while housed in the phoropter.

2. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter can be worn by a wearer.

3. The phoropter of claim 2, wherein the phoropter is adapted for use as an eyewear for said wearer.

4. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter is a refractor.

5. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter comprises an auto-refractor.

6. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter is operably connected to an auto-refractor.

7. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein said lens is an electro-active lens.

8. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein said lens is programmable.

9. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter is adapted for providing a measurement of a wearer'"'"'s refractive error.

10. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the phoropter is operably connected to a controller.

11. The phoropter of claim 1, wherein the refractive error is one of myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, regular astigmatism, or a refractive error other than myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and regular astigmatism.