Retinal melatonin suppressor comprising a filter layer

• US 7,984,989 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jake A. Gruber
• Original Assignee: Jake A. Gruber
• Inventors: Gruber, Jake A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J
• Application Number:
  US12/359,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/44, 351/159, 351/163, 351/177
• US Class Current: 351/163
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/022 Use of special optical filters, e.g. multiple layers, filters for protection against laser light or light from nuclear explosions, screens with different filter properties on different parts of the screen; Rotating slit-discs optical filters per se G02B5/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0647 the applicator adapted to be worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 5/001 specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/104 having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/105 having inhomogeneously distributed colouring
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/108 Colouring materials

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the application of a photoluminescent material with a plurality of nanocrystals, such as quantum dots or Cornell dots, each capable of absorbing electromagnetic energy at a first wavelength and emitting the absorbed energy as a desired wavelength in the direction of a human retina. Preferably, the emitted wavelength is chosen for its ability to suppress naturally occurring melatonin, i.e., blue light. The disclosure also contemplates the placement of the photoluminescent material over the entire surface of a lens or on a portion of the lens to optimize the exposure to the desired wavelength while reducing the overall luminescence. Finally, the photoluminescent material can be applied as a coating, as part of a material applied to the lens, either superficially or in/within the lens, as part of eyewear, or even as an optical treatment system.

Claims

1. A retinal melatonin suppressor comprising:

a lens;

a photoluminescent material applied the lens to emit photons at a selected wavelength in at least a rearward direction relative to the lens; and

a filter material applied to the lens to attenuate at least a portion of the photons at the selected wavelength emitted in the rearward direction.

2. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material comprises nanocrystals.

3. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 2, wherein the nanocrystals are at least one of quantum dots or Cornell dots.

4. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the lens is an optical lens, a contact lens, a corrective lens, a sunglass lens, a monocular lens or a binocular lens.

5. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of approximately 420 to 485 nm.

6. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied to at least a portion of a forward surface of the lens.

7. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 6, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied to substantially all of the forward surface of the lens.

8. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the filter material is applied to at least a portion of a rearward surface of the lens.

9. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the filter material permeates at least a portion of the lens.

10. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein attenuation provided by the filter material is substantially spatially uniform.

11. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein attenuation provided by the filter material increases in a direction from a substantially superior portion of the lens to a substantially inferior portion of the lens.

12. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein attenuation provided by the filter material increases in a direction from a substantially temporal portion of the lens to a substantially nasal portion of the lens.

13. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied as a dielectric coating on the lens.

14. The retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1, wherein the lens is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a glass, a plastic, a polycarbonate, a polyurethane, and TRIVEX™

lens material.

15. Eyewear comprising:

a wearable frame; and

the retinal melatonin suppressor of claim 1 supported by the wearable frame.

16. Eyewear comprising:

a wearable frame; and

at least one lens supported by the wearable frame, each of the at least one lens comprising a substrate that is substantially transparent to at least a portion of a visible light spectrum, a photoluminescent material applied to the substrate that emits electromagnetic energy of at least a selected wavelength after being exposed to a source spectrum of electromagnetic energy, and a filter material applied to the substrate to attenuate at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy at the selected wavelength.

17. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the photoluminescent material comprises nanocrystals.

18. The eyewear of claim 17, wherein the nanocrystals are at least one of quantum dots or Cornell dots.

19. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the at least one lens comprises an optical lens, a contact lens, a corrective lens, a sunglass lens, a monocular lens or a binocular lens.

20. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of approximately 420 to 485 nm.

21. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied to at least a portion of a forward surface of each of the at least one lens.

22. The eyewear of claim 21, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied to substantially all of the forward surface of each of the at least one lens.

23. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the filter material is applied to at least a portion of a rearward surface of each of the at least one lens.

24. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the filter material permeates at least a portion of the substrate.

25. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein, for each of the at least one lens, attenuation provided by the filter material is substantially spatially uniform.

26. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein, for each of the at least one lens, attenuation provided by the filter material increases in a direction from a substantially superior portion of the lens to a substantially inferior portion of the lens.

27. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein, for each of the at least one lens, attenuation provided by the filter material increases in a direction from a substantially temporal portion of the lens to a substantially nasal portion of the lens.

28. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the photoluminescent material is applied as a dielectric coating on each of the at least one lens.

29. The eyewear of claim 16, wherein the substrate comprises material selected from the group consisting of a glass, a plastic, a polycarbonate, a polyurethane, and TRIVEX™

lens material.