Functional layer application system

Abstract

A system and method for adding a functional layer to a lens having multiple microlenses for refractive error prevention. The lens may include a defocus-integrated multi-segment (DIMS) lens having multiple microlenses or lenslets that create refractive regions with different refractive powers. Injection molding may be used to add a functional layer to such a DIMS lens having multiple microlenses or lenslets. The functional layer may add functional benefits to the lens, including, but not limited to, photochromic functionality, polarization functionality, etc.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application is a continuation of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 596,058, filed November 3, 2023, entitled "Wavelength Selective Ophthalmic Lens," and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 596,058, filed January 20, 2023, entitled "Wavelength / Color Component of Therapeutic Ophthalmic Lens." This application claims the benefit of and priority to US Pat. No. 4,480,848, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Myopia, commonly referred to as "shortsightedness," is a progressive eye disease with a high and increasing incidence. Myopia involves a refractive error, usually caused by the eyeball growing too long, which causes images produced by the lens to be focused in front of the retina rather than on it, which can cause objects farther from the eye to appear blurry. A visualization of this process is shown in Figure 1.

[0003] To date, several different types of lens designs have been studied and shown to have potential effectiveness in myopia control. Such lens designs include multifocal (e.g., bifocal, trifocal) and aspheric lens optics. Such lens designs have been applied to both spectacle lenses and contact lenses. Overall, these lens designs have shown significant reductions in both myopic progression and axial growth. Improvement with these lens designs has been shown to depend on various factors, such as the length of use and the rate of myopia progression.

[0004] Another example of a lens design previously used to treat myopia is the defocus-incorporated multiple segment (DIMS) lens, which aids in the development of the eye to achieve proper refractive characteristics (emmetropization). As shown in Figure 2, a DIMS lens may utilize a series of small "lenslets" that additively contribute to the corrective power of the lens at selected locations. The lenslets are typically small, circular, and distributed in a circular ring pattern centered on the wearer's pupil. Examples of DIMS lenses are shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 11,029,540, which is incorporated by reference.

[0005] The eye has slightly different focal lengths for different wavelengths, as shown in Figure 3. There is also evidence that eye growth can be induced by color stimuli. Ocular physiology indicates that longer wavelengths of light can control this process. When blur is detected at these wavelengths, the eye attempts to correct by shortening its axial growth, resulting in an eye that can accurately perceive images at maturity.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an ophthalmic lens for treating myopia that combines the use of small lenses with the use of color. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and / or methods relating to the use of wavelength selective ophthalmic lenses for the treatment of various conditions, such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and migraines.

[0008] In one embodiment, one or more portions of the ophthalmic lens are tinted (e.g., blue, green, red, etc.), such as by incorporating various pigments and / or dyes, to filter or block specific wavelengths of light for the treatment of various conditions, such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, migraines, etc. ) may be used.

[0009] In one embodiment, the tint may be applied directly to or matched to one or more lenslets formed on the surface of the base lens.

[0010] In one embodiment, the colored pattern may be printed onto the ophthalmic lens.

[0011] In one embodiment, the colored pattern may be applied to an ophthalmic lens having multiple lenslets (eg, a DIMS lens).

[0012] In one embodiment, the colored pattern may be applied in registration or alignment with the desired lenslets using transfer printing or other methods.

[0013] In one embodiment, the colored pattern may be applied directly to the base lens.

[0014] In one embodiment, a colored pattern may be incorporated into the laminate and then aligned with one or more lenslets during manufacturing.

[0015] In one embodiment, an ophthalmic lens may have a portion with tinted add power at wavelengths selected for optimal clinical effect.

[0016] In one embodiment, the colored pattern may be applied directly to one or more lenslets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] Possible aspects, features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing refractive errors caused by myopia.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a front view of one embodiment of a DIMS lens.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating different focal lengths for different wavelengths in the eye.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates the translation of treatment concepts from a concentric ring lens design to a DIMS lens design.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of a DIMS lens in which some of the lenslets are tinted.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of a DIMS lens in which tint is applied to all lenslets. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0025] In this specification, the terms "about," "approximately," or "generally" when used in reference to a value may be understood to include a range of within ±10% of the stated value.

[0026] Disclosed herein are various embodiments of ophthalmic lenses, including spectacle lenses and contact lenses, that utilize color stimuli for the treatment of various conditions, such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, migraines, etc. Recognizing that eye growth can be induced by color stimuli, various lens designs have been developed that incorporate coloring to influence axial eye growth, thereby resulting in an eye that is capable of accurate image perception at maturity.

[0027] Generally, the colored pattern may be printed onto the ophthalmic lens, for example, by application of a colored dye. The colored pattern may be applied to an ophthalmic lens having multiple lenslets (e.g., a "DIMS lens"), where the pattern is applied to a base lens in registration or alignment with one or more desired lenslets, applied to a laminate that is applied to the base lens, or applied directly to one or more of such lenslets.

[0028] The coloring patterns may be configured to apply wavelength-selective filtering for the treatment of various conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, migraines, etc. The coloring patterns may be configured to completely block or filter certain wavelengths in certain embodiments, however, in other embodiments the coloring patterns may be configured to only partially block or filter certain wavelengths.

[0029] The manner in which the colored pattern is incorporated into the ophthalmic lens can vary. For example, a printed pattern can be applied directly to a base lens. As a further example, the printed pattern can be incorporated into a laminate, which can then be aligned with the desired pattern (e.g., a lenslet pattern) during manufacturing. The colored pattern can be aligned with the portion of the ophthalmic lens that has add power, and the wavelength of the colored pattern can be selected to achieve the best clinical effect based on the particular patient or condition being treated.

[0030] As yet another example, tinting or tinting may be applied directly to one or more lenslets formed on the surface of a base lens. Tinting may be applied to all of such lenslets or only to some of such lenslets. Tinting may be applied to such lenslets before or after they are formed on the base lens. The lenslets may all have the same corrective power or may have varying corrective powers. Some of the lenslets may have no corrective power.

[0031] Tinting or tinting can be applied based on corrective power, and therefore only to specific lenslets with specific corrective powers. Tinting can be applied based on location, and therefore only to specific lenslets in desired locations on the base lens.

[0032] To manufacture such lenses, processes similar to those used to prepare laminated lenses with active layers can be utilized. A pattern can be printed onto a flat sheet, which is then molded into a lens. However, such processes can present certain drawbacks or disadvantages, such as poor adhesion due to steep base curves or difficulty in ensuring that the correction and color patterns maintain concentricity.

[0033] As an alternative method for manufacturing such lenses, a pad (transfer) printing process can be used to directly place a colored pattern on the lens, centered on the optical pattern. Such a method can eliminate the requirement for aligning the optical zone with the print in a subsequent step. With the print exposed in such a way, the application of a standard hard coating protection layer can become more important. Therefore, a hard coating compatible with the printing ink of the colored pattern can be used to protect the colored pattern.

[0034] Tinting may also be applied to portions of the base lens that do not include lenslets. Such tinted portions of the base lens may or may not have corrective power. Tinting may be applied to a combination of both portions of the base lens that include lenslets and portions of the base lens that do not include lenslets.

[0035] The tint can be applied to portions of the base lens having different types of geometries. For example, the tint can be applied to convex portions of the base lens, concave portions of the base lens, and / or to portions of the base lens. The adhesive may be applied to a planar (ie, substantially flat) portion of the lens.

[0036] Different patterns and / or Alternatively, various configurations of coloration patterns incorporating different colors or tints are contemplated. A blue or green coloration or tint may be applied to transmit shorter wavelength light (e.g., in the blue or violet spectrum) while absorbing or filtering longer wavelength light (e.g., in the red or orange spectrum). Conversely, a red coloration or tint may be applied to absorb shorter wavelength light while transmitting longer wavelength light.

[0037] As a first example, a blue or green tint or color may be applied only to the non-corrective portions of the lens, including either the base lens or one or more lenslets. As a second example, the opposite configuration may be utilized, whereby a blue or green tint is applied only to the corrective (i.e., add power) portions of the lens, including either the base lens or one or more lenslets.

[0038] As a third example, only red may be applied to the non-corrective portions of the lens, including either the base lens or one or more lenslets. As a fourth example, the reverse configuration may be utilized, where red tinting is applied only to the add power portions of the lens, including either the base lens or one or more lenslets.

[0039] As a fifth example, both blue / green and red may be utilized, with red being applied to the non-corrective portion of the lens. The blue / green lens is either a base lens or one or more small lenses. As a sixth example, the reverse configuration can be used, with blue / green being the Red is applied to the non-corrective portion of the lens, and red is applied to the add power portion of the lens, which may include either the base lens or one or more lenslets.

[0040] However, it should be understood that any color may be utilized, and thus the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited solely to the blue, green, or red colorations described for illustrative purposes only. A variety of different colors or tints may be utilized depending on the wavelength of light desired to be transmitted long and efficiently.

[0041] Specific embodiments are described below. However, it should be understood that any features from any embodiment can be mixed and matched with each other in any combination. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to only these embodiments, but also encompasses any broader combination thereof.

[0042] 4 illustrates an example of the application of the concept applied to ophthalmic lenses with concentric rings to a DIMS ophthalmic lens with multiple lenslets. As shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that both types of lenses can have in-focus and out-of-focus areas.

[0043] In a DIMS configuration, multiple lenslets cover at least a portion of a base lens. Some or all of the multiple lenslets may have corrective power. As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, a group of lenslets may have corrective power and a group of lenslets may have no corrective power (e.g., plano power). A group of lenslets with corrective power may include groups of adjacent lenslets that form various shapes, such as small, discrete islands as shown, with the lenslets surrounding such small, discrete islands having different corrective powers or no corrective power at all.

[0044] In a concentric ring configuration, instead of the small islands used to achieve the defocus power, the corrective portions can be achieved using concentric rings. Such a configuration can achieve the same effect as using small islands without the need for precision machining of small parts.

[0045] 5-6 show an embodiment of a DIMS lens 100 having multiple lenslets 120 disposed on a base lens 110, with FIG. 5 showing an embodiment in which coloring or tinting is applied to only a portion of the lenslets 120 and FIG. 6 showing an embodiment in which coloring or tinting is applied to all of the lenslets 120.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, tinting 130 is applied to only a portion of the lenslets 120, resulting in a plurality of tinted lenslets 130 that are distinguishable from the remaining lenslets 120 that do not have any tint or tinting applied.

[0047] As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the tinted lenslets 130 may be arranged in a concentric pattern around a central region that has no lenslets. By way of example, the tinted lenslets 130 may be arranged to form a continuous ring having a substantially circular or polygonal shape. It should be understood that such configurations are for illustrative purposes only and therefore should not be construed as limiting in scope. A wide variety of patterns for the tinted lenslets 130 may be utilized, and the tinted lenslets 130 may be randomly arranged among the lenslets 120 without any discernible pattern. In some embodiments, the tinted lenslets 120 may not form a closed loop or closed shape as shown in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the tinted lenslets 120 may be arranged in a concentric pattern. The color lenslets 120 are not concentric and may, for example, comprise a single "ring" structure of color lenslets 120.

[0048] 6 illustrates an embodiment in which tint 130 is applied to all of the lenslets 120. Such lenslets 120 may all have corrective power, or in some cases, some or all of the lenslets 120 may have no corrective power at all.

[0049] In some embodiments, different lenslets 120 may have different corrective powers. Thus, the lenslets 120 may all have the same corrective power, or in some embodiments, one or more lenslets 120 may have a different corrective power than one or more of the remaining lenslets 120. In one embodiment, one or more lenslets 120 may have a positive corrective power, a negative corrective power, and / or a negative corrective power. Or it may have zero corrective force.

[0050] 5, in one embodiment, the tinted lenslet 130 may have a first corrective power and the remaining non-tinted lenslet 120 may have a second corrective power, where the first and second corrective powers are selected from the group consisting of a positive corrective power, a negative corrective power, and a zero corrective power. As a non-limiting example, and continuing to refer to FIG. 5, the tinted lenslet 130 may have a positive corrective power (e.g., +2.5) and the remaining non-tinted lenslet 120 may have a zero corrective power. As a general example, the tinted lenslets 130 may have different corrective powers (e.g., a first plurality of tinted lenslets 130 has a first corrective power and a second plurality of tinted lenslets 130 has a second corrective power, where the first and second corrective powers are different from one another).

[0051] The lenslets 120 may be arranged in a ring-like pattern, as shown in FIG. 5, with the central region of the base lens 110 free of lenslets 120. However, it should be understood that the pattern shown in FIG. 5 is for illustrative purposes only and therefore should not be construed as being limited in scope to any particular pattern. In different embodiments, various patterns of lenslets 120 may be utilized. In some embodiments, a majority of the base lens 110 may include lenslets 110 without an exposed central region.

[0052] The dimensions of the lenslets 120 and the extent to which they cover the base lens 110 may vary in different embodiments. In one embodiment in which the lenslets 120 are arranged in a ring configuration as shown in Figures 2 and 5-6, the central region of the base lens 110, excluding the lenslets 120, may have a radius of approximately 2.5 millimeters to 10 millimeters. Each may have an area of ​​approximately 0.5 to 3.14 square millimeters, although other areas (larger or smaller) may be utilized in certain embodiments. The lenslets 120 may cover approximately 20% to 60% of the total surface area of ​​the base lens 110, although in various embodiments the lenslets 120 may cover more or less than the total surface area of ​​the base.

[0053] As previously mentioned, the plurality of lenslets 120 may apply a corrective force (positive or negative). Tinting or tinting 130 may be applied to some or all of the plurality of lenslets 120. In another embodiment, only some of the plurality of lenslets 120 may apply a corrective force. In such an embodiment, tinting or tinting 130 may be applied to lenslets 120 that apply a corrective force, lenslets 120 that do not apply a corrective force, or a combination thereof.

[0054] It should be understood that the coloring or tinting 130 may be applied directly to the lenslets 120. Thus, one or more of the lenslets 120 may be colored or tinted. The manner in which the lenslets 120 may be colored or tinted may vary and may include, for example, applying a dye to the lenslets 120 or incorporating a pigment within the lenslets 120.

[0055] However, in some embodiments, the tint or tinting 130 may instead be applied directly to an underlying laminate aligned with the lenslet, such that the tint 130 is not applied directly to the lenslet 120 itself, but rather to the laminate below the lenslet 120. In such embodiments, the tint or tint may not be applied to the base lens 110 or the lenslet 120, but only to the intermediate laminate between the base lens 110 and the lenslet 120. In some embodiments, the laminate may instead be applied to the interior surface of the base lens 110, and thus may not be in direct contact with the lenslet 120.

[0056] In still other embodiments, the tint 130 may be applied directly to the base lens 110 , such as by applying a dye to the base lens 110 or dispersing particles within the material forming the base lens 110 .

[0057] While the present invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, those skilled in the art will be able to generate additional embodiments and modifications in light of this teaching without departing from the spirit or beyond the scope of the claimed invention. It is therefore understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are provided by way of example to facilitate understanding of the invention and should not be construed as limiting its scope.

Claims

1. 1. A method of fabricating a lens having microlenses including a functional layer, comprising: applying a first temperature to a first side of the mold; injecting material into the mold at a velocity; applying a first plastic dwell pressure for a first duration; applying a second plastic dwell pressure for a second duration; allowing the mold to cool; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is between 280°F and 300°F.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plastic dwell pressure is between 1250 PSI and 1750 PSI.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first duration is between 8 and 12 seconds.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second plastic dwell pressure is between 3250 PSI and 3750 PSI.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second duration is between 13 and 17 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plastic packing pressure is less than the second plastic packing pressure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first duration is less than the second duration.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functional layer comprises a polarizing functional layer or a photochromic functional layer.

10. 1. A method of fabricating a lens having microlenses including a functional layer, comprising: applying a first temperature to a first side of the mold; applying a second temperature to a second side of the mold; injecting material into the mold at a velocity; applying a first plastic dwell pressure for a first duration; applying a second plastic dwell pressure for a second duration; applying a third plastic dwell pressure for a third duration; allowing the mold to cool; A method comprising:

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first side of the mold comprises a convex portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second side of the mold comprises a concave portion.

13. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of injecting material into the mold at a velocity is repeated between two and five times.

14. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first plastic dwell pressure is between 1250 PSI and 1750 PSI.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first duration is between 8 and 12 seconds.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second plastic dwell pressure is between 3000 PSI and 4000 PSI.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second duration is between 10 and 20 seconds.

18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third plastic dwell pressure is between 7,000 PSI and 10,000 PSI.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the third duration is between 30 and 50 seconds.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the functional layer comprises a gray polarizing functional layer, a brown polarizing functional layer, or a photochromic functional layer.

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