Actuatable contact lenses

• US 8,919,953 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Darryl J
• Application Number:
  US13/564,831
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.03, 351/159.34, 351/159.39
• US Class Current: 351/159.03
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/024 Methods of designing ophthalmic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/081 Ophthalmic lenses with variable focal length

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods for facilitating actuatable contact lenses are provided. In one aspect, the contact lens can include: a substrate comprised of a material that is actuatable to at least one of change a base curvature from a first curvature to a second curvature or change a thickness from a first thickness to a second thickness; and a control component, operably coupled to the material, that outputs actuation information to cause the material to actuate and at least one of change the base curvature of the material or change the thickness of the material. The contact lens can be actuated based on a condition associated with an environment surrounding the contact lens, a sensed prescription for an eye over which the contact lens is placed or based on a focal point of the eye. The material can include piezoelectric film, a shape memory alloy, hydrogel and/or silicone elastomer.

Claims

1. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material adapted to actuate and change a thickness of the contact lens from a first thickness at a first time to a second thickness at a second time, wherein the material comprises a silicone elastomer, and wherein the material is adapted to actuate based, at least, on a change in temperature of a heating element near the material.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the heating element.

3. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material that is actuatable to at least one of change a base curvature of the contact lens from a first curvature to a second curvature or change a thickness of the contact lens from a first thickness to a second thickness, wherein the material comprises a silicone elastomer, and wherein the material is adapted to actuate based, at least, on a change in temperature of a heating element near the material; and

a control component, operably coupled to the material, that outputs actuation information to cause the material to actuate and at least one of change the base curvature of the contact lens or change the thickness of the contact lens.

4. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the control component outputs actuation information in real-time.

5. The contact lens of claim 4, wherein the actuation information is output based, at least, on one or more different conditions associated with an environment surrounding the contact lens, an eye over which the contact lens is placed or based on a focal point of the eye over which the contact lens is placed.

6. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the control component comprises a power source and the actuation information comprises at least one of an amount of voltage or heat, wherein the power source generates the amount of voltage or heat.

7. The contact lens of claim 6, wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery, a photovoltaic device, or a radio frequency device.

8. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the control component further comprises an environment detection component that detects a time of day,

wherein the information comprises time of day actuation information, and

wherein the control component outputs first time of day actuation information in response to the environment detection component detecting a first time of day and wherein the control component outputs second time of day actuation information in response to the environment detection component detecting a second time of day.

9. The contact lens of claim 8, wherein the environment detection component detects the first time of day or the second time of day in real-time.

10. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the control component further comprises a prescription determination component that determines a prescription for the contact lens based, at least, on an evaluation of a condition of an eye over which the contact lens is positioned, and

wherein the control component outputs a signal to at least one of adjust the base curvature or adjust the thickness of the contact lens based, at least, on the prescription.

11. The contact lens of claim 10, wherein the prescription determination component automatically determines the prescription.

12. The contact lens of claim 3, wherein the control component further comprises a focal point detection component that detects a focal point of an eye over which the contact lens is placed, and

wherein the control component outputs a signal to at least one of adjust the base curvature or adjust the thickness of the contact lens based, at least, on the focal point of the eye.

13. A method of actuating a contact lens, comprising:

receiving actuation information indicative of at least one of a base curvature of the contact lens or a thickness of the contact lens; and

actuating the contact lens by at least one of changing the base curvature or changing the thickness of the contact lens based, at least, on the receiving the actuation information, wherein actuating the contact lens comprises actuating a material in the contact lens, wherein the material comprises a silicone elastomer, and wherein the material is adapted to actuate based, at least, on a change in temperature of a heating element near the material.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting a condition associated with the contact lens, and wherein actuating the contact lens is in response to the detecting the condition associated with the contact lens.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the condition associated with the contact lens is associated with at least one of an environment surrounding the contact lens, a sensed prescription for an eye over which the contact lens is placed or a focal point of the eye.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting an audio command associated with at least one of a base curvature or a thickness of the contact lens, and wherein actuating the contact lens is in response to the detecting the audio command.

17. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material adapted to actuate and change a hydration level of the material from a first hydration level at a first time to a second hydration level at a second time, wherein the contact lens is configured to have a first thickness associated with the first hydration level and a second thickness associated with the second hydration level; and

a control component, operably coupled to the material, that generates an electric field to cause the material to actuate and change the hydration level of the material.

18. The contact lens of claim 17, wherein the material comprises hydrogel.

19. The contact lens of claim 18, wherein actuation changes a hydrophobicity of the hydrogel resulting in a change in the hydration level.

20. The contact lens of claim 17, wherein actuation is performed via electrowetting the material.

21. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate comprised of a material that is actuatable to at least one of change a base curvature of the contact lens from a first curvature to a second curvature or change a thickness of the contact lens from a first thickness to a second thickness, wherein the material comprises a polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric film, a shape memory alloy, or a silicone elastomer; and

a control component, operably coupled to the material, that outputs actuation information to cause the material to actuate and at least one of change the base curvature of the contact lens or change the thickness of the contact lens, wherein the control component further comprises a prescription determination component that determines a prescription for the contact lens based, at least, on an evaluation of a condition of an eye over which the contact lens is positioned, and wherein the control component outputs a signal to at least one of adjust the base curvature or adjust the thickness of the contact lens based, at least, on the prescription.

22. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the prescription determination component automatically determines the prescription.

23. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the material comprises a silicone elastomer.

24. The contact lens of claim 23, wherein the material is adapted to actuate based, at least, on a change in temperature of a heating element near the material.

25. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the material comprises a polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric film.

26. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the material comprises a shape memory alloy.

27. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the control component comprises a power source and the actuation information comprises at least one of an amount of voltage or heat, wherein the power source generates the amount of voltage or heat.

28. The contact lens of claim 27, wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery, a photovoltaic device, or a radio frequency device.