Eyewear lens production by additive techniques
First Claim
1. A method of producing a customized eyewear lens comprising:
- a) obtaining a lens substrate comprising a first surface that will be nearest the eye when worn and a second surface that will be farthest from the eye when worn;
b) calculating and generating an added material design to convert the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power to a desired optical power for the customized eyewear lens, wherein the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens is discernibly different to the unaided eye from the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power;
c) contacting at least a portion of at least one of the first and second surfaces of the lens substrate with a bulk source of a flowable radiation-polymerizable material; and
d) while the lens substrate is in contact with the bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material, irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material with radiation from an irradiation assembly comprising at least one irradiating beam that is controlled for wavelength range, energy and spatial distribution to polymerize the flowable radiation-polymerizable material only in a selected area of irradiation, wherein the flowable radiation-polymerizable material is irradiated according to the added material design to form added material on the lens substrate and create the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens, wherein the area of irradiation is controlled for spatial position relative to the lens substrate, and wherein the added material is integrally bonded to the lens substrate; and
wherein external shaping structures are not used during the steps of contacting and irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method that adds material selectively to a lens substrate and is used to produce a customized eyewear lens with optical power that is discernibly different from the optical power of the lens substrate. The method involves obtaining the lens substrate, calculating and generating an added material design to convert the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power to a desired optical power for the customized eyewear lens, contacting the lens substrate with a bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material, and irradiating the material with radiation that is controlled for wavelength range, energy and spatial distribution to polymerize the radiation-polymerizable material only in a selected area according to the added material design. The method does not require the use of external shaping structures to form the customized lens on the lens substrate, and the added material is integrally bonded to the substrate.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of producing a customized eyewear lens comprising:
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a) obtaining a lens substrate comprising a first surface that will be nearest the eye when worn and a second surface that will be farthest from the eye when worn; b) calculating and generating an added material design to convert the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power to a desired optical power for the customized eyewear lens, wherein the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens is discernibly different to the unaided eye from the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power; c) contacting at least a portion of at least one of the first and second surfaces of the lens substrate with a bulk source of a flowable radiation-polymerizable material; and d) while the lens substrate is in contact with the bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material, irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material with radiation from an irradiation assembly comprising at least one irradiating beam that is controlled for wavelength range, energy and spatial distribution to polymerize the flowable radiation-polymerizable material only in a selected area of irradiation, wherein the flowable radiation-polymerizable material is irradiated according to the added material design to form added material on the lens substrate and create the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens, wherein the area of irradiation is controlled for spatial position relative to the lens substrate, and wherein the added material is integrally bonded to the lens substrate; and wherein external shaping structures are not used during the steps of contacting and irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of producing a customized eyewear lens comprising:
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a) obtaining a lens substrate comprising a first surface that will be nearest the eye when worn and a second surface that will be farthest from the eye when worn; b) calculating and generating an added material design to convert the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power to a desired optical power for the customized eyewear lens, wherein the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens is discernibly different to the unaided eye from the lens substrate'"'"'s optical power; c) mounting the lens substrate in a lens substrate support comprising one or more position and movement controls; d) contacting at least a portion of one of the first and second surfaces of the lens substrate with a bulk source of a flowable radiation-polymerizable material and controlling the lens substrate'"'"'s orientation relative to the bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material during contacting by use of the position and movement controls of the lens substrate support; and e) while the lens substrate is in contact with the bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material, irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material with an irradiating beam output from an irradiation assembly, wherein the radiation of the irradiating beam is controlled for wavelength range, energy and spatial distribution to polymerize the flowable radiation-polymerizable material only in a selected area of irradiation, wherein the selected area of irradiation is controlled for spatial position relative to the lens substrate, wherein the flowable radiation-polymerizable material is irradiated according to the added material design to form added material on the lens substrate by polymerization, wherein the added material is integrally bonded to the lens substrate, and wherein the bulk source of flowable radiation-polymerizable material is delivered via an outer delivery jacket surrounding the irradiation assembly; wherein the added material in combination with the lens substrate creates the desired optical power of the customized eyewear lens; and wherein external shaping structures are not used during contacting and irradiating the flowable radiation-polymerizable material. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification