Apparatus and method for projecting PAL lenses in front of the eye.

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1, 1') for projecting a progressive lens (10) in front of an eye (20) of a user of the device, comprising a first support for supporting the progressive lens (10) at a PAL plane (11) and a projection system (30) for projecting the PAL plane (11) without inversion into a conjugate PAL plane (11p) and generating a non-inverted projection of an object through the PAL plane (11) onto the retina of the eye (20), in a position of use of the device, the first support is configured to support the PAL lens (10) such that the PAL plane is located in a distal part of the device, the projection system (30) is located between the PAL plane (11) and the eye (20), the proximal part of the device is located in front of the eye (20) and the eye (20) is located at a first distance (D) from the conjugate PAL plane (11p). The invention also relates to a method for projecting a PAL lens on an eye of a user.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of visual optics, ophthalmology and optometry and applies to the prescription of progressive ophthalmic lenses (progressive spectacles). [Background technology]

[0002] Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye's ability to accommodate, affecting an estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide. This ability is related to the change in refractive power of the crystalline lens between near and far vision, i.e. the change in focal length. It remains relatively stable until the age of 20, but from around the age of 50, it tends to decrease continuously with age due to hardening of the crystalline lens. This loss of accommodation means that the eye is unable to focus on objects at near and intermediate distances, making it difficult to perform common tasks such as reading.

[0003] There are essentially three solutions to correct presbyopia: the use of ophthalmic lenses, the use of multifocal contact lenses, and the implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL), which means undergoing surgery. The preferred solution is the use of ophthalmic lenses, due to their qualities and non-invasive aspect.

[0004] These ophthalmic lenses can be of three types: monofocal, which allows the user to see only at close distances, bifocal, which allows the user to see at two different distances, and progressive multifocal, which allows the user to see through a wide range of distances from far to close through the same lens (progressive multifocal lenses, hereinafter also referred to as "PAL" or "PAL lenses"). From the standpoint of comfort and functionality, progressive ophthalmic lenses are usually considered the most beneficial solution.

[0005] A progressive lens is an optical element with variable refractive power throughout its surface, allowing the user to obtain good vision at different distances with the same PAL lens. Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of a blank PAL lens 10, in which the upper and lower zones of the PAL lens 10 are dedicated to distance and near vision, respectively, these distance vision zone FZ and near vision zone NZ are vertically separated, and the progressive region between both zones is called the corridor CO.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 1B, the presence of a progressive zone between the far and near vision zones results in lateral aberrations on either side of the progressive zone, affecting the sharpness of vision through both sides of the lens. These aberrations are represented by the shaded areas, with the darker the shade the higher the degree of aberration, and the degree of aberration increases from the center of the corridor to the edge of the PAL and from the far vision zone FZ to the near vision zone NZ. Reference number 100 represents the frame of the glasses in which such a PAL lens will be mounted, and therefore represents the region of interest of the blank PAL lens to be used in the final glasses.

[0007] The spatial distribution of each visual zone also results in the necessity of shifting the user's line of sight to focus each distance vision: to view objects at a distance, the user must look through the upper region of the lens as shown in FIG. 1C, and to view objects at a near distance, the user must look through the lower region of the lens as shown in FIG. 1D.

[0008] PAL lenses are high-value lenses for which manufacturers have invested considerable research and development effort to improve their quality and characteristics. Technological advances in PAL design and manufacturing have allowed for a high degree of customization. Two main categories of PAL optical designs are usually considered:

[0009] - When a hard design is used (schematically shown in Figure 2A), sharp vision is achieved through a wider area of ​​each visual zone, the far zone FZ and the near zone NZ, but in exchange, a stronger aberration profile is generated and blurring is stronger on the sides.

[0010] When a soft design is used (schematically shown in FIG. 2B), clear vision is achieved in a narrower region of each visual zone, but in exchange there is a smoother aberration profile.

[0011] In any case, due to these lateral aberrations, about 5% of PAL lens users face significant problems with PAL adaptation. This means that a significant number of PAL lenses are returned and new PAL lenses with a different design have to be manufactured. This has implications for the entire value chain of PAL lens sales, from manufacturer to end user, including the environment, since the returned glasses, which are highly customized for the user and expensive to manufacture, cannot be reused.

[0012] During the last few years, significant work has been done in selecting the optical design of PALs with respect to the eyeglass frame and the facial features of the user, as well as the user's head and eye movements. However, the selection of optical design parameters with respect to user preferences and tolerance to blurring remains a challenge even today. Current methods involve the use of questions and assumptions that do not necessarily result in optimal adaptation of the user to the selected optical design.

[0013] The advent of lens simulators and virtual reality systems has provided some improvement. However, they have not proven to be completely satisfactory. Several ophthalmic lens simulators have appeared on the market based on adaptive optics. Electrically adjustable lenses (ETLs) or deformable mirror spatial light modulators (SLMs) have been used to simulate multifocal vision, allowing the user to obtain a realistic experience of far and near vision. Both desktop simulators (see, for example, patent document US2013025045) and see-through head-mounted devices (see, for example, patent document ES2346175) are based on the projection of the time profile of focal length changes in the user's vision. In this way, with the advantage of fast focal length modulation and based on the time multiplexing principle, different time profiles of the adaptive optics lead to the simulation of different optical designs of multifocal lenses. These systems have been proven to accurately represent the optical performance of commercially available intraocular lenses (IOLs) preoperatively and will help doctors select the most appropriate IOL in the near future, thus increasing patient satisfaction, providing optimal solutions and better management of expectations along the process. However, the fact that the multifocal profiles are generated in time and not with a spatial distribution through the optical surface of the simulator precludes the use of these systems for the simulation of PAL.

[0014] Another different approach is the use of 3D Virtual Reality (VR) technology, which is usually based on computer simulation of the multifocal and aberration profiles of the PAL. In this case, the scene displayed to the user is subject to the aberration profile of an ideal PAL, generated by a computer. However, these systems have the disadvantage of a narrow field of view, which does not allow a realistic observation of the surrounding environment, and therefore requires an extrapolation of what the final vision through the PAL will be from what is being observed.

[0015] Another recent technology is Augmented Reality (AR). Like VR, AR is based on a computer-generated profile of the PAL superimposed on the natural vision of the surrounding elements. The advantage of AR systems over VR is that they allow a wider field of view and the observation of the user's natural environment. Even so, they still do not provide a fully realistic representation of progressive lenses, since the progressive profile of the optical elements is computer-simulated.

[0016] In fact, with a PAL designed AR or VR system, users still reject the actual PAL lenses they receive.

[0017] There is therefore a need for a system which overcomes the shortcomings of existing solutions and offers the user the possibility to experience vision in a real visual environment, in all its optical sense, through different designs of progressive lenses before production. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0018] The present disclosure is intended to address the shortcomings of prior art devices and methods by providing devices and methods that can project a PAL lens onto a user's vision, providing the user with a more realistic experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for projecting a progressive power lens (or PAL lens) in front of the eye of a user of the apparatus, the apparatus including: a first support for supporting a progressive multifocal lens in the PAL plane; 1. A projection system comprising: Project the PAL plane onto the conjugate PAL plane without inverting it, Generate a non-inverted projection of the object onto the retina of the eye through the PAL plane, a projection system configured for: At the position of use of the device, the first support is configured to support the PAL lens such that the PAL plane is located in a distal portion of the device; The projection system is located between the PAL plane and the eye. The proximal portion of the device is placed in front of the eye; and The eye is positioned at a first distance from the conjugate PAL plane.

[0020] That is, in the position of use of the device and in the direction of light coming from an external object and passing through the device. a first support for the PAL lens configured to position the PAL lens in front of the projection system such that the PAL lens is located in a distal portion of the apparatus; The projection system is disposed between the PAL plane and the eye, The eye is positioned in front of the proximal end of the device at a first distance from the conjugate PAL plane and therefore behind the conjugate PAL plane at that first distance.

[0021] When the device is in use, the user's eyes are positioned behind the projection system at a first distance from the conjugate PAL plane. In certain embodiments, this first distance is made to be equal to or approximately equal to the vertex distance of the eyeglass lenses. By configuring the device such that, in the use position, the eyes are positioned near the vertex distance from the conjugate PAL plane, the user can actually experience vision through the PAL lenses and see objects (or objects through them) as if the PAL lenses were attached to an actual eyeglass frame.

[0022] The object or objects placed in front of the device can be external objects or visual objects or any other object or objects. The object or objects can be charts or optotypes such as a distant or near vision chart in a patient room, electronic devices such as a TV, a mobile phone, a book, a room, a window, people at different distances, or any natural or man-made visual scene.

[0023] In certain embodiments, an object can be placed in front of the PAL lens such that light coming from the object passes through the PAL, traverses the projection system PS, and reaches the eye, which forms an image of the object seen through the PAL and PS on the retina. The object should be placed at a distance from the PAL lens, which distance is typically at least 20 cm.

[0024] The vertex distance is defined in clinical practice as the distance between the back surface of the corrective lens, i.e., spectacles (eyeglasses) or contact lenses, and the front surface of the cornea. For spectacles, the vertex distance is usually about 12 mm.

[0025] The device defined above, which may preferably be embodied as a head-mounted device, is capable of projecting a blank progressive ophthalmic lens into the user's field of vision, thus allowing the user of the device to directly observe the surrounding environment through various real PAL lenses, without having to mentally extrapolate the experience from the simulation to what would be seen with a progressive lens.

[0026] Using the apparatus of the present disclosure thus defined, a user can learn how different progressive lenses will perform before a given pair of glasses is actually manufactured, and can identify design options that may be more suitable or comfortable for the user.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the device further comprises a second support for supporting at least one trial lens in a first trial lens plane, the second support configured to support at least one trial lens in front of the eye at a second distance from the eye. The device may further comprise a third support for supporting at least one trial lens in a second lens plane, the second lens plane being at the pupil of the eye or at a second distance from the eye (the second distance may be about 12 mm, and may be between 10 mm and 20 mm). The device is configured to project the PAL lens, with a focal length of 10 mm (which may be in the range of mm) onto a conjugate trial lens plane. Advantageously, according to any embodiment, the device is capable of projecting the PAL lens, together with any refractive errors contained in the trial lens (thereby including the corresponding myopic, hyperopic or astigmatism correction required by the user), onto the user's vision, providing a more realistic experience and at the same time allowing the use of the same PAL lens as any user.

[0028] In this sense, at least one trial lens supported by the second support and / or the third support can have a refractive power equal to or comparable to the refractive error of the user corresponding to clear vision at infinity, or a comparable refractive power corresponding to clear vision at intermediate distances, thereby simulating a progressive design that changes from intermediate to near vision.

[0029] In a particular embodiment, the first support for supporting the PAL lens is adjustable to set the position of the progressive multifocal lens in the PAL plane. For this purpose, the device may comprise some mechanical arrangement for vertically and / or horizontally displacing the first support so that the PAL lens is displaced vertically and / or horizontally with respect to the optical axis of the projection system PS and the user's eyes. Alternatively or supplementarily, the first support may be fixed and may include in itself means for performing vertical and horizontal displacement of the PAL lens in the PAL plane. In any case, this provides improved performance of the device, since it makes it possible to have an overall wider field of view. Advantageously, an overall field of view of about 100 degrees or more can be achieved, which is comparable to the field of view of interest in progressive spectacles.

[0030] In a particular embodiment, the first support for supporting the PAL lens is axially adjustable to set the position of the PAL plane. In this way, the position of the PAL plane can be fixed axially relative to the projection of the user's pupil, making it possible to modify the first distance.

[0031] The vertical, horizontal and axial displacement of the PAL lens can be achieved by a single mechanical arrangement or by separate mechanical arrangements.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for adjusting the position of the second support and / or the third support so that the axis of the trial lens is coaxial with the optical axis of the projection system, and / or means for positioning the trial lens at a conjugate pupil plane generated by the projection system PS.

[0033] In a particular embodiment, the projection system comprises: a first optical unit including a group of lenses and / or mirrors for focusing a collimated or nearly collimated light beam propagating from the object through the PAL plane onto a first intermediate image plane, the first optical unit being located at a distal end of the projection system; a second optical unit or relay unit including a group of lenses and / or mirrors for generating a conjugate image of the first intermediate image plane in a second intermediate image plane; and a third optical unit including a group of lenses and / or mirrors for collimating or nearly collimating the light beam from the second intermediate image plane.

[0034] This configuration has the advantage that it can result in a compact optical system and can be easily mounted using two identical wide-field optical systems, such as eyepieces, as the first and third units, the third one being inverted relative to the other.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the projection system includes an array of spherical refractive surfaces, and / or a set of spherical refractive surfaces in combination with two or more mirrors, and / or a freeform optical element having at least three refractive and reflective optical surfaces.

[0036] In certain embodiments, the projection system comprises at least one freeform optical element having at least one refractive or reflective optical surface, either in combination with or without a spherical refractive surface and / or an array of mirrors.

[0037] The invention also relates to a binocular device comprising two devices as described above arranged side by side, typically a first device for the left eye and a second device for the right eye, preferably arranged parallel (or nearly parallel) to each other to match the interpupillary distance of the user, and with an adjustable distance between them for alignment with the user's eyes.

[0038] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for projecting a progressive multifocal lens in front of an eye of a user of an apparatus, the method comprising: placing a progressive lens in the PAL plane; projecting the PAL plane onto a conjugate PAL plane without inversion; placing an object in front of a progressive multifocal lens; Producing a non-inverted projection of the object through the PAL plane onto the retina of the eye, the eye being located a vertex distance from the conjugate PAL plane.

[0039] Light coming from an object first passes through the PAL lens, then through the projection system, and finally into the eye.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention relates to the above method carried out by the above defined device.

[0041] In certain embodiments, the method further includes moving the field of view of the projection system across the distance and near zones of the progressive addition lens in the PAL plane.

[0042] In the present disclosure, the progressive multifocal lens may also be an optically adjustable progressive multifocal lens, for example a programmable PAL lens implemented on a reflective or refractive spatial light modulator or a deformable mirror, or an array of optically adjustable lenses.

[0043] The device defined above therefore provides a solution giving the user the possibility to test and experience different real progressive lenses, thus being able to observe the real environment before actually purchasing the glasses, helping the optometrist to select the most suitable progressive correction for the user.

[0044] The different aspects and embodiments of the invention defined above can be combined with each other insofar as they are compatible with each other.

[0045] Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and are particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0046] In order to complete this specification and to provide a better understanding of the invention, the drawings are provided, which form an integral part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely as examples of how the invention can be implemented. The drawings consist of the following figures: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0047] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of a blank PAL lens, its far and near zones FZ and NZ, and the corridor CO between the two zones. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a schematic representation of the optical performance of a PAL lens, showing the lateral aberrations introduced by the PAL lens. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C shows a schematic example of a user's line of sight position in a PAL when the user's line of sight passes through a far zone FZ. [Figure 1D]FIG. 1D shows a schematic example of a user's gaze position in a PAL when the user's gaze passes through a near zone NZ. [Figure 2A] Figures 2A and 2B show schematics of a type of aberration that occurs throughout the PAL lens when the optical design of the PAL lens is a hard design and a soft design, respectively. The hard design provides a wider range of sharper vision for both distance and near vision, but the lateral aberration (and therefore blur) is greater than that of the soft design. [Figure 2B] Figures 2A and 2B show schematics of a type of aberration that occurs throughout the PAL lens when the optical design of the PAL lens is a hard design and a soft design, respectively. The hard design provides a wider range of sharper vision for both distance and near vision, but the lateral aberration (and therefore blur) is greater than that of the soft design. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a schematic side view of a possible embodiment of a device for supporting a PAL lens as proposed herein, and Figure 3B is a schematic side view of another possible embodiment of the device, also with the addition of a trial lens. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a schematic side view of a possible embodiment of a device for supporting a PAL lens as proposed herein, and Figure 3B is a schematic side view of another possible embodiment of the device, also with the addition of a trial lens. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a front view of a possible configuration of the device, where the projection system has a wide field of view 13 that simultaneously covers both the near and far zones of the PAL lens. [Figure 5A] 5A and 5B show front views of another possible configuration of the device, having a wide but narrower field of view (13'), in which the near and far zones of the PAL lens are covered by vertically displacing the relative position of the PAL lens with respect to the projection system. [Figure 5B] 5A and 5B show front views of another possible configuration of the device, having a wide but narrower field of view (13'), in which the near and far zones of the PAL lens are covered by vertically displacing the relative position of the PAL lens with respect to the projection system. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing details of the projection system and shows a block schematic diagram of the projection system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram representation of a top view of a binocular device, with each channel for each eye accompanied by an exemplary illustration of the device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 also shows a top view of the binocular device and provides an exemplary detailed description of the physical elements of the projection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is given merely for the purpose of illustrating the broad principles of the invention. Embodiments of the presently disclosed apparatus and method are described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0049] The present disclosure presents an apparatus for projecting a PAL lens 10 into the eye 20 of a user of the apparatus. Two possible embodiments of this apparatus 1,1' are diagrammatically represented in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B in side view and are described below. Both embodiments of the apparatus 1,1' shown in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B are physically embodied as a head-mounted see-through device capable of projecting any blank progressive ophthalmic lens into the user's field of vision, and in the embodiment of Fig. 3B, together with their refractive error correction. The apparatus 1,1' is a wide-field see-through device with a constant magnification factor of x1, which ensures a natural observation of objects by projecting any ophthalmic lens design, thus simulating vision through progressive ophthalmic lenses of different designs.

[0050] Both devices 1,1' shown in Figures 3A and 3B, respectively, are based on optical components including refractive and reflective surfaces, without the need for a computing station, an image processing unit, or active optical elements. Both devices 1,1' include two observation channels, one for each eye 20 (only one observation channel and one eye 20 are shown in Figures 3A and 3B, as they represent a side view of the device). This results in a binocular device with a magnification of x1.

[0051] Each device 1,1' (represented by double lines) includes a projection system 30 (also referred to in this disclosure as "PS") and a support (not shown) for supporting a PAL lens 10. This PAL lens 10 is supported in the device 1,1' at a PAL plane 11. In dashed lines, the components optically projected through the projection system 30 are shown, with the PAL plane 11 projected at 11p, the trial lens 41 projected at 41p, and the eye 20 projected at 20p. When the device 1,1' is normally mounted on the head of a user and used, the projection system 30 is in front of the user's eye 20 and behind the support for the PAL lens 10, taking into account the direction of light entering the user's eye from an external object. Thus, in the use position of the device, the support for the PAL lens 10 (and thus the PAL lens) is located in front of the PS 30 and the user's eye 20 is located behind the PS 30. The projection system 30 comprises an optical system including a conventional array of refractive lenses and / or mirrors. Alternatively, the optical system of PS 30 may include a freeform optic having multiple reflective and refractive surfaces.

[0052] In both Figures 3A and 3B, two beams are shown, each corresponding to one of the visual zones of the PAL defined above, the far zone FZ and the near zone NZ. The beam passing through the top of the PAL corresponds to the far field FZ (straight line) and the lower beam corresponds to the near field NZ (dotted line).

[0053] The PAL plane 11 is projected without inversion by the projection system 30 onto a conjugate PAL plane 11p at a vertex distance D of the eye 20. The PS 30 produces a non-inverted projection of an object located in front of the PAL lens (typically a distance of at least 20 cm) through the PAL plane 11 onto the retina of the eye 20.

[0054] The device 1,1' simultaneously projects the conjugate eye 20p at a vertex distance D that is the same as the vertex distance between the conjugate PAL plane 11p and the user's eye 20. Thus, the device 1,1' can be understood as a projector of the user's pupil plane at the vertex distance D relative to the PAL plane 11.

[0055] The device 1' shown in FIG. 3B is similar to the device 1 shown in FIG. 3A. The device 1' further includes another support (also not shown) for supporting at least a trial lens 40 (also referred to as "TL" in this disclosure) at a vertex distance D from the PAL plane 11, for example, in a TL plane 41 superimposed with the projected user's pupil plane. In this way, the trial lens 40 can be added to the optical path of the device 1', if necessary, to compensate for the user's refractive errors (sphere and astigmatism). The support of the trial lens 40 supports the trial lens 40 at the position of the projected pupil plane between the support of the PAL lens and the projection system 30. Thus, the device 1' also projects a conjugate TL plane 41p to the pupil plane of the user's eye.

[0056] Alternatively, the support for at least one trial lens can be positioned in a position where the projected TL plane is not exactly at the pupil plane of the user's eye, but slightly in front or behind. Furthermore, the support or the third support can be positioned just in front of the eye. In either case, a trial lens can be added to the optical path of the device 1' as necessary to compensate for the user's refractive errors (sphere and astigmatism).

[0057] For proper performance of the device, it is important to have an overall wide field of view, especially in the vertical direction, with a range of 100 degrees, comparable to the field of view of glasses. To ensure this feature, two possible configurations are envisaged.

[0058] According to a first configuration shown in Fig. 4, the superposition of the PAL lenses (left PAL lens 10L and right PAL lens 10R) with the user's field of view 13 (represented by the dotted circle) provides a wide field of view that simultaneously covers the complete desired area including the distance zone FZ and the near zone NZ. A spectacle frame 100 is also shown.

[0059] Another possible configuration is shown diagrammatically in Figures 5A and 5B, where the PAL lenses (left 10L and right 10R) and the spectacle frame 100 are shown in a similar manner to Figure 4. According to this option, a wide field of view is covered overall by the vertical displacement of the PAL lens 10 relative to the optical axis of the PS, while in this configuration a wide but narrower field of view is provided. In this case, at least two viewing situations are necessary to provide the user with a complete visual experience. First, the field of view 13' (dotted line) is centered on the far zone FZ and covers at least a small part of the near zone NZ, as shown in Figure 5A, and then the position of the PAL lens 10 is vertically displaced to provide a field of view 13' centered on the near zone NZ and covers at least a small part of the far zone FZ, as shown in Figure 5B. For this purpose, the device includes a mechanical arrangement for fine vertical positioning of the PAL relative to the projection system.

[0060] Figure 6 is a representation similar to that of Figure 3B, showing a side view of an apparatus 1' supporting both the PAL lens 10 and the group of trial lenses 40. This Figure 6 diagrammatically represents a possible example of a projection system that is an optical system with three separated optical units.

[0061] - a first optical unit 31, which includes a group of lenses such as an eyepiece and / or mirrors that collect light from a wide field of view. This first eyepiece typically has a fixed magnification and an eye relief of 20 mm or more. The function of this first optical unit is to focus the collimated light beam propagated from the object through the PAL plane 11 onto a first intermediate image plane 31i.

[0062] - a second optical unit or relay unit 32 comprising a group of lenses and / or mirrors for generating a conjugate image of the first intermediate image plane 31i in a second intermediate image plane 32i in order to provide a finite conjugate image plane of the focal plane with a 1:1 imaging ratio after the first optical unit 31;

[0063] - A third optical unit 33 comprising a lens group such as an eyepiece and / or a mirror for collimating the light beam from the second intermediate image plane 32i.

[0064] In this way, a non-inverted image is obtained at a magnification of x 1. As in Figures 3A and 3B, two beams are represented corresponding to a distance zone FZ at the top of the PAL lens 10 and a near zone NZ at the bottom of the PAL lens 10.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a top view of a binocular device 1″. The binocular device 1″ includes two devices 1′, one for the left eye 20L and one for the right eye 20R, as described with respect to FIG. 3B. The same reference numerals as in FIG. 3B are used in this representation, with the addition of the letters L, R for left and right, respectively.

[0066] As in the previous figures, two beams are represented for each device 1', one corresponding to a distance zone FZ passing through the optical axis of the device and one corresponding to a near zone NZ, inclined with respect to the optical axis of the device due to the convergence of the eye in near vision.

[0067] In Figure 8 the physical components of the elements of the projection system are shown. The first optical unit 31, the second optical unit or relay unit 32 and the third optical unit 33 contain a set of spherical refractive surfaces and / or mirrors. In addition, the projection system 30 includes a mirror 34 for folding the optical path of the beam to reduce the overall length of the apparatus. In this figure the same reference numbers as in Figure 3B are used, with the addition of the letters L, R for left and right respectively.

[0068] Abbreviations and acronyms used in this disclosure: AR: Augmented Reality FZ: Far Zone in PAL IOL: Intraocular lens NZ:PAL Near Zone PAL: Progressive multifocal lenses PS: Projection system TL: Trial lens VR: Virtual Reality

[0069] In this specification, terms such as first, second, third, etc. have been used to describe some devices, elements, or parameters in this specification, but it will be understood that these terms are used only to distinguish one device, element, or parameter from another, and the device, element, or parameter should not be limited by these terms. For example, a first support can be called a second support, and vice versa, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] In this document, the term "comprises" and its derivatives (such as "comprising") should not be understood in an exclusive sense, i.e., these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include additional elements, steps, etc.

[0071] However, the present invention is obviously not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but also encompasses any variations (e.g., with regard to the selection of materials, dimensions, components, configurations, etc.) that may be considered by a person skilled in the art within the general scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A device (1, 1') for projecting a progressive lens (10) in front of an eye (20) of a user of the device, comprising: a first support for supporting the progressive multifocal lens (10) in a PAL plane (11); A projection system (30), comprising: projecting said PAL plane (11) onto a conjugate PAL plane (11p) without inversion; generating a non-inverted projection of an object onto the retina of the eye (20) through the PAL plane (11); and a projection system (30) configured for: In a position of use of the device, the first support is configured to support the PAL lens (10) such that the PAL plane is located at a distal portion of the device; the projection system (30) is disposed between the PAL plane (11) and the eye (20); a proximal portion of the device for placement in front of the eye (20); The apparatus, wherein the eye (20) is positioned at a first distance (D) from the conjugate PAL plane (11p).

2. 2. The device (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein the first support is adjustable to set the position of the progressive addition lens (10) in the PAL plane (11).

3. 10. Apparatus (1, 1') according to any preceding claim, wherein the first support is adjustable to set the position of the PAL plane (11).

4. 13. The device (1') according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second support for supporting at least one trial lens in a first trial lens plane, the second support configured to support the at least one trial lens in front of the eye and at a second distance therefrom.

5. An apparatus (1') according to any preceding claim, further comprising a third support for supporting at least one trial lens (40) in a second lens plane (41), the second lens plane being configured to be projected onto a conjugate trial lens plane (41p) at the pupil of the eye (20) or at a second distance from the eye.

6. 6. The device (1') according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the at least one trial lens supported by the second support and / or the third support has a refractive power equal to the refractive error of the user corresponding to clear vision at infinity.

7. 6. The device (1') according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the at least one trial lens supported by the second support and / or the third support has a refractive power corresponding to clear vision at an intermediate distance.

8. The projection system (30) a first optical unit (31) comprising a group of lenses and / or mirrors for focusing a collimated or nearly collimated light beam propagating from an object through the PAL plane (11) onto a first intermediate image plane (31i), the first optical unit (31) being arranged at a distal end of the projection system (30); a second optical or relay unit (32) comprising a group of lenses and / or mirrors for generating a conjugate image of the first intermediate image plane (31i) in a second intermediate image plane (32i); and a third optical unit (33) comprising a group of lenses and / or mirrors for collimating or nearly collimating the light beam from the second intermediate image plane (32i).

9. 8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the projection system (30) is at least one freeform optical element having at least one refractive or reflective optical surface in combination with or without a spherical refractive surface and / or an array of mirrors.

10. Two devices (1, 1'), said devices (1, 1') being arranged side by side, forming a binocular device (1'').

11. 11. A binocular device as described in claim 10, wherein the two devices are arranged parallel or nearly parallel to each other and the distance between them is adjustable for alignment with the user's eyes.

12. A method for projecting a progressive lens (10) in front of an eye (20) of a user of the device, comprising: Placing a progressive multifocal lens (10) in a PAL plane (11); projecting said PAL plane (11) onto a conjugate PAL plane (11p) without inversion; placing an object in front of the progressive multifocal lens (10); generating a non-inverted projection of the object through the PAL plane (11) onto the retina of the eye (20) located at a vertex distance from the conjugate PAL plane (11p).

13. The method of claim 12, performed by an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of moving a field of view (13') of the projection system (30) across a distance zone and a near zone of the progressive addition lens (10) in the PAL plane (11).

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the progressive lens (10) is an optically adjustable progressive lens.

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