Electro-active ophthalmic lens having an optical power blending region

• US 7,775,660 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• 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: McGinn, Joseph T., Stewart, Wilber C., Iyer, Venkatramani S., Blum, Ronald D., Kokonaski, William, Haddock, Joshua N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J
• Application Number:
  US11/595,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159, 351168-172, 349/13, 359/319
• US Class Current: 351/169
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/06 bifocal; multifocal ; progressive G02C7/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to an electro-active optic incorporating a blend region between two regions each having different optical properties.

Claims

1. An electro-active lens, comprising at least one electro-active blend region, wherein when electrical power is applied thereto, said blend region provides a substantially continuous transition of optical power from a first region of optical power to a second region of optical power of said lens, wherein a surface relief diffractive structure produces said blend region.

2. The lens of claim 1, wherein a patterned electrode structure produces said blend region.

3. The lens of claim 1, wherein phase-wrapped, full-wave Fresnel zones produce said blend region.

4. The lens of claim 1, wherein said transition of optical power is described by a polynomial of second order or higher.

5. The lens of claim 1, wherein said transition of optical power is described by any continuous mathematical function.

6. The lens of claim 1, wherein said transition of optical power is described by a combination of at least two continuous mathematical functions.

7. The lens of claim 1, wherein the optical power of said blend region is modulated by application of a voltage.

8. An electro-active lens, comprising:

a. a refractive lens of fixed optical power; and

b. an electro-active element having dynamic optical power and a peripheral edge in optical communication with said refractive lens, wherein the optical power of said electro-active lens is the sum of the optical powers of said electro-active element and said refractive lens, and when said electro-active element is activated, said electro-active element provides for a region of substantially continuous transition in optical power from the sum of optical powers of said electro-active element and said refractive lens to the optical power of said refractive lens, and wherein said transition region is located near the peripheral edge of said electro-active element, wherein diffraction of optical waves produces the transition of optical power.

9. The lens of claim 8, wherein the optical power of the electro-active element is mostly constant over a portion of its area.

10. The lens of claim 8, wherein the optical power of the electro-active element can be modulated by the application of at least two voltages.

11. The lens of claim 8, wherein the transition of optical power of the electro-active element gradually reduces to a substantially zero value.

12. The lens of claim 8, wherein phase wrapped, full-wave Fresnel zones produce the transition of optical power.

13. The lens of claim 8, wherein a patterned electrode structure produces the transition of optical power.

14. The lens of claim 8, wherein the transition of optical power is described by any continuous mathematical function.

15. An electro-active lens, comprising:

a. a refractive lens of fixed optical power, and

b. an electro-active element having dynamic optical power and a peripheral edge in optical communication with said refractive lens, wherein the optical power of said electro-active lens is the sum of the optical powers of said electro-active element and said refractive lens, and when said electro-active element is activated, said electro-active element provides for a region of substantially continuous transition in optical power from the sum of optical powers of said electro-active element and said refractive lens to the optical power of said refractive lens, and wherein said transition region is located near the peripheral edge of said electro-active element, wherein a surface relief diffractive structure produces the transition of optical power.

16. An electro-active lens, comprising at least one electro-active blend region, wherein when electrical power is applied thereto, said blend region provides at least one stepped transition of optical power from a first region of optical power to a second region of optical power of said lens, wherein a surface relief diffractive structure produces said blend region.

17. The lens of claim 16, wherein a patterned electrode structure produces said blend region.

18. The lens of claim 16, wherein the optical power of said blend region is modulated by application of a voltage.

19. An electro-active lens, comprising:

a. at least one region of fixed optical power; and

b. at least one region of dynamic optical power having a blend region, wherein when electrical power is applied to said blend region, said blend region has diffractive power and provides a continuous transition of optical power from said dynamic power region to said fixed power region, wherein a surface relief diffractive structure produces said blend region.

20. The lens of claim 19, wherein a patterned electrode structure produces said blend region.

21. The lens of claim 19, wherein phase-wrapped, full-wave Fresnel zones produce said blend region.