ELECTRO-ACTIVE LENSES WITH RAISED RESISTIVE BRIDGES

• US 20170293197A1
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: e-vision Smart Optics, Inc. (New Smart Optics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Heugten, Anthony, Milton, Harry
• Granted Patent: US 10,599,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/16 Intraocular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1627 for changing index of refraction, e.g. by external means or by tilting
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/122 having a particular pattern

Abstract

Resistive bridges can connect many ring electrodes in an electro-active lens with a relatively small number of buss lines. These resistors are usually large to prevent excessive current consumption. Conventionally, they are disposed in the same plane as the ring electrodes, which means that the ring electrodes are spaced farther apart or made discontinuous to accommodate the resistors. But spacing the ring electrodes farther apart or making them discontinuous degrades the lens'"'"'s optical quality. Placing the ring electrodes and resistors on layers separated by an insulator makes it possible for the ring electrodes to be closer together and continuous with resistance high enough to limit current consumption. It also relaxes constraints on feature sizes and placement during the process used to make the lens. And because the resistors and electrodes are on different planes, they can be formed of materials with different resistivities.

Claims

1. An electro-optic lens comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on a surface of the first substantially transparent substrate;

an insulating layer disposed on the plurality of electrodes; and

a resistive bridge disposed on the insulating layer, the resistive bridge connecting a first electrode in the plurality of electrodes with a second electrode in the plurality of electrodes via holes patterned into the insulating layer.

2. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of concentric ring electrodes, the first electrode is a first concentric ring electrode, and the second electrode is a second concentric ring electrode.

3. The electro-optic lens of claim 2, wherein the first concentric ring electrode has a constant width.

4. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes is formed a first material having a first sheet resistance and the resistive bridge is formed of a second material having a second sheet resistance higher than the first sheet resistance.

5. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, further comprising:

insulating material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the insulating layer spanning a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode of less than about 3 microns.

6. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the resistive bridge has a resistance of at least about 2.5 MΩ

.

7. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the resistive bridge has a length-to-width ratio of about 25:

1.

8. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the resistive bridge comprises at least one of nickel, chromium, indium tin oxide, or resistive polymer.

9. The electro-optic lens of claim 1, wherein the resistive bridge comprises a plurality of resistive segments, each resistive segment in the plurality of resistive segments being in electrical communication with a corresponding pair of electrodes in the plurality of electrodes.

10. The electro-optic lens of claim 9, wherein the plurality of resistive segments includes a first resistive segment with a first width and a second resistive segment with a second width greater than the first width.

11. The electro-optic lens of claim 9, wherein the plurality of resistive segments includes a first resistive segment with a first length and a second resistive segment with a second length greater than the first length.

12. The electro-optic lens of claim 9, wherein at least one resistive segment in the plurality of resistive segments has at least one of a curved edge or bent edge.

13. A method of operating an electro-optic lens comprising a plurality of electrodes disposed on a substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the plurality of electrodes, and a resistive bridge disposed on the insulating layer and connecting a first electrode in the plurality of electrodes with a second electrode in the plurality of electrodes via holes patterned into the insulating layer, the method comprising:

applying a voltage to the first electrode via the resistive bridge.

14. A method of making an electro-optic lens, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of electrodes on a substrate;

depositing a layer of insulating material on the plurality of electrodes;

forming a plurality of through holes in the layer of insulating material, each through hole in the plurality of through holes connecting to a corresponding electrode in the plurality of electrodes;

depositing a resistive material on the layer of insulating material and in the plurality of through holes; and

patterning the resistive material to form a plurality of resistors, each resistor in the plurality of resistors connecting to a corresponding electrode in the plurality of electrodes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the plurality of electrodes comprises forming a plurality of concentric ring electrodes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the plurality of concentric ring electrodes comprises forming a first concentric ring electrode separated from a second concentric ring electrode by a gap of less than about 3 microns.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the plurality of concentric ring electrodes comprises forming a concentric ring electrode having a constant width.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein depositing the resistive material comprising depositing material having a sheet resistance higher than a sheet resistance of the plurality of electrodes

19. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning the resistive material to form the plurality of resistors comprises forming at least one resistor having a resistance of at least about 2.5 MΩ

.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning the resistive material to form the plurality of resistors comprises forming at least one resistor having a length-to-width ratio of about 25:

1.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning the resistive material to form the plurality of resistors comprises forming a first resistor with a first width and a second resistor segment with a second width greater than the first width.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning the resistive material to form the plurality of resistors comprises forming a first resistor with a first length and a second resistor with a second length greater than the first length.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein patterning the resistive material to form the plurality of resistors comprises forming at least one resistor with a curved edge.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a buss line connected to at least one electrode in the plurality of electrodes.

25. An electro-active contact lens comprising:

a base optical element;

an electro-active element embedded within the base optical element, the electro-active element comprising;

a plurality of electrodes;

an insulating layer disposed on the plurality of electrodes; and

a resistive bridge disposed on the insulating layer, the resistive bridge connecting a first electrode in the plurality of electrodes with a second electrode in the plurality of electrodes via holes patterned into the insulating layer.