System and method for selective light inhibition

• US 7,556,376 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: High Performance Optics Inc.
• Original Assignee: High Performance Optics Inc.
• Inventors: Mattison-Shupnick, Mark M., Iyer, Venkatramani S., Kokonaski, William, Ishak, Andrew W., Haddock, Joshua N., Blum, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greece; James R
• Application Number:
  US11/892,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20080094566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 351/163, 351/165, 351/177, 351/159, 351/160.R, 351/160.H, 351/164, 623/6.17, 623/6.56
• US Class Current: 351/163
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/70 Organic dyes or pigments; Optical brightening agents
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 29/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/104 having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection

Abstract

A film suitable for use in an ophthalmic system is provided. The film may selectively inhibit blue light within the wavelength range of 400 nm to 460 nm to reduce phototoxic light to the eye while maintaining photopic vision, and may be color balanced to allow for the system into which the film is incorporated to be perceived as colorless to a viewer observing and/or using the system. The system may have a photopic and scotopic luminous transmission of 85% or more and a phototoxicity ratio of less than 80%. When used in an ophthalmic system or other system disposed between an observer'"'"'s eye and a light source, the film may reduce the flux of blue light to the internal structures of the eye while reducing or minimizing dilation of the pupil.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic system comprising a film containing a dye that selectively inhibits light having a wavelength of 400 nm-460 nm;

the film is interspaced between two ophthalmic lens layers; and

wherein the system has a photopic luminous transmission of at least 85% across the visible spectrum and a phototoxicity ratio less than about 80%.

2. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 70%.

3. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 60%.

4. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 50%.

5. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the system reduces scotopic luminous transmission by not more than 15%.

6. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the system has a circadian ratio greater than 60%.

7. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 further comprising a color-balancing component.

8. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the film comprises PVA.

9. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the maximum color shift under D65 illuminant of any Munsell Color System tile caused by the system is not more than 20 just noticeable difference (JND) units in the CIE (L*, a*, b*) color space.

23. The ophthalmic system of claim 1 wherein the film contains a dye from the group consisting of coumarin 6, coumarin 30, perylene, magnesium tetraphenyl porphyrin, yellow orange, and acridyne.

10. An ophthalmic system comprising a film containing a dye that selectively inhibits light having a wavelength of 400 nm-460 nm;

the film is interspaced between two ophthalmic lens layers; and

wherein the system has a photopic luminous transmission of at least 85% across the visible spectrum and reduces scotopic luminous transmission by not more than 15%.

11. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the system has a photopic luminous transmission of at least 95% across the visible spectrum.

12. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 further comprising a color-balancing component.

13. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the film comprises PVA.

14. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the maximum color shift under D65 illumination of any Munsell Color System tile caused by the system is not more than about 20 just noticeable difference (JND) units in the CIE (L*, a*, b*) color space.

15. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 80%.

16. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 70%.

17. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 60%.

18. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the system has a phototoxicity ratio less than 50%.

24. The ophthalmic system of claim 10 wherein the film contains a dye from the group consisting of coumarin 6, coumarin 30, perylene, magnesium tetraphenyl porphyrin, yellow orange, and acridyne.

19. An ophthalmic system comprising:

a film containing a dye that reduces but does not eliminate transmission of light having a wavelength of 400 nm-460 nm;

a color-balancing component disposed adjacent to the film; and

both the film and the color-balancing component are interspaced between two ophthalmic lens layers and wherein the system has a photopic luminous transmission of at least 85% and a phototoxicity ratio of less than 80%.

25. The ophthalmic system of claim 19 wherein the film contains a dye from the group consisting of coumarin 6, coumarin 30, perylene, magnesium tetraphenyl porphyrin, yellow orange, and acridyne.

20. An ophthalmic system comprising a coating containing a dye that selectively inhibits light having a wavelength of 400 nm-460 nm;

the coating is the outer-most layer of the system and is disposed on an outer surface of an ophthalmic lens layer; and

wherein the system has a photopic luminous transmission of at least about 85% across the visible spectrum and a phototoxicity ratio less than 80%.

21. The ophthalmic system of claim 20 wherein the coating is a hard coat.

22. The ophthalmic system of claim 20 wherein the system reduces scotopic luminous transmission by not more than 15%.

26. The ophthalmic system of claim 20 wherein the coating contains a dye from the group consisting of coumarin 6, coumarin 30, perylene, magnesium tetraphenyl porphyrin, yellow orange, and acridyne.