Laminates containing optical microstructures for incorporation into ophthalmic lenses

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laminate comprising: a first film comprising a microstructure pattern embossed into a first surface of the first film, each microstructure in the embossed microstructure pattern being an optical microstructure arranged such that a height of the first surface of the first film is greater than a height of each optical microstructure; and a second film laminated to the first film at the first surface of the first film via the first surface of the second film; wherein a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure encapsulates a gap-filling material in at least a portion of at least one gap defined by Δ when the second film is laminated to the first film.

Description

background Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a laminate comprising optical microstructures that allow for universal application in ophthalmic lenses for correcting vision abnormalities. Background Art

[0004] Myopia (also known as nearsightedness and myopia) is an eye condition in which light entering the eye does not focus directly on the retina. Instead, it focuses in front of the retina, causing an individual to perceive an image as either in or out of focus, depending on the object's distance from the individual's eye. For example, if an object is far away, it will appear out of focus, while if it is close, it will appear in focus.

[0005] Although correctable through refractive surgery, myopia is most commonly corrected through the use of corrective lenses (such as glasses or contact lenses). Corrective lenses have a negative optical power (i.e., a net concave effect), which compensates for the excessive positive refractive power of the myopic eye. Negative refractive power is often used to describe the severity of myopia, as this is the value of the lenses that correct the visual acuity.

[0006] Recent efforts to address the progression of myopia in children and young adults have included providing optical microstructures directly on the surface of corrective lenses. These structures can be, for example, microlenses that redirect some of the incident light toward the retina. Using microlenses to introduce peripheral defocus on the surface of conventional single-vision lenses has been shown to be highly effective in slowing the progression of myopia.

[0007] However, to date, optical microstructures have been incorporated directly onto the surface of corrective lenses. The optical microstructures may be directly engraved, etched, or embossed onto the convex surface of the corrective lens (e.g., the lens surface opposite the lens surface adjacent to the wearer's eye) or the concave surface of the corrective lens (e.g., the lens surface adjacent to the wearer's eye). In one instance, such an arrangement may result in scratches or other damage to the optical microstructures due to daily use. Furthermore, by creating the optical microstructures directly on the lens surface of the corrective lens, a unique design may be required for each lens substrate material, as each optical microstructure design is associated with a refractive index change between the optical microstructure and the surrounding medium, requiring a unique set of optical designs for each lens substrate material. In this way, each lens substrate material may require a unique optical microstructure architecture and arrangement. As can be appreciated, this approach becomes impractical at scale and a more universally applicable solution is needed.

[0008] According to an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a solution that allows a limited number of optical microstructure designs to be used with any given material and on a variety of lens substrate materials.

[0009] The foregoing "background" description is intended to generally introduce the context of the present disclosure. The work of the inventors described in this background section, as well as aspects of this disclosure that may not be identified as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to the claims, the present disclosure relates to a laminate and a method of producing a laminate for preventing myopia progression.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to a laminate comprising a first film of a first material having a first refractive index, the first film comprising: a pattern of microstructures embossed into a first surface of the first film, each microstructure in the embossed microstructure pattern being an optical microstructure arranged such that a height of the first surface of the first film is greater than a height of each optical microstructure; and a second film of a second material having a second refractive index, the second film laminated to the first film at the first surface of the first film via the first surface of the second film; wherein a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure, when the second film is laminated to the first film, encapsulates a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index in at least a portion of at least one void defined by Δ. In an embodiment, the gap-filling material is gas-impermeable.

[0012] The foregoing paragraphs are provided as a general introduction and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] A more complete appreciation thereof will be readily obtained as the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages become better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is an illustration of a lens having optical microstructures directly on its surface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 2A is an illustration of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2B is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3is a flow chart of a method for preparing a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4A is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4B is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4C is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4D is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4E is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4F is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4G is an illustration of an optical microstructure of a laminate including an optical microstructure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5 is an illustration of an optical microstructure array of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6A is an illustration of an optical microstructure array of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6B is an illustration of an optical microstructure array of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6C is an illustration of an optical microstructure array of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6D is an illustration of an optical microstructure array of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 7Ais an illustration of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 7B is an illustration of a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 8A is an illustration of a lens having a laminate including optical microstructures laminated thereto according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 8B is an illustration of a lens having a laminate including optical microstructures laminated thereto according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 9 is an illustration of a lens having a laminate including optical microstructures laminated thereto via an adhesive according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 10 is an illustration of a flow chart of an optical microstructure of a laminate including optical microstructures laminated to a lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 11A is an illustration of a surface of a lens laminated with a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 11B is an illustration of a surface of a lens laminated with a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0038] Figure 11C is an illustration of a surface of a lens laminated with a laminate including optical microstructures according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] As used herein, the terms "one" or "an" are defined as one or more than one. As used herein, the terms "plurality" are defined as two or more than two. As used herein, the term "another" is defined as at least a second or more. As used herein, the terms "including" and / or "having" are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). References to "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "embodiments," "implementations," "examples," or similar terms throughout this document mean that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the appearance of such phrases throughout this specification or their appearance in various places do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any appropriate manner in one or more embodiments without restriction.

[0040] The terms "wafer" and "laminate" may be used interchangeably to refer to similar structures.

[0041] The terms "about" and "approximately" are defined as approximate to what one of ordinary skill in the art understands. In a non-limiting embodiment, these terms are defined as within 10%, preferably within 5%, more preferably within 1%, and most preferably within 0.5%.

[0042] According to embodiments, the present disclosure provides a solution that allows the use of a limited number of optical microstructure designs with any given material and across a variety of lens substrate materials. In fact, the present disclosure describes a laminate containing optical microstructures that can be widely applied to a given corrective lens via lamination.

[0043] In particular, the present invention relates to a method for incorporating a planar, flat, or curved wafer comprising a laminate film containing optical microstructures (e.g., microscale features) into the body or surface of an optical lens (e.g., planar or powered) that does not have optical microstructures. In this way, the intensive design and manufacturing processes associated with generating unique architectures and arrangements for different lens substrate materials can be avoided, thereby facilitating a more universally applicable method.

[0044] In embodiments, the curved wafer or laminate can be a single design and material that can be used with several optical lens substrate materials. As described above, this approach avoids the need to use different optical microstructure designs for different optical lens substrate materials.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a laminate whose design includes encapsulating embossed optical microstructures within a low refractive index material, thereby providing a good refractive index within the laminate.

[0046] In embodiments, the optical microstructure design can be a depression within the film surface of the wafer. For example, the optical microstructure design can be a microlens and can have a concentric or other regular pattern arrangement on the lens surface. The design of the microlens array that provides the appearance of concentric circles or other surface patterns can be fixed relative to other components of the wafer. For example, the microlens design can be fixed by taking into account the difference in refractive index between the microlens material and the refractive index of the adjacent medium (e.g., a coating, adhesive, conformational film, etc.).

[0047] Turning now to the accompanying drawings, the above-described design of each optical microstructure in the optical microstructure array allows the wafer or laminate of the present disclosure to be applied to various optical lens substrates. This approach is an improvement over prior art, such as Figure 1 As shown, an optical lens 101 can be directly modified by engraving, etching, embossing, coating or other methods to provide optical microstructures 105 directly on the surface of the optical lens 101. As mentioned above, directly modifying the surface 101 of the optical lens may result in poor visual acuity due to, for example, scratching of the optical microstructures 105 disposed thereon. Accordingly, the present disclosure describes a laminate having a plurality of optical microstructures 105 disposed thereon. Figure 2A As introduced in

[15] , it allows the widespread use of a single architecture and arrangement of optical microstructures to adapt to a variety of optical lens substrates.

[0048] refer to Figure 2A , is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate 210 before lamination, providing a first film 211 and a second film 212 of the laminate 210. The first film 211 may be a first material having a first refractive index. In an example, the first film 211 may be poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), or cellulose triacetate (TAC) as the first material, wherein the first material has a refractive index of approximately 1.5. The first film 211 may include one or more optical microstructures 205 embossed into a first surface 216 of the first film 211. Each of the one or more optical microstructures 205 may have a dimension height 207, a dimension width 260, and may be separated from an adjacent one of the one or more optical microstructures 205 by a predetermined distance 206, the predetermined distance defining an area between the one or more optical microstructures 205. Each area between the one or more optical microstructures 205 may have a dimension height 208, which defines a distance between the first surface 216 of the first film 211 and the base of each of the one or more optical microstructures 205. In Figure 2AThe optical microstructures 205 are presented as having a hemispherical shape. Each of the one or more optical microstructures 205 can have various shapes, including hemispherical, rectangular, cylindrical, pyramidal, circular, elliptical and prismatic, etc., as required by visual needs. The curvature of each of the one or more optical microstructures 205 can be linear, curved or a combination thereof. It will be understood that the first film 211 (with the one or more optical microstructures 205 embossed in its first surface 216) provides a concentric circle or other surface pattern appearance. The second film 212 of the laminate 210 can be a second material having a second refractive index. The second film 212 of the laminate 210 can be an optically transparent film, such as PMMA, PC, TAC, cyclic olefin copolymer, etc. In the example, the second material of the second film 212 can have a refractive index that is the same as, lower than or higher than the first refractive index. Accordingly, the second refractive index can be, for example, 1.5, 1.4 or 1.74. It will be appreciated that the use of the phrases "lower refractive index" and "higher refractive index" reflects relative terms between the first material of the first film 211 and the second material of the second film 212. The bonding system 202 may be provided between the first surface of the second film 212 and the first surface 216 of the first film 211. The bonding system 202 may be, in particular, an adhesive system, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or a hot melt adhesive, surface activated by corona or by plasma or ozone. It will be appreciated that the bonding system 202 may be applied only to the contacting surfaces of the first and second films, such as by Figure 2A This is shown in conjunction with the discontinuous nature of system 202.

[0049] Can be obtained from Figure 2B It is understood that the first film 211 of the laminate can be designed such that the magnitude of the dimension height 208 is greater than the magnitude of the dimension height 207 of each of the one or more optical microstructures 205 of the first film 211. In this way, at least one void or Δ209 remains between the first film 211 and the second film during lamination. In this way, after lamination, a gap filling material can be encapsulated as an adjacent medium within at least a portion of the at least one void created by Δ209. The gap filling material can be a material having a predetermined refractive index. In an example, the gap filling material can be a gel, a solid, a fluid such as a liquid or a gas, or a combination thereof. The gas can be an impermeable gas and / or can be dry air, nitrogen, argon, xenon, etc. The predetermined refractive index of the gap filling material can be 1.0.

[0050] In view of the above and with reference to Figure 3, the lamination of the above-mentioned components will be described at a high level. In an embodiment, the lamination can be achieved, in particular, by a roll-to-roll process. In step 320 of method 300, a bonding system can be applied between the first film of the laminate and the second film of the laminate. The bonding system can be configured to contact the first surface of the second film and to contact the first surface of the first film during lamination in step 325 of method 300. Notably, the first surface of the first film can be discontinuous, as one or more optical microstructures may be embossed from the first surface of the first film. After lamination, in step 330 of method 300, a gap filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index can be encapsulated therein. As described above, the magnitude of the dimensional height of each of the one or more optical microstructures and the Δ between the dimensional height from the base of each of the one or more optical microstructures to the first surface of the first film define at least one gap. At least a portion of the at least one gap can contain the gap filling material during lamination.

[0051] According to the embodiment, in reference Figure 3 Following the described lamination, the laminate can be incorporated onto the convex surface of a thermoplastic or thermoset optical lens by methods such as front-side lamination (e.g., laminating a wafer onto the convex surface of the lens) to produce an optical lens having optical microstructures on the convex side. This lens incorporation will be described in more detail with reference to subsequent figures.

[0052] According to an embodiment, one or more optical microstructures can be provided in the first surface of the first film by one of a variety of methods. In one example, a nickel platinum plated shim or a nickel silicon plated shim can be used to emboss a given optical microstructure architecture and design on the first surface of the first film. The first film can be semi-crystalline and heated to the glass transition temperature (T g ) and the melting temperature of the first material (T m ). The first film may be amorphous and heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature (T g ) temperature.

[0053] In another example, energy-assisted embossing can be used to stamp into the first surface of the first film to provide the one or more optical microstructures 405 therein. Such embossing can be assisted by stamping into a thin coating of a reactive material (e.g., an energy-curable material, reactive, cross-linkable, etc.) or a phase-change material (e.g., a liquid to crystalline solid, liquid crystal material) to cure the optical microstructures into the first surface of the first film. For example, embossing can use an ultraviolet process, wherein a thin coating of an ultraviolet-curable material is applied to the first surface of the first film, a replica stamp is used to create an embossed optical microstructure pattern, and then curing is performed by ultraviolet light to cure the one or more optical microstructure patterns into the first surface of the first film. While an ultraviolet process can be used, in embodiments, thermal processes and electron beam processes can also be used.

[0054] In embodiments, photolithography and / or direct-write additive manufacturing may also be used to create one or more optical microstructures within the first surface of the first film.

[0055] In embodiments, the above process can produce a recessed optical microstructure (i.e., a negative pattern) that can be the same or different material as the first and second films. A roller or flat plate stamp with a mirror image (i.e., positive) of the recessed optical microstructure pattern can be used as a template to create a pattern in a fluid UV-curable material. The material can then be UV-cured to fix the pattern.

[0056] refer to Figures 4A to 4C , after embossing in the first surface of the first film, each of the one or more optical microstructures can have a different architecture. In an example, the embossing can be performed by a hot embossing process.

[0057] For example, Figure 4A As shown, the optical microstructure 405 embossed in the first film 411 can be hemispherical, with the hemispherical portion being the small portion where the plane intersects the top of the sphere. Moreover, as can be observed, the width 419 of the optical microstructure 405 can substantially occupy the entire embossed area, leaving a gap as the space above the surface of the optical microstructure 405. Figure 4A As can be understood from the illustration of FIG, the optical microstructure 405 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from above.

[0058] Figure 4B An at least partially spherical optical microstructure 405 is provided which is embossed in the first film 411. As can be seen, the outer curvature of the at least partially hemispherical optical microstructure 405 can be defined by more than one curvilinear element. Of course, such an architecture can be defined according to the requirements of a given application. Similar to Figure 4A, the dimension width 419 of the optical microstructure 405 can occupy substantially the entire indented area, thereby leaving a gap as the space above the surface of the optical microstructure 405. Figure 4B As can be understood from the illustration of FIG, the optical microstructure 405 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from above.

[0059] Figure 4C An optical microstructure 405 is provided that is embossed within a first film 411, wherein the optical microstructure 405 has an outer curvature that can be defined by a combination of curvilinear elements. Furthermore, as can be observed, the dimension width 419 of the optical microstructure 405 can occupy only a portion of the embossed area, leaving a void as space adjacent to and above the surface of the optical microstructure 405. Figure 4C As can be understood from the illustration of FIG, the optical microstructure 405 has a substantially square or rectangular shape when viewed from above.

[0060] refer to Figures 4D to 4G As shown in the cross-sectional view, after being embossed in the first surface of the first film, each of the one or more optical microstructures can have a different architecture. Figures 4D to 4G It can be understood that the outer curvature of some of the one or more optical microstructures 405 of the first film 411 can be defined by a single curvature ( Figure 4D and Figure 4F ), while others can be defined by multiple curve elements ( Figure 4E and Figure 4G ). Moreover, each optical microstructure 405 can be defined by an inner wall corner 421. Figure 4D and Figure 4E As shown, the inner wall angle 421 can be an acute angle and can be between 30° and 90° from parallel lines. Figure 4F and Figure 4G As shown, the inner wall angle 421 may be an obtuse angle and may be between 90° and 150° from a parallel line. Such an inner wall angle may be determined based on visual intent.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the one or more optical microstructures may be one of an optical microstructure array, for example, the one or more optical microstructures may be a linear array, a circular array, a pentagonal array, a hexagonal array, or a combination of a linear array and / or a diagonal array.

[0062] In an embodiment, Figure 5is an illustration of a schematic cross-sectional view of a linear array 504 of one or more optical microstructures 505 embossed from a first surface 516 of a first film 511. The distance between each of the one or more optical microstructures 505 of the linear array 504 can be specified based on a given application. Furthermore, each linear array 504 having one or more optical microstructures 505 can be grouped together to form a larger linear or circular array group. Alternatively, each linear array 504 can be independently arranged relative to adjacent linear arrays.

[0063] Now refer to Figures 6A to 6D and in view of Figures 4D to 4G One or more optical microstructures 605 can be embossed from the first surface 616 of the first film 611 to form a linear array 604 having a predetermined architecture. The resulting film can have the appearance of a flat surface with many indentations, where each indentation is an embossed optical microstructure having a predetermined architecture. Figure 6A and Figure 6B Each depicts one or more optimal microstructures 605 embossed into the first surface 616 of the first film 611 such that each of the one or more optical microstructures 605 is spherical within a circular well. Although both are spherical, it can be observed that Figure 6A The inner wall of each microstructure 605 of the first film 611 is at an angle of 90° relative to the parallel line, and Figure 6B The inner wall of each optical microstructure 605 of the first film 611 is at an angle greater than 90° relative to a parallel line. Similarly, Figure 6C and Figure 6D Each depicts one or more optical microstructures 605 embossed into the first surface 616 of the first film 611 such that each of the one or more optical microstructures 605 has an outer curvature comprising a plurality of curvilinear elements. Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, Figure 6C The inner wall of each optical microstructure 605 of the first film 611 is at an angle of 90° relative to the parallel line, and Figure 6D The inner wall of each optical microstructure 605 of the first film 611 forms an angle greater than 90° with respect to a parallel line.

[0064] In an embodiment, Figures 6A to 6D As shown, the inner wall of each microstructure has a dimension height, which is shown as circular. However, it will be understood that other shapes including elliptical, square, rectangular, pentagonal and hexagonal are also suitable.

[0065] Having established the architecture of the first film of the laminate, the description will turn to the fabrication of the laminate comprising the first and second films.

[0066] To this end, a two-layer laminate structure can be used. A first film of a first material having a first refractive index can be provided, the first film including one or more optical microstructures. The one or more optical microstructures can be embossed into the first film. The one or more optical microstructures can have a refractive index that is the same as or different from the first refractive index of the first material of the first film. A second film of a second material having a second refractive index can be laminated on the first surface of the first film. Lamination can be performed by various methods. In an embodiment, an air blower or a nitrogen purge blower can be applied to the first surface of the film before the second film is laminated to the first surface of the first film. In this way, the air blower or the nitrogen purge blower can provide a gap filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index. When the second film is laminated to the first film, the gap filling material can be encapsulated within at least a portion of at least one gap of the laminate.

[0067] In an embodiment, laminating the second film and the first film may require applying a bonding system between the first surface of the second film and the first surface of the first film. The bonding system can be applied via a slot die coater, a roll coater, a blade roll coater or any type of pattern coater to cover the contact area of ​​the first surface of the first film and the contact area of ​​the first surface of the second film. After applying the bonding system, the second film can be laminated to the first film and a gap filling material can be encapsulated therebetween. The gap filling material can be an impermeable gas and / or can be one of dry air, nitrogen, xenon or other rare gases. The bonding system can be an adhesive system and can include water-based, solvent-based, solvent-free, pressure-sensitive or hot-melt auxiliary adhesives. For the first coating type and the second coating type, a volatile carrier (e.g., water, solvent) may evaporate and leave a residue of the coating solid. For the third coating type, one of thermal curing, ultraviolet curing, electron beam curing, etc. can be used for curing. Examples of materials for the third coating type include acrylics, epoxies, urethanes, cyclic anhydrides, MR-8 (refractive index ~1.60), MR-10 (refractive index ~1.67), and similar plastics (refractive index between ~1.70 and ~1.74). Alternatively, the bonding system can be a non-stick bonding system, such as a surface activated system that can be activated via plasma, corona, ozone, or other methods for bonding one surface to another.

[0068] According to the embodiment, it is possible to Figure 7A Lamination is performed as described. Figure 7AAs shown, laminate 710 may include a first film 711 of a first material having a first refractive index, and may include one or more optical microstructures 705 embossed from a first surface 716 of the first film 711. Laminate 710 may include a second film 712 of a second material having a second refractive index. During lamination, a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index may be encapsulated between the first film 711 and the second film 712, the gap-filling material occupying at least a portion of at least one gap defined by a delta 709 between the length dimension of one of the one or more optical microstructures 705 and the length dimension from the base of the one or more optical microstructures 705 to the first surface 716 of the first film 711. In embodiments, a bonding system 702 may be disposed between the contacting surfaces of the first film 711 and the second film 712. The gap-filling material may be a gel, a solid, a fluid such as a liquid or gas, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the gap-filling material may be impermeable to gas. It will be appreciated that bonding system 702 provides negligible thickness after lamination. In an example, a laminate can be formed by nano-embossing a pattern in each side of a single film in a roll-to-roll process.

[0069] According to the embodiment, it is possible to Figure 7B Lamination is performed as described. Figure 7B As shown, laminate 710 may include a first film 711 of a first material having a first refractive index. Laminate 710 may include a second film 712 of a second material having a second refractive index. In some examples, the first and second materials may be the same material. A coating may be applied to first surface 716 of first film 711 to create one or more optical microstructures 705 and adjacent wall portions 723 thereon. In some examples, the coating may be a UV coating or a thermal coating. The coating may be applied using a slot die coater or a differential offset gravure coater. During lamination, a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index may be encapsulated between first film 711 and second film 712, with the gap-filling material occupying at least a portion of at least one gap defined by a delta 709 between the length of one of the one or more optical microstructures 705 and the length of the dimension from the base of the one or more optical microstructures 705 to the first surface 716 of first film 711. In some embodiments, a bonding system 702 may be disposed between the contacting surfaces of first film 711 and second film 712. The gap filling material can be a gel, a solid, a fluid such as a liquid or gas, or a combination thereof. The gap filling material can be impermeable to a gas. It will be appreciated that the bonding system 702 provides negligible thickness after lamination. In an example, the laminate can be formed by nano-embossing a pattern on each side of a single film in a roll-to-roll process.

[0070] Now refer to Figure 8A and Figure 8B , any of the above laminates, as a non-limiting group, can be cut, formed into curved wafers and incorporated into an optical lens 801. The incorporation of the laminate 810 comprising optical microstructures can be performed, inter alia, by injection overmolding, wafer casting (i.e., on the surface or within the lens) or pressure and / or heat assisted "front side lamination" and / or "back side lamination" onto existing semi-finished and / or finished lenses. Any of the above techniques may require that one or both surfaces of the laminate contain or be coated with a primer layer or adhesive layer (e.g., pressure sensitive adhesive, hot melt adhesive) to promote bonding to the lens substrate material. As Figure 8A As shown, laminate 810 can be adhered to the convex surface of optical lens 801, so that laminate 810 is arranged opposite the surface of optical lens 801 adjacent to the eye of the eyeglass wearer. Figure 8B As shown, laminate 810 can be adhered to the concave surface of optical lens 801, thereby placing laminate 810 on the surface of optical lens 801 adjacent the eye of the eyeglass wearer. Optical lens 810 can be a conventional thermoplastic lens or a thermoset lens.

[0071] According to the embodiment and with reference to Figure 9 , a concave surface of the optical lens 901 can be used to prepare a lens including one or more optical microstructures 905 and having a refractive index RI 晶片 The laminate or wafer 910 is then laminated to the convex surface of the optical lens 901. The optical lens 901 may have a refractive index RI 镜片 The one or more optical microstructures may be microlenses, in particular microlenses of the Fresnel lens type. adh Adhesive 902 is used as a bonding system to facilitate lamination. The adhesive can be a water-based adhesive, a solvent-based adhesive, or a solvent-free adhesive, as appropriate. Alternatively, laminate 910 can be prepared based on the convex surface of optical lens 901 and then laminated to the concave surface of optical lens 901, as desired.

[0072] In an embodiment, the resulting refractive power of the one or more optical microstructures depends on ΔRI=(RI 晶片 -RI adh ) and is independent of RI 镜片 , assuming RI 晶片 ≠RI adh In this manner, it can be appreciated that when the laminate and adhesive are carefully selected, the substrate material is not critical to the function of the laminate.

[0073] According to embodiments, in addition to the above-described methods, laminates can also be produced by injection molding. The lamination step can be performed during the injection molding of the optical thermoplastic lens using an in-mold lamination process, thereby making the process suitable for large-scale production. Furthermore, lamination can be performed in the prescription laboratory using either "front-side lamination" or "back-side lamination," depending on the desired result.

[0074] In other words, various manufacturing methods are available and applicable. In at least one method, the laminate as described above can be positioned in a mold before forming the optical lens. In at least one method, the laminate can be adhered and / or bonded to the already formed optical lens. For example, to form a thermoplastic polycarbonate (PC) lens, the laminate can be overmolded on the convex surface of the lens, or, in other words, molten PC can be injected behind the laminate. In another example, for thermosetting cast lenses, the laminate can be positioned on the surface of the mold, or the laminate can be offset from the surface of the mold by 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. In this way, the gaps therebetween can be filled with thermosetting monomers / resins and allowed to solidify. In this case, a primer layer may be required to allow the surface of the laminate to bond to the thermosetting monomers / resins.

[0075] According to embodiments, in addition to the above, "front-side lamination" and / or "back-side lamination" can be performed by one of two methods. In one case, the laminate can be permanently adhered and / or bonded to the convex or concave surface of an existing thermoplastic or thermoset lens. In another case, the laminate can be temporarily fastened to the convex or concave surface of an existing thermoplastic or thermoset lens as a patch or other temporary fixing device.

[0076] According to an embodiment, any of the above laminates can be cut and formed into curved wafers and incorporated into lenses. Figure 10 Exemplary images of multiple optical microstructure arrays incorporated into lens assemblies are provided.

[0077] If you can Figure 10 As seen in FIG, a normal view of a laminated wafer with one or more optical microstructures embossed therein and a corresponding example of a process for incorporating the same into an optical lens is shown. The optical lens may be a semi-finished (SF) lens or a finished (F) lens. The base curvature of the optical lens may be between 1.25 diopters and 8.50 diopters. Figure 10In the process, the laminate can be combined with the optical lens, as described above. For example, via injection overmolding, the laminate can be mechanically thermoformed using a LEMA molding process machine and then placed on the convex surface of the injection molding cavity. A thermoplastic material heated to between 100°C and 300°C can be injected onto the laminate, creating an instant fusion bond between the laminate and the heated thermoplastic material. In some cases, a primer layer or other adhesion-promoting layer may be required to bond the wafer to the thermoplastic or thermoset material. The combined laminate and SF or F lens can be ejected, where the laminate including one or more optical microstructures can be located on the convex side of the optical lens. In another case, the laminate can be adhered to the surface of a thermoplastic or thermoset molded optical lens via "front-side lamination" or "back-side lamination." Adhesion can be assisted by an adhesive backing material on the concave or convex surface of the optical lens. The adhesive backing material can be a UV-based material, a solvent-based material, a solvent-free material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, a hot-melt adhesive, or the like.

[0078] right Figure 10 The above description of describes a flow chart indicating that one or more embossed optical microstructures (e.g., recessed microstructures) are incorporated into a laminate (e.g., a microstructured wafer) and subsequently laminated to a surface of an optical lens. Figure 10 It will be appreciated that arranging a plurality of optical microstructure arrays allows obtaining different geometrical arrangements thereof.

[0079] Accordingly, Figures 11A to 11C An illustration of one or more optical microstructures 1105 on the surface of an optical lens 1101 is provided. The arrangement of the one or more optical microstructures 1105 can be symmetrical, such as Figure 11A As shown, or can be random, as Figure 11B As shown. The one or more optical microstructures 1105 can be included in one or more arrays 1104. Figure 11C As shown, the one or more optical microstructures 1105 can be arranged as an array 1104 within a dispersed cluster of one or more optical microstructures 1105. The one or more optical microstructures 1105 can be in the form of clusters or clusters (e.g., rectangles, squares, and circles), or can be arranged diagonally.

[0080] According to the embodiment, reference Figures 11A to 11C, the functional efficacy can depend on the efficiency of the optical microstructure design and its coverage on the optical lens surface. For example, if the functional efficiency of the optical microstructure design is 75%, but it only covers 25% of the total surface of the optical lens, only 19% of the total incident light will be affected. However, if the 25% coverage of the optical lens surface indicates that one quarter of the optical lens (e.g., from 0° to 90°) is fully covered, while the other 75% of the optical lens does not contain microstructures (e.g., 90° to 360° has 0% coverage), the light impinging on the covered quarter will be affected by 75%. This may be useful in situations where it is desired that light entering from the left side be used to modify the light entering the left eye. A similar situation can be considered for the right eye.

[0081] According to embodiments, the laminates of the present disclosure can be used to manufacture adaptive single vision lenses for children and young adults for myopia control and prevention. Use in the manufacture of thin single or multi-layer laminates as discontinuous surfaces for light management and control is intended to address issues associated with poor visual acuity and / or other eye-related health problems.

[0082] Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

[0083] Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be described as follows in brackets.

[0084] (1) A laminate comprising a first film of a first material having a first refractive index, the first film comprising a microstructure pattern embossed into a first surface of the first film, each microstructure in the embossed microstructure pattern being an optical microstructure arranged such that a height of the first surface of the first film is greater than a height of each optical microstructure, and a second film of a second material having a second refractive index, the second film being laminated to the first film at the first surface of the first film via the first surface of the second film, wherein a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure encapsulates a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index in at least a portion of at least one gap defined by Δ when the second film is laminated to the first film.

[0085] (2) A laminate according to (1), wherein the laminate is laminated to a convex surface of a lens, the convex surface of the lens being opposite to the surface of the lens adjacent to the eye of the lens wearer, and the second surface of the first film is in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

[0086] (3) A laminate according to any one of (1) or (2), wherein the laminate is laminated to a convex surface of a lens, the convex surface of the lens being opposite to the surface of the lens adjacent to the eye of the lens wearer, and the second surface of the second film is in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

[0087] (4) The laminate according to any one of (1) to (3), further comprising an adhesive applied to a contact area between the first surface of the first film and the first surface of the second film.

[0088] (5) The laminate according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the first refractive index of the first material is different from the predetermined refractive index of the gap-filling material.

[0089] (6) The laminate according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the first refractive index of the first material is greater than 1.4.

[0090] (7) The laminate according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the first material of the first film and the second material of the second film are the same thermoplastic.

[0091] (8) The laminate according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the void filling material is gas impermeable.

[0092] (9) A method of producing a laminate, the method comprising laminating a first surface of a first film to a first surface of a second film, the first film being a first material having a first refractive index and including a microstructure pattern embossed into the first surface of the first film, and the second film being a second material having a second refractive index, wherein each microstructure in the embossed microstructure pattern of the first surface of the first film is an optical microstructure arranged such that a height of the first surface of the first film is greater than a height of each optical microstructure, and a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure encapsulates a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index in at least a portion of at least one gap defined by the Δ when the first surface of the first film is laminated to the first surface of the second film.

[0093] (10) The method according to (9), further comprising laminating the laminate to a convex surface of the lens, the convex surface of the lens being opposite to the surface of the lens adjacent to the eye of the lens wearer, the second surface of the first film being in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

[0094] (11) The method according to (9) or (10), further comprising laminating the laminate to a convex surface of the lens, the convex surface of the lens being opposite to the surface of the lens adjacent to the eye of the lens wearer, and the second surface of the second film contacts the convex surface of the lens.

[0095] (12) The method according to any one of (9) to (11), wherein the laminating includes applying an adhesive to a contact area between the first surface of the first film and the first surface of the second film.

[0096] (13) The method according to any one of (9) to (12), wherein the first refractive index of the first material is different from the predetermined refractive index of the gap-filling material.

[0097] (14) The method according to any one of (9) to (13), wherein the first film and the second film are the same thermoplastic.

[0098] (15) The method according to any one of (9) to (14), wherein the void filling material is gas impermeable.

[0099] Therefore, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes only exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, not limiting, of the scope of the present invention and the other claims. This disclosure (including any readily discernible variations of the teachings herein) partially defines the scope of the aforementioned claim terms so that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.

Claims

1. A laminate on a lens substrate material intended for use in correcting vision abnormalities, comprising: a first film of a first material having a first refractive index, the first film comprising a pattern of microstructures embossed into a first surface of the first film, each microstructure in the embossed pattern of microstructures being an optical microstructure arranged such that a height of the first surface of the first film is greater than a height of each optical microstructure; as well as a second film of a second material having a second refractive index, the second film being laminated to the first film at the first surface of the first film via the first surface of the second film, wherein a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure that encapsulates a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index in at least a portion of at least one gap defined by the Δ when the second film is laminated to the first film, The invention is characterized in that the gap filling material is selected from gel, solid, fluid or a combination thereof, the fluid is liquid or gas, and the gas is nitrogen, argon or xenon.

2. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein The laminate is laminated to a convex surface of the lens opposite the surface of the lens adjacent to the lens wearer's eye, with the second surface of the first film in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

3. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein The laminate is laminated to a convex surface of the lens opposite the surface of the lens adjacent to the lens wearer's eye, with the second surface of the second film in contact with the convex surface of the lens. 4 . The laminate of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive applied to a contact area between the first surface of the first film and the first surface of the second film.

5. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein The first material has a first refractive index that is different from a predetermined refractive index of the gap-filling material.

6. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein The first refractive index of the first material is greater than 1.

4.

7. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein The first material of the first film and the second material of the second film are the same thermoplastic.

8. A method of producing a laminate on a lens substrate material intended for use in correcting vision abnormalities, comprising: laminating a first surface of a first film of a first material having a first refractive index and comprising a microstructure pattern embossed into the first surface of the first film to a first surface of a second film of a second material having a second refractive index, wherein Each microstructure in the debossed microstructure pattern of the first surface of the first film is an optical microstructure arranged such that the height of the first surface of the first film is greater than the height of each optical microstructure, and a Δ between the height of the first surface of the first film and the height of each optical microstructure that encapsulates a gap-filling material of a material having a predetermined refractive index in at least a portion of at least one gap defined by the Δ when the first surface of the first film is laminated to the first surface of the second film, The invention is characterized in that the gap filling material is selected from gel, solid, fluid or a combination thereof, the fluid is liquid or gas, and the gas is nitrogen, argon or xenon.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising The laminate is laminated to a convex surface of a lens opposite the surface of the lens adjacent to the lens wearer's eye, with the second surface of the first film in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising The laminate is laminated to a convex surface of a lens opposite the surface of the lens adjacent to the lens wearer's eye, with the second surface of the second film in contact with the convex surface of the lens.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein The lamination comprises An adhesive is applied to the contact area between the first surface of the first film and the first surface of the second film.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein The first material has a first refractive index that is different from a predetermined refractive index of the gap-filling material.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein The first film and the second film are the same thermoplastic.

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