Fluid filled adjustable contact lenses

• US 9,500,884 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adlens Beacon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adiens Beacon Incorporated
• Inventors: Egan, William, Nibauer, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Mustak
• Application Number:
  US13/270,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.73, 351/159.68, 351/158, 351/159.49, 351/161, 351/159.34, 351/165, 351/168, 351/177, 351/169, 349/13, 623/4.1, 623/5.11, 623/6.11, 623/6.13, 264/1.36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/085 Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses

Abstract

A fluid-filled adjustable contact lens is provided. An exemplary contact lens includes a lens chamber configured to be positioned on a pupil of a user wearing the contact lens; a reservoir fluidly connected to the lens chamber; an actuator configured to transfer fluid back and forth between the lens chamber and the reservoir; a sensor configured to sense movement from the user and transmit a control signal when a predetermined movement is performed by the user; and a processor configured to actuate the actuator upon receipt of the control signal from the sensor.

Claims

1. A fluid-filled adjustable contact lens comprising:

a front surface and a back surface;

a lens chamber disposed between the front surface and the back surface,

wherein the lens chamber comprises a front membrane sealed to a back membrane;

wherein the lens chamber is configured to be positioned on a pupil of a user wearing the contact lens;

wherein the front surface and the back surface are configured to counteract astigmatism caused by deformation of the lens chamber;

wherein the fluid-filled adjustable contact lens is located outside of an eyeball of the user;

a reservoir fluidly connected to the lens chamber;

an actuator configured to transfer fluid back and forth between the lens chamber and the reservoir,

wherein the fluid-filled adjustable contact lens is configured so that the transfer of the fluid causes a change in an optical power of the fluid-filled adjustable contact lens by changing a first curvature of the front membrane of the lens chamber, which causes a change of a second curvature of the front surface of the fluid-filled adjustable contact lens;

wherein the reservoir and the actuator are housed within the fluid-filled adjustable contact lens;

a sensor configured to sense movement from the user and transmit a control signal when a predetermined movement is performed by the user; and

a processor configured to actuate the actuator upon receipt of the control signal from the sensor.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor configured to detect blinking by the user wearing the contact lens, and wherein the predetermined movement is a predetermined blinking pattern.

3. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a microaccelerometer configured to detect motion of the user'"'"'s eyeball, and wherein the predetermined movement is a predetermined pattern of movement of the user'"'"'s eyeball.

4. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a sensor configured to detect movement of the user'"'"'s eyebrows, and wherein the predetermined movement is a predetermined pattern of movement of the user'"'"'s eyebrows.

5. The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive power source configured to supply power to the actuator and the processor.

6. The contact lens of claim 5, further comprising:

a thermoelectric power generator configured to supply power to the capacitive power source by harnessing power from a temperature gradient over the contact lens.

7. The contact lens of claim 5, further comprising:

a piezoelectric component configured to convert a blinking pressure force into electricity for storage in the capacitive power source.

8. The contact lens of claim 5, wherein the capacitive power source is an inductive power source.