Colored contact lens based on amorphous images

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a colored contact lens including the steps of providing a transparent contact lens having a pupil section and an iris section, the iris section surrounding the pupil section and applying a colorant to the surface of the contact lens. The colorant is applied to the contact lens as an amorphous pattern and covers an effective amount of the iris section of the same. The amorphous pattern provides a lens capable of changing the apparent color of the iris of a person wearing the lens while imparting a very natural appearance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 (e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 245,044 filed on Sep. 23, 2009, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.[0002]The present invention relates generally to the field of colored contact lenses, and more particularly, to patterns for use on colored contact lenses that impart a very natural appearance to the lenses.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Early attempts to modify or enhance the color of one's eyes utilized colored contact lenses with a simple solidly colored area that covered the iris portion of the eye. However, contact lenses with this type of opaque coloring imparted a very unnatural appearance. Other types of colored contact lenses were developed, such as Wichterle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,504, which discloses an opaque lens having an iris of more than a single color artistically drawn or photographically reproduced. However, such lenses did not look natural and as such never ac...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]In example embodiments, the present invention provides for colored contact lenses having an extremely natural appearance because an amorphous image pattern—one that does not necessarily include any repetitive areas—is imprinted onto at least a portion of an iris section of the contact lens. The lens pattern is imprinted onto the lens leaving at least 20% of the iris unprinted, and more preferably at least 40%, such that the lens image blends with the underlying wearer's iris. Generally, such contact lenses have an aesthetically pleasing and natural appearance to observers who observe the contact lenses from any distance because the amorphous image patterns disclosed herein consist of domains having irregular shapes and varying values of colors. Such lens patterns allow for natural appearing, realistic, colored contact lenses even when observed from less than 16 inches from the wearer. Known colored contact lenses often look unrealistic when observed from distances less than one meter.

[0011]In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method of making an amorphous pattern of an iris for use with a colored contact lens. The method generally includes the steps (1) opening an image file in a photo editing software application, the image file containing a base image having at least two colors, (2) distorting the base image with one or more filters to create a distorted image, (3) reducing the opacity of the distorted image to create a translucent image, (4) modifying the size of the translucent image to create a sized image, and (5) using a cut-out filter to create a lens shape from the sized image, the lens shape being defined by a substantially circular outer diameter having a smaller substantially inner circle removed therefrom.

Problems solved by technology

Known colored contact lenses often look unrealistic when observed from distances less than one meter.

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