Method for manufacturing ophthalmic article having at least one microstructured surface and ophthalmic article thus obtained

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ophthalmic article having at least one microstructured surface, and to an ophthalmic article obtained by the method. A method for manufacturing an ophthalmic article having a front major surface and a rear major surface, at least one of the front major surface and the rear major surface being a microstructured surface, and the method comprising: a) providing an ophthalmic substrate (10) having a substrate surface, the substrate surface being hydrophobic or hydrophilic; b) patterning the substrate surface to produce a surface wettability pattern thereon, the surface wettability pattern comprising a two-dimensional array of distant hydrophilic micro-regions and at least one hydrophobic region separating the hydrophilic micro-regions from each other; c) coating the two-dimensional array with a hydrophilic liquid so as to form remote droplets (D) of the hydrophilic liquid, the hydrophilic liquid being capable of forming a wear resistant coating in the dry and / or cured state, the droplets being anchored to the hydrophilic micro-regions by their wettability; and d) drying and / or curing the droplets (D) of the hydrophilic liquid to thereby produce a three-dimensional microlens array, which forms at least one microstructured surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ophthalmic article having at least one microstructured surface, and to an ophthalmic article obtained by the method. The present invention is particularly applicable to an ophthalmic lens comprising a three-dimensional microlens array, when the ophthalmic article is an ophthalmic curved prescription lens, the microlens is configured to control the progression of myopia, even though the ophthalmic article can alternatively be incorporated into a smart eyewear device. Background Art

[0002] Optical articles such as lenses typically include a base lens substrate shaped to provide a desired optical power, and an abrasion resistant coating (also called an anti-wear or hard coating) covering at least one surface of the base lens substrate to protect the base lens substrate from damage by scratches.

[0003] For many applications, it has been found desirable to provide a plurality of microlenses on a base lens substrate, thereby providing a local variation in the focal power of the optical article. For example, from US2017 / 0131567A1 a lens is known, the lens comprising a plurality of microlenses formed on a lens surface, the local variation in focal power provided by the microlenses being able to slow down the progression of myopia.

[0004] Thus, microlens arrays are used to add a defocusing effect to the periphery of ophthalmic corrective lenses to control the progression of myopia in children. In fact, some ophthalmic lenses today are specifically designed and manufactured for this purpose. Nevertheless, this approach limits the extension of this technology to some materials, and the specific manufacturing methods - which typically involve molds - result in additional costs and investments.

[0005] Existing methods of molding microlenses do require the protection of the delicate microlens surface with another covering material and involve the conception and manufacture of expensive and delicate molds. Specifically, such known methods typically inject a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin into a master mold containing a surface replication of the microlens array in an inverted profile. In order to protect the microlens array and to ensure a prolonged ophthalmic effect of the ophthalmic article, the molded microlens is covered with the above-mentioned covering material in a subsequent manufacturing step, which results in the focusing lens defined by the microlens array being corrected due to the refractive index of the specific covering material. Moreover, this subsequent step is particularly difficult to control.

[0006] Besides the fact that known molding manufacturing methods for prescription ophthalmic lenses are complex and expensive, another disadvantage of these methods is that they are not universal and limit the range of molded ophthalmic articles that can be obtained, because such methods cannot be easily implemented for all ophthalmic lens materials.

[0007] WO 2020 / 078964A1 relates to an optical product comprising

[0008] - a base lens substrate having a front surface and a back surface,

[0009] - an abrasion resistant coating covering at least one of the front surface and the back surface, the abrasion resistant coating having a first surface at the interface with the base lens substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface, and

[0010] - at least one optical element protruding from one of the first and second surfaces of the wear resistant coating, the optical element being composed of a material suitable for forming the wear resistant coating and being formable from the same wear resistant coating by additive manufacturing, photolithography, hot embossing or injection molding.

[0011] The article by Daniel M. Hartmann, Osman Kibar, and Sadik C. Esener, Characterization of a polymer microlens fabricated by use of the hydrophobic effect, July 1, 2000 / Volume 25, Issue 13 / OPTICS LETTERS 975, deals with a method for fabricating hydrophilic domains in a hydrophobic background by photolithographically patterning a viscous hydrophobic layer. 2 , SiN, GaAs, InP, etc.) to manufacture polymer microlenses with diameters ranging from 2μm to 500μm.

[0012] It should be noted that the article relates to optical systems in optics-based applications, but does not disclose ophthalmic articles, such as ophthalmic lenses or eyeglass articles. Summary of the invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to overcome at least the above-mentioned disadvantages by providing a method for manufacturing an ophthalmic product having a front major surface and a rear major surface, at least one of which is a microstructured surface, through a simple additive process allowing to provide existing ophthalmic products of any material and geometry, such as curved prescription lenses, the ophthalmic product having an array of microlenses with high mechanical resistance, in particular to simplify the delivery of a full range of myopia control lenses, without changing the underlying lens blanks and without changing the supply chain of the finished lenses.

[0014] According to the present invention, the manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

[0015] a) providing an ophthalmic substrate having a substrate surface, the substrate surface being hydrophobic or hydrophilic;

[0016] b) patterning the surface of the substrate to produce a surface wettability pattern thereon, the surface wettability pattern comprising a two-dimensional array of mutually distant hydrophilic microdomains and at least one hydrophobic region separating the hydrophilic microdomains from each other;

[0017] c) coating the two-dimensional array with a hydrophilic liquid to form mutually distant droplets of the hydrophilic liquid capable of forming an abrasion resistant coating in a dried and / or cured state, the droplets being anchored to the hydrophilic micro-areas by their wettability; and

[0018] d) Drying and / or curing (eg by UV or thermal curing) the mutually distant droplets of the hydrophilic liquid to thereby produce a three-dimensional array of microlenses forming at least one microstructured surface.

[0019] It should be noted that this "post-fabrication" of microlens arrays onto the front and / or back major surfaces of ophthalmic articles according to the present invention by adding abrasion resistant coatings in steps c) and d) is fully compatible with prescription organizations and technical standards.

[0020] It should also be noted that the manufacturing method of the present invention allows the pattern of microlens arrays to be produced on existing ophthalmic products such as prescription lenses, without changing the manufacturing method of the lenses, which lenses can be made of any lens material and can have any geometry, as explained above. Therefore, the entire method can advantageously be implemented at a lower cost than existing methods and allows for late personalization of microlenses.

[0021] It will also be noted that a major advantage of the manufacturing method of the present invention is that the microlens array can be made from any existing wear-resistant (i.e. hard-coated) material with high mechanical resistance, so that these microlenses do not require any other protective layer thereon (although additional layers such as, in particular, anti-reflective coatings may optionally be applied to the outer surface of the microlenses).

[0022] It will be further noted that in the case of a mineral ophthalmic substrate, the surface of the mineral ophthalmic substrate can be rendered hydrophobic or hydrophilic by appropriate treatment, and that the above steps b), c) and d) can be applied to any mineral or organic ophthalmic substrate in an uncoated state (either to a "neat substrate" or to a modified substrate surface), provided that the ophthalmic substrate has a sufficiently high abrasion resistance.

[0023] According to a first embodiment of the invention, step a) comprises making the ophthalmic substrate consisting of a mineral material hydrophobic or hydrophilic on the surface of said substrate (ie it is not necessary to provide the ophthalmic substrate with a separate hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating in step a)).

[0024] According to a second embodiment of the invention, step a) consists in providing an ophthalmic substrate consisting of an organic material with a first abrasion-resistant coating, which is hydrophobic or hydrophilic and defines the surface of said substrate; and an abrasion-resistant coating which, after steps c) and d), forms a microlens, thus representing a second abrasion-resistant coating.

[0025] The thickness of the first wear resistant coating is generally in the range from 1 to 10 microns, preferably from 2 to 6 microns.

[0026] It may be noted that this first wear resistant coating may also be applied to a mineral ophthalmic substrate, although this is not necessary.

[0027] As described in detail below, it will be further noted that the three-dimensional microlens array obtained in step d) according to the first and second embodiments above may be removable, for example by immersion in an appropriate removal bath while protecting the first wear-resistant coating, so as to selectively recover the ophthalmic substrate coated with the first wear-resistant coating. This may advantageously allow the ophthalmic substrate provided with the first wear-resistant coating to be re-coated with another three-dimensional microlens array, so as to change the optical properties of the ophthalmic article according to the progression of myopia of the wearer. This may also be useful in the case of low yields obtained during the production of the first three-dimensional microlens array, since its removal will allow a second pass, which is hardly feasible for polymer microlenses made by injection methods.

[0028] According to another feature of the above second embodiment of the present invention, in step c), the hydrophilic liquid can be selected so that the second wear-resistant coating forming the microlens has a Bayer value that is preferably greater than or equal to the Bayer value of the first wear-resistant coating, both Bayer values ​​are measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard and are preferably greater than or equal to 2, more preferably between 3 and 25 and even more preferably between 4 and 15, depending on the material used for the second wear-resistant coating.

[0029] This Bayer value gradient between the first abrasion-resistant coating and the second abrasion-resistant coating notably allows to impart a satisfactory mechanical resistance to the microlens.

[0030] Advantageously, according to any of the aforementioned features of the above first and second embodiments, in step c), the hydrophilic liquid may be a polar liquid selected from a solution in a polar solvent and an emulsion comprising a polar phase.

[0031] It should be noted that these solutions or emulsions in polar solvents (which may be highly polar) include mixtures of highly polar liquids, and that such exemplary hydrophilic liquids may contain small amounts of water.

[0032] It should also be noted that the hydrophilic liquid may be further selected to exhibit a sufficiently low viscosity and a sufficiently high surface tension configured to minimize viscous drag and maximize capillary forces in order to oppose wetting of the at least one hydrophobic region by the hydrophilic liquid.

[0033] It will be further noted that the hydrophilic liquid composition can be further selected based on the desired refractive index of the microlens array.

[0034] Preferably, according to the above first and second embodiments, the hydrophilic liquid used in step c) comprises at least one inorganic oxide of a metal or non-metal selected from colloidal silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide and mixtures thereof or one or more composite oxides, and the hydrophilic liquid is selected from a polar solution containing an alcohol, ketone and / or ester solvent, the hydrophilic liquid comprises a silane or alkoxysilane hydrolyzate / condensate, at least one inorganic oxide and a catalytic amount of a curing catalyst, and the curing catalyst is preferably selected from an aluminum-based catalyst and an organic metal complex of zirconium, titanium, iron or nickel.

[0035] Alternatively, the hydrophilic liquid composition may be free of colloidal oxide particles. In this case, the hydrophilic liquid composition may contain essentially a silane or alkoxysilane hydrolysate / condensate in a polar solvent.

[0036] The hydrophilic liquid more preferably comprises epoxytrialkoxysilane and dialkyldialkoxysilane hydrolysate / condensate, colloidal silica and a catalytic amount of curing catalyst. Exemplary usable compositions are disclosed in file FR 2702486A1 or its equivalent US2003 / 165698A1, and are also disclosed in WO 2020 / 078964A1. The remainder of the hydrophilic liquid composition can be substantially composed of conventional solvents for preparing such hydrophilic liquids. Still more preferably, hydrolysate / condensate is γ-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO) and dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES) hydrolysate / condensate or in addition GLYMO and triethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) hydrolysate / condensate.

[0037] Exemplary aluminum-based curing catalysts may be selected from aluminum chelates or compounds having one of the two following formulae (I) or (II):

[0038]

[0039] in:

[0040] - R and R' are straight or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,

[0041] -R" is a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, groups, in which R has the meaning given above,

[0042] - and n is an integer from 1 to 3.

[0043] Aluminum chelates are known as compounds formed by reacting aluminum alcoholates or acylates with nitrogen- and sulfur-free chelating agents containing oxygen as coordinating atoms.

[0044] The aluminum chelate is preferably selected from compounds having formula (III):

[0045] AlX v Y 3-v (III)

[0046] in:

[0047] -X is an OL group, wherein L is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,

[0048] -Y is at least one coordination product obtained from a compound having the following formula (1) or (2):

[0049] M 1 COCH 2 COM 2 (1)

[0050] M 3 COCH 2 COOM 4 (2)

[0051] in:

[0052] M 1 、M 2 、M 3 and M 4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and v takes the value 0, 1 or 2.

[0053] Examples of compounds having the formula (III) are aluminum acetylacetonate, aluminum ethylacetoacetate bisacetylacetonate, aluminum bisethylacetoacetate acetylacetonate, di-n-butoxide monoethylacetoacetate aluminum and diisopropoxide monomethylacetoacetate aluminum.

[0054] Preferred compounds of formula (I) or (II) are those wherein R' is isopropyl or ethyl and R and R" are methyl.

[0055] One or more compounds of formula (I), (II) or (III) may be used as an aluminum-based curing catalyst, which may be used in a proportion that will harden the hydrophilic liquid over a period of several hours at a temperature of about 100°C, typically in a proportion of 0.1% to 5% by weight of the hydrophilic liquid composition.

[0056] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention common to the first and second embodiments above, step c) is implemented via dip-coating, by dipping the ophthalmic substrate provided with a patterned substrate surface (and therefore provided with a first abrasion resistant coating, according to the second embodiment) into a bath of a hydrophilic liquid and then by controlled removal of the immersed ophthalmic substrate from the bath, the removal being controlled so as to obtain the desired radius of curvature and / or volume for each of the microlenses obtained in step d). In fact, provided that the removal speed is below a critical speed, the radius of curvature of each droplet is a result of the droplet volume, which itself is directly related to the removal speed. Furthermore, the droplet volume also depends on the size of each hydrophilic micro-area and at least one zone produced in step b).

[0057] It should be noted that the dip coating technique is preferred for coating two-dimensional arrays with hydrophilic liquids, although other coating techniques such as spin coating, spray coating, or roller coating may alternatively be used.

[0058] In the dip-coating preferably carried out in step c), the maximum permissible removal speed can be determined by measuring the critical transition speed at which the film without hydrophilic liquid is dragged to at least one hydrophobic zone after immersion and removal, and the controlled removal of the immersed ophthalmic substrate from the bath is carried out at an adjusted removal speed selected to be lower than or equal to said critical transition speed.

[0059] According to the general features of the present invention which may relate to any one of the aforementioned embodiments (including the first and second embodiments above), and in particular when step c) is performed by dip coating, steps b) and c) may be performed so that the microlens obtained in step d) has:

[0060] - when the ophthalmic article is an ophthalmic curved prescription lens, if the microlens is designed to control the progression of myopia, at least one larger lateral direction, such as a diameter, that is greater than 500 μm and preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm; and / or

[0061] - at least one shape selected from sphere, cylinder, ellipsoid and combinations thereof, although there is no limitation on the shape or shapes of the microlenses obtained; and / or

[0062] - Various refractive indices and / or various colors, and can optionally be blurred.

[0063] It should be noted that the shape and size of the droplets anchored in step c) of the method of the invention determine the radius and focus parameters of the microlens array after subsequent drying and / or curing in step d). In practice, due to the evaporation of the solvent used in the wear-resistant coating of the droplets, the final shape of the droplets differs from the shape of the droplets immediately after said removal. Furthermore, the dry content of the coating liquid can also be a controlling parameter of the final geometry of the microlenses.

[0064] It should also be noted that variations from the conventional spherical shape of the microlenses can be easily obtained by changing the geometry of the hydrophilic microregions in step b), including different sizes and / or shapes that can be easily combined for the microlenses obtained in step d) on the same surface, producing, for example, astigmatic microlenses and / or microlenses of different optical powers (e.g., two types of spherical microlenses to produce two optical powers).

[0065] According to the present invention, which may relate to the general features of any of the aforementioned embodiments (including the first and second embodiments above), and in particular when step c) is performed by dip coating:

[0066] ophthalmic substrates may be composed of mineral materials or of thermosetting, photocurable or thermoplastic organic materials; and

[0067] The method may further comprise at least one of the following steps A) and B):

[0068] A) coating an ophthalmic substrate, which is itself coated with said substrate surface (i.e., in the second embodiment, with a first abrasion resistant coating), with a primer coating prior to step a), and

[0069] B) Laminating an ophthalmic substrate provided with a patterned substrate surface onto an existing curved lens (e.g. based on thermoplastic or thermosetting materials and already including an abrasion resistant coating or not) by a forming technique implemented by:

[0070] - between step b) and step c), laminating an ophthalmic substrate provided with said substrate surface patterned according to a surface wettability pattern, or

[0071] - After step d), the ophthalmic substrate provided with a patterned substrate surface (ie in the second embodiment with a patterned first abrasion resistant coating) and a three-dimensional array of microlenses is laminated.

[0072] In a second embodiment, it may alternatively be carried out as a variant of step B) that between steps a) and b) an ophthalmic substrate provided with a first abrasion resistant coating which has not yet been patterned is laminated.

[0073] Also with respect to the second embodiment, the first wear resistant coating may be selected from a solution comprising at least one inorganic oxide selected from metal and non-metal oxides.

[0074] As thermoplastic materials that can be used for ophthalmic substrates, mention may be made, for example, of polyamides, polyimides, polysulfones, polycarbonates and copolymers thereof, polyethylene terephthalate and (meth)acrylic acid (co)polymers, in particular polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Mention may also be made of cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), cyclic olefin polymers (COP) and also cellulose acetates, such as tricellulose acetate (TAC).

[0075] As thermosetting materials that can be used for ophthalmic substrates, mention may be made of, for example:

[0076] - homopolymers and copolymers of allyl carbonates of linear or branched aliphatic or aromatic polyols, such as homopolymers of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) (CR ),

[0077] - homopolymers and copolymers of (meth)acrylic acid and its esters, optionally derived from bisphenol A,

[0078] - homopolymers and copolymers of thio(meth)acrylic acid and its esters,

[0079] - homopolymers and copolymers optionally derived from bisphenol A or allyl esters of phthalic acid and allyl aromatic compounds such as styrene,

[0080] - copolymers of urethanes and thiourethanes,

[0081] - homopolymers and copolymers of epoxy resins, and

[0082] - Homopolymers and copolymers of sulfides, disulfides and episulfides.

[0083] Examples of substrates that can be used in the present invention include and Resin (thermosetting polythiourethane resin), and Obtained substrate.

[0084] With respect to the first abrasion resistant coating used in the above second embodiment of the organic ophthalmic substrate (which coating is optional in the above first embodiment of the mineral ophthalmic substrate), it may be composed of a composition similar to that described above for the hydrophilic liquid designed to form the second abrasion resistant coating, i.e., wherein the metal or non-metal oxide is selected from colloidal silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide, and mixtures thereof, and the first abrasion resistant coating is derived from a polar solution comprising an alcohol, ketone and / or ester solvent and comprising an epoxysilane hydrolyzate, at least one inorganic oxide and a catalytic amount of a curing catalyst, preferably an aluminum-based curing catalyst, which may be selected from one of the above formulas (I), (II) or (III). Nevertheless, the first abrasion resistant coating is preferably selected so as to exhibit a Bayer value greater than or equal to 2 and preferably less than or equal to the Bayer value of the second abrasion resistant coating, both values ​​being measured according to ASTM F735-81.

[0085] With regard to the above-mentioned optional additional steps A) and B), it can be noted that:

[0086] - step A) of coating the ophthalmic substrate with a primer coating having a high surface tension prior to step a) may allow improving the adhesion of the abrasion resistant coating on some substrates and also impart impact resistance to the finished ophthalmic article; and

[0087] - Step B) may include the case where the microlens is made from a film obtained by the sequence of steps a) to d), which film is then laminated onto an existing ophthalmic article, which may optionally already be provided with an abrasion resistant coating (e.g. laminated onto a curved prescription lens with or without a hard coating).

[0088] According to another general feature of the present invention which may relate to any of the aforementioned embodiments (including the first and second embodiments above), and in particular when step c) is performed by dip coating, the method may further comprise the following steps:

[0089] e) removing the three-dimensional microlens array obtained in step d) by immersion in a removal bath and optionally providing protective masking means for the substrate surface (i.e. the first abrasion resistant coating in the second embodiment) in order to selectively recover the ophthalmic substrate provided with the substrate surface, and

[0090] f) firstly carrying out at least once the sequence of steps c) and d) and optionally step b) to obtain another three-dimensional microlens array forming at least one microstructured surface (in fact, if the removal of the microlenses results in a surface having hydrophilic properties, it may not be necessary to carry out step b) again in step f)).

[0091] It may be noted that, depending on the respective compositions of the first and second wear-resistant coatings, the immersion in the removal bath may undesirably remove both coatings, which may be the case in particular in a caustic bath (which is particularly useful for the removal bath), and the protective masking means is therefore intended to protect the first wear-resistant coating during this immersion (e.g. in a caustic bath) in order to remove only the second wear-resistant coating. Nevertheless, if the first wear-resistant coating has been damaged, it may be desirable to remove both coatings. It is then possible to carry out the entire process again.

[0092] It may also be noted that the protective masking means may be maintained subsequently in step f) to apply another microlens array.

[0093] According to another general feature of the present invention that may relate to any one of the aforementioned embodiments (including the first and second embodiments above), and in particular when step c) is implemented by dip coating, step a) can be implemented by using an ophthalmic lens selected from a finished ophthalmic lens and an optionally edged ophthalmic lens blank, preferably an ophthalmic curved prescription lens as the ophthalmic substrate provided with the substrate surface (i.e., with the first abrasion resistant coating in the second embodiment).

[0094] According to another general feature of the present invention that may relate to any one of the aforementioned embodiments (including the above first and second embodiments), and in particular when step c) is implemented by dip coating, step b) may be implemented by a mask-assisted or maskless technique selected from chemical etching, laser ablation or etching (in maskless laser etching, the pattern is digitally generated by scanning the surface with a laser), low-pressure or atmospheric plasma or corona etching, UV or ozone etching and reactive ion etching (RIE), chemical grafting of molecules with hydrophilic or hydrophobic functional groups, to produce hydrophilic micro-regions and at least one hydrophobic region on the surface of the substrate (i.e., on the first wear-resistant coating in the second embodiment).

[0095] Step b) can be implemented by mask-assisted technology in the following manner:

[0096] (i) patterning the substrate surface (i.e. the first wear resistant coating in the second embodiment) which is selected to be hydrophobic, preferably by chemical etching techniques aided by a flexible mask applied under pressure to the substrate surface, or

[0097] (ii) in step a), a substrate surface having an outer surface which is already hydrophilic or is rendered hydrophilic between steps a) and b) is previously provided (i.e., the first wear-resistant coating in the second embodiment), and in step b), at least one hydrophobic area is produced by treating the unmasked area with the molecule having the hydrophobic functional group via the mask-assisted technique.

[0098] Alternatively, step b) may preferably be performed by maskless surface ablation techniques using power laser scanning (eg excimer laser with picosecond or femtosecond technology) or by maskless techniques such as photolithography rather than techniques using contact or projected image masks.

[0099] More preferably, according to the second embodiment, step b) is implemented in case (i) by providing a flexible mask having an array of micro-through holes, optionally of different shapes and / or sizes, the micro-through holes preferably having a diameter between 1 mm and 2 mm, and immersing the first wear-resistant coating in a caustic bath of NaOH or KOH, and

[0100] In case (ii), the outer surface of the first wear-resistant coating can advantageously be rendered hydrophilic between steps a) and b) by:

[0101] - at least one of chemical etching, laser ablation or etching, low pressure or atmospheric plasma or corona etching, UV or ozone etching and reactive ion etching (RIE), and chemical grafting of molecules with hydrophilic functional groups, or

[0102] - depositing on the first wear resistant coating a hydrophilic layer comprising at least one inorganic oxide of a metal or a non-metal selected from silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide and mixtures thereof.

[0103] It may be noted that in case (ii) above, the same pattern of hydrophilic micro-domains and hydrophobic areas may be produced starting from a hydrophobic first wear resistant coating by using or making the outer surface of the first wear resistant coating completely hydrophilic, for example by:

[0104] - initially using a hydrophilic material for the first wear resistant coating; or

[0105] - a mask-assisted or maskless technique selected from chemical etching, laser ablation or etching, low pressure or atmospheric plasma or corona etching, UV or ozone etching, RIE and chemical grafting of molecules with hydrophilic functional groups, or

[0106] - Addition of said hydrophilic layer of, for example, silicon dioxide or titanium oxide.

[0107] Thus, for example, if the hydrophobicity of the first wear-resistant coating is not sufficient to produce a sufficient wettability contrast between the hydrophilic micro-domains and the at least one hydrophobic region according to the above case (i), then the above case (ii) may be useful. Alternatively, case (i) may be implemented by first adding a specific highly hydrophobic coating to the slightly hydrophobic first wear-resistant coating in step a) in order to increase the wettability contrast in step b).

[0108] The ophthalmic article according to the invention is obtained by the process as defined above, the ophthalmic article having a front major surface and a rear major surface, at least one of the front major surface and the rear major surface being a microstructured surface, and the ophthalmic article comprising:

[0109] an ophthalmic substrate provided with a patterned substrate surface (i.e. with a first abrasion resistant coating in a second embodiment), the patterned substrate surface being patterned according to a surface wettability pattern comprising mutually distant hydrophilic microdomains and at least one hydrophobic region separating the hydrophilic microdomains from each other, the ophthalmic substrate being preferably organic, and

[0110] - A three-dimensional array of microlenses forming at least one microstructured surface and anchored respectively to separate hydrophilic microdomains, the microlenses being based on abrasion-resistant coatings coating the surface of a patterned substrate.

[0111] If according to the second embodiment the ophthalmic substrate consists of an organic material, the substrate surface is defined by a first abrasion resistant coating patterned according to the surface wettability pattern, the abrasion resistant coating forming a second abrasion resistant coating that coats the patterned first abrasion resistant coating and preferably has a Bayer value greater than or equal to the Bayer value of the first abrasion resistant coating, both Bayer values ​​being measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard.

[0112] Advantageously, the ophthalmic preparation may be selected from:

[0113] - ophthalmic lenses, including finished ophthalmic lenses and optionally edged ophthalmic lens blanks, preferably curved prescription lenses for controlling myopia progression, wherein the microlenses have at least one shape selected from spherical, cylindrical, ellipsoidal and combinations thereof and at least one larger lateral direction, such as a diameter, which is greater than 500 μm and preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm, and

[0114] -Smart glasses device.

[0115] As explained above, ophthalmic articles according to the present invention, such as ophthalmic lenses for glasses, may include microlenses, which may have various refractive indices and / or various colors, which may optionally be opaque and may be coated with various coatings, such as at least one coating selected from, for example, anti-reflective coatings, antistatic coatings, conductive coatings, anti-fog coatings, anti-fouling coatings, photochromic coatings, electrochromic coatings, polarizing coatings and combinations thereof.

[0116] It will be noted that the ophthalmic article may be not only a corrective lens useful for treating or controlling myopia, but also a corrective lens useful for treating or controlling hyperopia, astigmatism and / or presbyopia. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0117] Figure 1is a schematic side view of a hydrophilic microdomain, illustrating the theory of complete wetting of the domain by a hydrophilic liquid;

[0118] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a portion of the hydrophobic region, showing the solid-vapor, solid-liquid and liquid-vapor interface energies γ as SG , γ LS and γ LG The contact angle θ as a function of c , demonstrating the theory of partial wetting of the region by a hydrophilic liquid;

[0119] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a highly hydrophobic region, demonstrating poor wetting of the region by a hydrophilic liquid, as indicated by a contact angle greater than 90°;

[0120] Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a surface wettability pattern according to the present invention, the surface wettability pattern comprising a two-dimensional array of hydrophobic regions and hydrophilic micro-regions, the two-dimensional array being coated with a hydrophilic liquid, the hydrophilic liquid forming droplets that are spaced apart from each other and anchored to the hydrophilic micro-regions by their complete wettability;

[0121] Figure 5 is a schematic top view of a hydrophilic liquid droplet surrounded by a hydrophobic region, the droplet being configured to form a non-axisymmetric microlens;

[0122] Figure 6 is a graphical representation of sag calculations based on the radius of curvature R and diameter d of a hemispherical microlens for myopia control that may be formed in accordance with the present invention;

[0123] Figure 7 is used to visualize and measure the advancing contact angle θ when the dip coating technique is implemented in step c) of the manufacturing method of the present invention. a and the receding contact angle θ r , showing three configurations a to c;

[0124] Figure 8 8a, 8b and 8c schematically show the removal speed U from the dip coating bath from Figure 8 a to Figure 8 The three different states that appear when c increases continuously are the ones with U below the critical speed Uc. Figure 8 a is according to the present invention;

[0125] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment for carrying out steps a) and b) of the method of the present invention, applied via a mask-assisted etching technique to a hydrophobic first wear-resistant coating to obtain a surface wettability pattern comprising a two-dimensional array;

[0126] Fig.10is shown for use by dipping in a hydrophilic liquid Fig. 9 The two-dimensional array obtained in the hydrophilic liquid Fig. 9 A diagrammatic representation of an exemplary embodiment of implementing step c) of the method of the present invention using a two-dimensional array obtained in the process;

[0127] Fig.11 is a photograph of a mask that can be used for the mask-assisted etching technique of step b), the mask being made of a flexible plastic film provided with a micro-hole pattern, the mask being laminated on a flat lens;

[0128] Fig.12 is a photograph of another mask that can be used for the mask-assisted etching technique of step b), the mask being made of a flexible plastic film provided with a microporous pattern, the mask being laminated onto the curved surface of an ophthalmic lens blank; and

[0129] Fig.13 is a photograph of a curved ophthalmic lens incorporating a three-dimensional array of microlenses obtained by means of the mask and method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0130] In this specification, the terms "comprise" (and any grammatical variations thereof, such as "comprises" and "comprising"), "have" (and any grammatical variations thereof, such as "has" and "having"), "contain" (and any grammatical variations thereof, such as "contains" and "containing"), and "include" (and any grammatical variations thereof, such as "includes" and "including") are open linking verbs. They are used to specify the presence of the features, integers, steps or components or groups thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components or groups thereof. Therefore, a method or a step in a method that "comprises", "has", "contains" or "includes" one or more steps or elements possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps or elements.

[0131] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers or expressions of quantities of ingredients, ranges, reaction conditions, etc. used herein should be understood to be modified in all cases by the term "about". Likewise, unless otherwise indicated, indications of intervals of values ​​"from X to Y" or "between X and Y" according to the present invention are intended to include values ​​of X and Y.

[0132] Complete and partial wetting of hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas / regions of the surface

[0133] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the coverage is complete ( Figure 1 ) or part of ( Figure 2 The hydrophilic liquid in the wettable area can be thermodynamically described by the wetting parameter S, where S = γ SG -γ LG -γ LS , where γ SG , γ LS and γ LG represent the solid-vapor, solid-liquid and liquid-vapor interfacial energies respectively.

[0134] When Figure 1 In the case of complete wetting, when S>0, the liquid spreads completely on the surface with a macroscopic contact angle equal to zero, and when Figure 2 In the case of partial wetting, S<0, the liquid only partially spreads on the surface and forms a droplet with a macroscopic contact angle θ less than 90°. The macroscopic contact angle θ is a common measure of the ability of a surface to be partially or completely wetted by a liquid, and the wetting parameter S depends only on the interfacial surface energy of the system.

[0135] When the contact angle is less than 90°, preferably less than 80°, more preferably less than 70°, the surface is said to be hydrophilic, and when the contact angle is less than, for example, 20°, the surface is almost completely wettable, which is the case for each hydrophilic micro-area patterned in step b) and coated in step c) according to the method of the present invention.

[0136] But when the contact angle is greater than 90°, the surface is said to be non-wettable (i.e., hydrophobic), even though physically it is partially wettable (super-repellent or non-wettable surfaces typically have contact angles greater than 120°). Figure 3 This is the case as shown for at least one hydrophobic region connecting hydrophilic microdomains to one another.

[0137] Figure 4 An exemplary surface wettability pattern obtained in step b) according to the present invention is shown, the pattern comprising mutually distant hydrophilic micro-regions 1, each of which is configured to form a droplet D after step c); and at least one hydrophobic region 2, which connects the hydrophilic micro-regions 1 to each other so as to form a two-dimensional array 3 and the resulting pattern. When increasing the volume of each droplet D, the contact line is blocked by the hydrophilic front between the micro-region 1 and the region 2 until it reaches a limiting contact angle θ at which the droplet D begins to spread beyond the front. c .

[0138] Considering the base circle diameter and assuming that each droplet D is a perfect sphere, the limiting contact angle θ c The maximum radius of curvature of each microlens is given.

[0139] If the base diameter of the droplet is smaller than the capillary radius l c twice, then the shape of each droplet D is not affected by gravity:

[0140]

[0141] The capillary radius is typically about 1 mm, and when the droplets are spherical, the droplets according to the present invention are less than 2 mm in diameter, because their shape is controlled by capillary forces. Droplets with a diameter greater than 2 mm may be slightly flattened by gravity and are therefore not preferred in the present invention.

[0142] Dynamic droplet formation via dip-coating technology

[0143] The formation of droplets on the surface wettability pattern 3 obtained in step b) occurs during the removal of this pattern 3 from the hydrophilic liquid bath, the pattern comprising hydrophilic micro-areas 1 and at least one hydrophobic area 2 on the first wear resistant coating, after which the at least one hydrophobic area 2 remains dry and the droplets D are finally anchored to the hydrophilic micro-areas 1.

[0144] On the partially wettable region (hydrophobic region 2, so S<0), the maximum removal speed is related to the transition speed U. When the viscous drag forces are greater than the capillary forces, the contact line is no longer stable and the metastable resulting film may lead to uncontrolled dewetting from the hydrophobic region. This situation is avoided in the present invention, which is uncontrollable and does not provide satisfactory control over the uniformity of the droplet volume, as explained below.

[0145] To implement step c) of the method of the invention, the advancing contact angle and the receding contact angle during dip coating (which are different and the contact angle hysteresis is defined by the difference between them) are considered and measured, as Figure 7 Specifically, dip coating involves the receding contact angle, which is measured using conventional means (e.g., by Figure 7 The needle visible in the two middle figures, or by Figure 7 The bottom image (c) shows the tilt technique).

[0146] This contact angle should be large enough to render the hydrophobic area completely non-wetted after slowly removing the patterned surface 3 from a bath of hydrophilic liquid. In practice, for a partially wetting liquid, there are two states depending on the complex physics of fluid dynamics:

[0147] - if the surface 3 is completely dry, no liquid film drains onto it; or

[0148] - The surface 3 drains away the liquid which then undesirably forms a continuous film or breaks up into small droplets.

[0149] According to the present invention, in order to successfully form a microlens array in steps c) and d), part of the wettable portion (i.e., the hydrophobic area 2) must remain dry after dip coating, and the inventors of the present invention have confirmed that this only occurs at a certain transition speed that is not easy to predict but easy to measure.

[0150] Qualitatively, the present inventors have verified that a larger contact angle on the partially wettable portion or the hydrophobic region 2 allows a higher removal transition speed. For productivity, a large contact angle (greater than 70°, preferably greater than 80°, more preferably greater than 90°, even better greater than or equal to any of the following values ​​95° and 100°) is preferred, but for the hydrophobic region 2, this is not absolutely required.

[0151] Since the liquid film is only partially formed on the surface of the wettable areas, the removal rate determines the amount of liquid remaining on these fully wetted portions (hydrophilic microdomains 1).

[0152] Go to Figure 4 , assuming that the contact angle on the wettable hydrophilic micro-area 1 is zero, the maximum droplet size is limited by the advancing and receding contact angles on the partially wettable portion of the patterned surface 3 (hydrophobic area 2).

[0153] The larger the contact angle between the liquid and the solid on the partially wettable hydrophobic area 2, the smaller the minimum droplet radius.

[0154] Maximum droplet contact angle θ c is the advancing contact angle on the partially wetted area of ​​the lens surface. If the angle θ implemented is significantly greater than θ c , then the droplet D spreads on the partially wetted area 2, which is undesirable for the method of the present invention.

[0155] like Figure 8 As can be seen in Figure 2, too high a removal rate results in too much liquid being left on the surface 3, which does not meet the above droplet stability criteria. Since the critical transition speed can be expressed by the removal speed, the critical capillary number express:

[0156]

[0157] Therefore, the critical transition speed can be expressed as follows:

[0158]

[0159] This number compares the viscous drag force to the surface tension force.

[0160] At the critical transition speed U, the partially wettable hydrophobic region 2 remains dry, no liquid is dragged onto region 2 and the contact line is stable, e.g. Figure 8This is the only one that shows a well-controlled move-out according to the invention, as shown in the left figure of FIG.

[0161] However, above the critical transition speed U, the contact line rises significantly and the liquid layer is thus undesirably dragged onto the surface, as Figure 8 As shown in the figure on the right.

[0162] Finally, the droplet D of the hydrophilic liquid is successfully anchored to the individual hydrophilic micro-domains 1 corresponding to the highest solid / liquid interfacial energy, where the wetting parameter S>0 (complete wetting), and the higher the removal speed, the larger the volume of each droplet D and the smaller the curvature radius.

[0163] One or more microstructured surfaces of an ophthalmic article according to the present invention

[0164] In the present description, the one or more microstructured surfaces forming the front and / or rear main surfaces of the ophthalmic substrate 10 provided with the first abrasion resistant coating include small lenses in the form of microlenses, which form protrusions separated by depressions at the main surface where they are arranged. The outline of the small lens can be circular or polygonal, for example circular, ellipsoidal or hexagonal, although any outline of the droplet D can be envisioned, and the microlenses can be spherical, toric, or have an aspherical shape, rotationally symmetrical (i.e., axisymmetric or not axisymmetric), although any shape can also be envisioned for the microlenses. Each small lens can have a single focus, or cylindrical power, or a non-focused point.

[0165] exist Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is shown that a non-circular boundary of a droplet D is present and that due to capillary forces the droplet surface adopts a shape that minimizes its air / surface area, i.e., in this example, an elliptical profile, which defines a semi-elliptical shape (approaching a torus surface if the radius is small enough) with two different orthogonal radii or curvatures. The semi-elliptical shape creates two foci. These profiles and shapes can be calculated digitally and the boundary conditions can be precisely controlled by the method of the invention.

[0166] In a preferred embodiment, the small lens or micro lens can be used to prevent the progression of myopia or hyperopia. In this case, the base lens substrate includes a base lens that provides an optical power for correcting myopia or hyperopia, and the micro lens or small lens can provide an optical power greater than the optical power of the base lens if the wearer is myopic, or a micro lens or small lens can provide an optical power less than the optical power of the base lens if the wearer is hyperopic, respectively.

[0167] If the microlens is designed for controlling myopia progression, the small lens may have an outline shape that can be inscribed in a circle having a diameter greater than or equal to 500 μm and preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm.

[0168] The mirror plate may have a height, measured in a direction perpendicular to the main surface on which it is arranged, greater than or equal to 0.1 μm and less than or equal to 50 μm.

[0169] A major surface can be defined as the surface that includes the center point of each microstructure, which surface can be a plane, a sphere, a sphero-cylindrical surface, or even a composite surface. This major surface can be a virtual surface when the microstructures are embedded in the lens, or close to or identical to the physical outer surface of the ophthalmic lens when the microstructures are not embedded. The height of the microstructure can then be determined using a local axis perpendicular to this major surface, and the difference between the maximum positive deviation from the major surface minus the minimum negative deviation along this axis is calculated for each point of the microstructure.

[0170] The mirrorlets may have a periodic or pseudo-periodic layout, but may also have random positions. Exemplary layouts of mirrorlets may be a grid with a constant grid step size, a honeycomb layout, multiple concentric rings, contiguous (eg, no space between microstructures).

[0171] These structures can provide light wavefront modifications in terms of intensity, curvature, or light deviation, wherein the intensity of the wavefront is configured such that the structure can be absorptive and can locally absorb the wavefront intensity in the range from 0% to 100%, wherein the curvature is configured such that the structure can locally modify the wavefront curvature in the range of + / -20 diopters, and the light deviation is configured such that the structure can locally scatter light at angles from + / -1° to + / -30°.

[0172] The distance between structures can range from 0 (adjacent) to 3 times the distance between structures (separated microstructures).

[0173] like Figure 6 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the method of the present invention for manufacturing an ophthalmic product for controlling myopia progression by a three-dimensional microlens array uses a microlens having a diameter d of about 1-2 mm and an optical power of 3 diopters.

[0174] The sag (also called "sagitta") of a microlens can be calculated by the well-known equation:

[0175] SAG=R-√(R 2 -(d / 2) 2 , where R represents the radius of curvature and d represents the diameter.

[0176] The sag is at most a few μm, and the drop contact angle is very small: since tanθ ~ θ for small angles, θ is close to a few mrad (1 mrad ~ 0.06°). This angle is very small, and this factor has been found to be non-limiting in practice.

[0177] Examples of methods for implementing the present invention:

[0178] The following examples illustrate the invention in a more detailed but non-limiting manner.

[0179] Implementing a method for dip coating a surface wettability pattern

[0180] As explained above, the surface wettability pattern is immersed in a preferably low viscosity and high surface tension hydrophilic liquid to limit viscous drag and maximize capillary forces, which restrict the liquid to wetting the portion of the wettable surface defined by the hydrophobic areas 2 (which repels hydrophilic liquids).

[0181] Since the volume of each droplet to be obtained is very small, the coating material is actually diluted to allow good control of the final volume of the droplet D and the resulting microlens after the solvent evaporates. The solvent is selected to reduce the viscosity of the hydrophilic liquid and increase its surface tension, thereby promoting very low drag. In the tested solvent-based hydrophilic coatings, subsequent drying slightly changes the volume of the droplet D, making it flatter (thus causing a change in the radius of curvature), which is easily expected.

[0182] After the surface wettability pattern is slowly removed from the hydrophilic bath, the removal speed is slightly increased and the transition removal speed is measured - where no liquid (film or droplet) is expelled from the partially wettable surface. This is done on an unpatterned surface, but preferably the transition removal speed should also be measured on a real surface wettability pattern.

[0183] This value of the transition speed is the limiting maximum removal speed of the dip-coating process, i.e. the critical transition speed at which the liquid begins to anchor to the individual fully wettable hydrophilic microdomains 1. The removal speed and dry content of the liquid are therefore adjusted to obtain the desired droplet and microlens height after solvent evaporation and drying / curing. The actual removal speed never exceeds the critical speed so measured.

[0184] The three-dimensional microlens array obtained in step d) is dried and can subsequently be cured if necessary, for example by UV radiation or heating.

[0185] On this basis, the exemplary implementation of steps a), b), c) and d)

[0186] A template-type masking vinyl film with a thickness of 90 μm was cut, in which the hole pattern represents a 2D view of the final microlens array (see Fig.11 ). In view of the ophthalmic design to be manufactured, these holes have a diameter between 1 mm and 2 mm. Then, the following main steps are implemented.

[0187] The masking film is then cold pressed onto the curved ophthalmic lens (see Fig.12 ) on a main surface, the curved ophthalmic lens is provided with a CR having a first wear-resistant coating defining the hydrophobicity of the main surface Lens Substrate Composition. The first abrasion resistant coating used in the first and second experiments is as disclosed in Example 3 of document FR 2702 486A1 (or its equivalent US2003 / 165698A1) and exhibits a Bayer value between 2 and 4 measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard.

[0188] The low modulus of the masking film aids this pressing operation, although slight heating with hot air can be used to avoid wrinkles.

[0189] A second film is applied to the other major surface of the ophthalmic substrate opposite the first abrasion resistant coating to protect the substrate from subsequent chemical treatments.

[0190] The entire lens thus protected is then immersed in a photoetching caustic chemical bath of NaOH (alternatively KOH in another experiment) for slight chemical etching of the surface of the first wear-resistant coating. The lens is then washed and the second film is removed. The purpose of the caustic etching is to remove the fluorinated surfactant present on the surface of the first wear-resistant coating and also to produce a surface wettability pattern to be obtained in step b) of the method of the invention, with a two-dimensional array of hydrophilic microdomains 1 obtained by this caustic etching through the pores of the masking film and hydrophobic areas 2 (not treated by the caustic etching) connecting the microdomains 1 to each other.

[0191] The lens is then immersed in a bath of a hydrophilic liquid designed to form a second abrasion-resistant coating, which is nearly identical in formulation to the first abrasion-resistant coating, except that the hydrophilic liquid does not contain any surfactant (whereas the first abrasion-resistant coating contains a fluorinated surfactant to enhance its wettability on the substrate).

[0192] As explained above, the hydrophilic liquid is removed from the liquid bath at a speed below the critical removal rate, so that the liquid does not wet the hydrophobic area 2 and anchors to the individual hydrophilic micro-areas 1. Then, a three-dimensional micro-lens array spontaneously appears, and is subsequently dried and hardened. The Bayer value of the second wear-resistant coating measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard is between 2 and 4.

[0193] Fig.13 A photograph of an ophthalmic lens incorporating a three-dimensional microlens array thus obtained by the method of the invention is shown.

Claims

1. A method for making an ophthalmic article having a front major surface and a rear major surface, at least one of the front major surface and the rear major surface being a microstructured surface, the method The following steps are involved: a) providing an ophthalmic substrate (10) having a substrate surface, wherein the substrate surface is hydrophobic or hydrophilic; b) patterning the surface of the substrate to produce a surface wettability pattern thereon, the surface wettability pattern comprising a two-dimensional array (3) of hydrophilic micro-regions (1) that are distant from each other and at least one hydrophobic region (2) that separates the hydrophilic micro-regions (1) from each other; c) coating the two-dimensional array (3) with a hydrophilic liquid to form mutually distant droplets (D) of the hydrophilic liquid, the hydrophilic liquid being capable of forming an abrasion-resistant coating in a dried and / or cured state, the droplets being anchored to the hydrophilic micro-areas (1) by their wettability; and d) drying and / or curing said mutually distant droplets of said hydrophilic liquid (D) to thereby produce a three-dimensional array of microlenses, said three-dimensional array of microlenses forming said at least one microstructured surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, Step a) comprises making said ophthalmic substrate (10) composed of a mineral material hydrophobic or hydrophilic on the surface of said substrate.

3. The method according to claim 1, in, Step a) comprises providing the ophthalmic substrate (10) consisting of an organic material having a first abrasion-resistant coating, the first abrasion-resistant coating being hydrophobic or hydrophilic and defining the surface of the substrate, and wherein preferably in step c), the hydrophilic liquid is selected so that the abrasion-resistant coating forming the microlens, or the second abrasion-resistant coating, has a Bayer value greater than or equal to the Bayer value of the first abrasion-resistant coating, both Bayer values ​​being measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard and preferably greater than or equal to 2.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, In step c), the hydrophilic liquid is a polar liquid selected from solutions in polar solvents and emulsions comprising a polar phase.

5. The method according to claim 4, in, In step c), the hydrophilic liquid comprises at least one inorganic oxide of a metal or non-metal selected from colloidal silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide and mixtures thereof, and wherein the hydrophilic liquid is selected from a polar solution comprising an alcohol, ketone and / or ester solvent, the hydrophilic liquid comprising an epoxysilane hydrolyzate, the at least one inorganic oxide and a catalytic amount of an aluminum-based curing catalyst.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, Step c) is carried out by dip coating, by dipping said ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with said patterned substrate surface into a bath of said hydrophilic liquid and then by controlled removal of the immersed ophthalmic substrate (10) from said bath, said removal being controlled so as to obtain the desired radius of curvature and / or volume for each of said microlenses obtained in step d).

7. The method according to claim 6, in, In said dipping in step c), the maximum permissible removal speed is determined by measuring the critical transition speed at which the membrane without said hydrophilic liquid is dragged to said at least one hydrophobic area (2) after dipping and removal, and wherein said controlled removal of said immersed ophthalmic substrate (10) from said bath is performed at an adjusted removal rate selected to be less than or equal to said critical transition rate.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, in, Steps b) and c) are implemented so that when the ophthalmic article is an ophthalmic curved prescription lens, if the microlens is designed for controlling the progression of myopia, the microlens obtained in step d) has at least one larger lateral direction, such as a diameter, which is greater than 500 μm and preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The ophthalmic substrate (10) is composed of a mineral material or of a thermosetting, photocurable or thermoplastic organic material; and wherein, The method further comprises at least one of steps A) and B): A) coating the ophthalmic substrate (10), which is itself provided with the substrate surface, with a primer coating prior to step a); and B) laminating the ophthalmic substrate provided with the patterned substrate surface onto an existing curved lens by a forming technique implemented by: - between step b) and step c), laminating said ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with said substrate surface patterned according to said surface wettability pattern (3), or - after step d), laminating said ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with said patterned substrate surface and said three-dimensional microlens array.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The method further comprises the following steps: e) removing the three-dimensional microlens array obtained in step d) by immersion in a removal bath and optionally providing protective masking means for the substrate surface in order to selectively recover the ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with the substrate surface, and f) performing the sequence of steps b), c) and d) at least once to obtain another three-dimensional array of microlenses forming said at least one microstructured surface.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, Step a) is implemented by using an ophthalmic lens, preferably an ophthalmic curved prescription lens, selected from finished ophthalmic lenses and optionally edged ophthalmic lens blanks as said ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with said substrate surface.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, Step b) is carried out by a mask-assisted or maskless technique selected from chemical etching, laser ablation or etching, low pressure or atmospheric plasma or corona etching, UV or ozone etching, reactive ion etching (RIE) and chemical grafting of molecules with hydrophilic or hydrophobic functional groups to produce the hydrophilic micro-regions (1) and the at least one hydrophobic area (2) on the surface of the substrate.

13. The method according to claim 12, in, Step b) is performed by mask-assisted technology in the following manner: (i) patterning the substrate surface selected to be hydrophobic, preferably by chemical etching techniques aided by a flexible mask (20) applied under pressure to the substrate surface, or (ii) in step a) the substrate surface is provided in advance with an outer surface which is already hydrophilic or is rendered hydrophilic between steps a) and b), and in step b) the at least one hydrophobic region (2) is produced by treating unmasked areas with the molecules carrying hydrophobic functional groups via the mask-assisted technique.

14. The method according to claim 13, in, Step a) comprises providing said ophthalmic substrate (10) consisting of an organic material with a first wear-resistant coating which is hydrophobic and defines the surface of said substrate, wherein step b) is implemented in case (i) by providing the flexible mask (20) having an array of micro-through holes, optionally with different shapes and / or sizes, the micro-through holes preferably having a diameter between 1 mm and 2 mm, and immersing the first wear-resistant coating in a caustic bath of NaOH or KOH, and Wherein in case (ii), the outer surface of the first wear-resistant coating is rendered hydrophilic between steps a) and b) by: - at least one of chemical etching, laser ablation or etching, low pressure or atmospheric plasma or corona etching, UV or ozone etching and reactive ion etching (RIE), and chemical grafting of molecules with hydrophilic functional groups, or - depositing on said first wear resistant coating a hydrophilic layer comprising at least one inorganic oxide of a metal or a non-metal selected from silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide and mixtures thereof.

15. An ophthalmic preparation obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, in, The ophthalmic article has a front major surface and a rear major surface, at least one of the front major surface and the rear major surface is a microstructured surface, and the ophthalmic article comprises: - an ophthalmic substrate (10) provided with a patterned substrate surface, the patterned substrate surface being patterned according to a surface wettability pattern (3) comprising mutually distant hydrophilic microdomains (1) and at least one hydrophobic region (2) separating the hydrophilic microdomains (1) from one another, and - a three-dimensional array of microlenses forming said at least one microstructured surface and anchored respectively to said individual hydrophilic microregions (1), said microlenses being based on a wear-resistant coating coating the surface of said patterned substrate; and In the case where the ophthalmic substrate (10) is composed of an organic material, the substrate surface is defined by a first wear-resistant coating patterned according to the surface wettability pattern (3), the wear-resistant coating being a second wear-resistant coating that coats the patterned first wear-resistant coating and preferably has a Bayer value greater than or equal to the Bayer value of the first wear-resistant coating, both Bayer values ​​being measured according to the ASTM F735-81 standard.

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