Optical element for correcting color blindness

• US 9,022,562 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Harding, Brett T., Li, Sheng, Mochizuki, Amane, Dantsker, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoon, Tae H
• Application Number:
  US13/565,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20130088684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1.31, 351/159.63, 351/159.78, 252/586
• US Class Current: 351/159.63
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/16 Intraocular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/1699 Additional features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2201/001 Conductive additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/29 Compounds containing one or more carbon-to-nitrogen double bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/315 Compounds containing carbon-to-nitrogen triple bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/12 characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity liquid crystal materials or compositions C09K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 3/20 by halogenation
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 57/00 Other synthetic dyes of known constitution
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 57/008 Triarylamine dyes containing no other chromophores
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 69/102 containing a perylene dye
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 69/103 containing a diaryl- or triarylmethane dye
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 69/109 containing other specific dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/025 non-luminescent particle coatings or suspension media
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/06 containing organic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1007 Non-condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1011 Condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1014 bridged by heteroatoms, e.g. N, P, Si or B
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1044 containing two nitrogen atoms as heteroatoms
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1055 with other heteroatoms
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/031 Polarizer or dye
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 : comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/06 : for filtering out ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 : for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/30 : Elements containing photoluminescent material distinct from or spaced from the light source shades F21V1/17; globes, bowls or cover glasses F21V3/08, F21V3/12; refractors F21V5/10; reflectors F21V7/26, F21V7/30; elements with provision for controlling the spectral properties or intensity F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 : made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 : Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 : Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 : Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• 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 7/104 : having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 : using electroluminescent panels

Abstract

Described herein are devices, compositions, and methods for improving color discernment.

Claims

1. An optical element for correcting visual insensitivity between a first visible color wavelength and a second visible color wavelength, comprising:

a substantially transparent matrix material;

a luminescent compound dispersed within the substantially transparent matrix material, wherein the luminescent compound has an emissive wavelength that substantially overlaps with the first visible color wavelength;

wherein the luminescent compound comprises a perylene derivative dye; and

wherein the perylene derivative dye is represented by a formula;

2. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound provides a transmittance that is greater than 90% at the first visible wavelength.

3. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a film or a lens.

4. The optical element of claim 3, wherein the lens comprises a contact lens or an eyeglass lens.

5. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound is present in the substantially transparent matrix material in an amount in the range of about 1% to about 15%, by weight, based upon the weight of the composition.

6. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the perylene dye derivative comprises:

7. The optical element of claim 1, further comprising a light absorbing dye, wherein the light absorbing dye has an absorption band that substantially overlaps with the second visible color wavelength.

8. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the first visible color wavelength is in the range of about 450 nm to about 600 nm and the second visible color wavelength is in the range of about 560 to about 720 nm, provided that the first visible color wavelength is less than the second visible color wavelength.

9. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound has a Stokes shift in the range of about 50 nm to about 120 nm when dispersed in said transparent matrix.

10. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound has an absorption band with a full width half maximum value of less than or equal to 85 nm when dispersed in said substantially transparent matrix.

11. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the optical element has a transparency that is greater than or equal to 70%.

12. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent matrix material comprises glass, a thiourethane, a polycarbonate, a polyacrylate, one or more terpolymers of hexafluoroacetone-tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene (HFA/TFE/E terpolymers), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrogel, organosiloxane, or a combination thereof.

13. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound has an absorption band range and the optical element further comprises a light emitting element,

wherein the light emitting element is in optical communication with the luminescent compound to provide an excitation source for the luminescent compound.

14. The optical element of claim 13, wherein the light emitting element comprises a light emitting thin film having a maximum emission peak within the absorption band range of the luminescent compound.

15. The optical element of claim 13, further comprising an optical waveguide in optical communication with the luminescent element and the light emitting element.

16. The optical element of claim 1, wherein the luminescent compound is present in the substantially transparent matrix material in an amount in the range of about 0.01% to about 15%, by weight, based upon the weight of the composition.

17. The optical element of claim 1, further comprising a second luminescent compound, wherein the second luminescent compound increases the emission of the first visible color wavelength, increases the emission of the second visible color wavelength, further separates the peak emissive wavelength of the first color wavelength from the second color wavelength, or both increases and further separates the peak emissive wavelengths.

18. The optical element of claim 17, wherein said second luminescent compound is N-phenyl-N-(4′

-(1-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-[1,1′

-biphenyl]-4-yl) naphthalen-1-amine or 4,4′

-bis[N-(naphthyl)-N-phenyl-amino]biphenyl.

19. A method for correcting visual insensitivity in a mammal, comprising:

providing or arranging to provide an optical element of claim 1 to an individual that has been identified as having a visual insensitivity between a first visible color wavelength and a second visible color wavelength;

wherein the optical element has been selected to correct the visual insensitivity between the first visible color wavelength and the second visible color wavelength.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the visual insensitivity comprises deuteranomaly.

21. A method for correcting visual insensitivity in a mammal, comprising:

selecting an optical element according to claim 1, to correct a visual insensitivity in a individual who has been identified as having the visual insensitivity;

wherein the visual insensitivity comprises insensitivity in distinguishing between a first visible color wavelength and a second visible color wavelength.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising providing or arranging to provide the optical element to the individual.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the visual insensitivity comprises deuteranomaly.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein identifying an individual further comprises:

examining an amino acid sequence of the individual'"'"'s red or green photopigments;

correlating the amino acid sequence with amino acid combinations associated with vision disorder, wherein the amino acid sequence is the sequence at positions selected from the group consisting of codon positions 65, 111, 116, 153, 171, 174, 178, 180, 230, 233, 236, 274, 275, 277, 279, 285, 298, and 309 of the gene encoding the red or green photopigment and wherein the correlation comprises comparison of the amino acid sequence with amino acid sequences shown to be diagnostic of vision disorders.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein identifying an individual further comprises:

providing a standardized examination; and

correlating the score of the examination with vision disorders.