Contact lens having an uneven embedded substrate and method of manufacture

• US 8,985,763 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twenty Twenty Therapeutics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Etzkorn, James, Amirparviz, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US13/627,675
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.02, 351/159.03, 351/159.14, 351/159.73, 351/159.74, 351/159.77
• US Class Current: 351/159.03
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00038 Production of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00807 Producing lenses combined with electronics, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/00 Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof G02C7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00

Abstract

Contact lenses and methods of manufacturing contact lenses are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: forming a substrate having an uneven surface; providing a sensor at a first region of the substrate; providing a chip at a second region of the substrate; and encapsulating the substrate, sensor and chip in a polymer. The method also includes: patterning interconnections from the first region of the substrate to the second region of the substrate; and patterning metal pads proximate to the second region of the substrate. The chip can be provided on a metal pad. The uneven surface can be a sloped surface or one or more sloped channels in the substrate, and the channels can be wide enough to receive interconnections for the chip and to receive the chip. Further, the substrate can be ring-shaped and curved prior to encapsulation.

Claims

1. A contact lens, comprising:

a polymer;

a substrate positioned in the polymer, wherein the substrate comprises a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and wherein the polymer has a non-uniform height above the substrate;

a sensor positioned on the substrate; and

a chip positioned on the substrate.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the first thickness is within a range of about 50 microns to 200 microns and the second thickness is within a range of about 5 microns to 80 microns.

3. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the sensor is at the first region of the substrate.

4. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the chip is at the second region of the substrate.

5. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense an analyte.

6. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the chip comprises an integrated circuit.

7. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the polymer encapsulates the substrate, the sensor, and the chip.

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

an antenna positioned on the substrate.

9. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the substrate is ring-shaped and has a central hole.

10. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a third region between the first and second regions.

11. The contact lens of claim 10, wherein the third region has a sloped configuration.