Method and apparatus for constructing a contact lens with optics

• US 8,888,279 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovega Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovega Inc.
• Inventors: Legerton, Jerome, Sprague, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Jack
• Application Number:
  US13/370,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20120147320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 351/177, 351/159.01, 351/159.02, 351/159.6, 351/159.63
• US Class Current: 351/159.63
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00048 composed of parts with dissimilar composition B29D11/00057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00634 Production of filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/04 Lenses comprising decentered structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/10 Filters, e.g. for facilitating adaptation of the eyes to the dark; Sunglasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/102 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/104 having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 Polarisers

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and processes for constructing a contact lens. In one embodiment, a contact lens assembly is provided, comprising: a curved polymer polarizer with an aperture; a lenslet disposed inside the aperture, wherein the lenslet enables imaging near objects; and a filter attached to the lenslet. In further embodiments, a method for fabricating a flexible contact lens is provided, comprising: fabricating an element having an extrusion; providing a front concave mold, wherein the front mold has an intrusion to accommodate the extrusion of the optical element; affixing the extrusion of the optical element to the intrusion of the front mold; attaching a back convex mold to the front concave mold, thereby forming a mold cavity; and filling the mold cavity with a pre-polymerized liquid, whereby upon polymerization, the pre-polymerized liquid forms the flexible contact lens and the optical element is partially encapsulated within the lens.

Claims

1. A contact lens assembly, comprising:

a curved transparent substrate having at least one filter;

a lenslet attached to the curved transparent substrate; and

wherein the substrate has a first region to transmit light having a first characteristic and to block light having a second characteristic, the substrate having a second region to transmit light having the second characteristic and to block light having the first characteristic.

2. The contact lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the filter is a patterned polarization filter or a patterned spectral filter.

3. The contact lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the lenslet is a refractive lens or a diffractive lens.

4. The contact lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the filter is a patterned spectral filter and the contact lens further comprises perforations or slots in one patterned spectral filter that allows gasses to permeate through the filter.

5. The contact lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the lenslet is substantially wider in a horizontal direction than in a vertical direction, thereby enabling wider viewing angles in the horizontal direction.

6. A contact lens assembly, comprising:

a curved transparent substrate having at least one filter;

a lenslet attached to the curved transparent substrate and;

wherein the lenslet has a second filter, the at least one filter blocks display information and transmits non-display information, the second filter transmits display information and blocks non-display information, wherein the display information and the non-display information includes electromagnetic radiation, the display information electromagnetic radiation having at least one characteristic feature lacking in the non-display electromagnetic radiation.