Providing method of an ophthalmic lens, a method for manufacturing the same, and an ophthalmic article including the same

Abstract

Ophthalmic lenses and methods for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses are disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 027,229, filed May 19, 2020, and U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 062,687, filed Aug. 7, 2020. The entirety of each of the foregoing is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to ophthalmic lenses and methods of manufacturing ophthalmic lenses. More particularly, the present disclosure relates, at least in part, to Just - In - Time manufacturing of ophthalmic lenses. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to Just - In - Time manufacturing of ophthalmic lenses that can be used to suppress the progression of myopia in a user.

Background Art

[0003] The eye is a light sensor that collects light from the outside with a lens and irradiates the surface of the retina, which is an array of wavelength - dependent light sensors. The lens of the eye can adjust by changing its shape to collect light rays from the outside at the optimal or nearly optimal focal length and generate an inverted image corresponding to the external image observed by the eye on the surface of the retina. The eye lens optimally or nearly optimally collects light emitted from an external object within a certain distance range from the eye, or light reflected from an external object, and does not optimally collect or does not collect light from an object outside that distance range.

[0004] In normal vision, the axial length of the eye, i.e., the distance from the front surface of the cornea to the focal point of the retina, corresponds to the focal length for optimally focusing on distant objects. The eyes of a person with normal vision can focus on distant objects without neural input to the muscles that change the shape of the lens. For nearby objects, in the case of a normal person, the focus is achieved as a result of convergence.

[0005] However, many people have problems with the axial length of their eyes, such as myopia. In myopic people, the axial length of the eye is longer than the axial length required to focus on distant objects. As a result, myopic people can see close objects clearly up to a certain distance, but objects further away appear blurry.

[0006] Typically, infants are born hyperopic, with eye lengths shorter than those required for optimal or near-optimal focusing of distant objects without accommodation. During normal eye development, a process known as "refraction," the axial length of the eye increases relative to other eye dimensions until it reaches a length that allows for near-optimal focusing of distant objects. Ideally, biological processes maintain a near-optimal relative ocular length relative to eye size (e.g., axial length) as the eye grows to its final adult size. However, in myopic individuals, the axial length of the eye relative to eye size continues to increase during development, exceeding the length required for near-optimal focusing of distant objects, resulting in increasingly pronounced myopia.

[0007] Myopia is thought to be influenced not only by genetic factors but also by environmental factors. Therefore, myopia can be alleviated by a treatment device that addresses environmental factors. For example, a treatment device for treating eye length-related disorders, including myopia, is described in Patent Document 1.

[0008] Treatment devices for myopia progression inhibition include ophthalmic lenses such as specific spectacle lenses and contact lenses. Prescribed spectacle and contact lenses are generally provided through ophthalmologists' offices or online clinics. In either case, especially in the case of spectacles, these devices are specially customized for each patient. For example, patients can choose spectacles from a fairly wide variety of styles and brands. For a given prescription, they can also select from a variety of different stock lenses with various different possible coatings (e.g., hard coats and optical filters such as short wavelength filters, and / or photochromic filters). Multifocal lenses are also possible, which involve even more advanced customization. In either case, they are provided to the end user in a timely manner by a supply chain that manufactures spectacles just in time. Lens manufacturers generally supply stock lenses to a supply center in a region where they can customize the lens, for example, by forming one or both of the lens surfaces, applying a coating to one or both of the lens surfaces, and forming the lens to fit a particular spectacle frame selected by the user, which is usually a circular blank. In the latter process, generally, the specific interpupillary distance of the patient and the optical center height with respect to the vertical pupil position for a particular spectacle frame are taken into account.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

[0010] Certain manufacturing methods for forming patterns of optical elements on stock ophthalmic lenses can be economically implemented at or near the point of sale of the eyewear to the end user. For example, certain manufacturing methods can be deployed in an ophthalmologist's office or a local lens retailer. Furthermore, some of these manufacturing methods allow for a high degree of customization of the patterns of optical elements on ophthalmic lenses, which can be stock ophthalmic lenses, such as finished single vision lenses (i.e., plano, spherical, cylindrical, or toric lenses), or surfaced ophthalmic lenses, such as digitally surfaced single vision lenses, multifocal lenses, or progressive lenses. Thus, these methods can be used to provide a high degree of customization of optical element patterns on a variety of different stock or surfaced ophthalmic lenses, just as various lens coatings are offered. These methods can be referred to as just-in-time (JIT) delivery methods, facilitating the rapid delivery of customized products to consumers. Furthermore, these methods can be easily deployed within existing supply chains for delivering prescription eyewear to consumers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Generally, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method comprising the steps of providing an ophthalmic lens having opposing surfaces that define the optical power of the ophthalmic lens (e.g., one or both surfaces are finished), wherein one or both of the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, and the ophthalmic lens includes an edge that defines the outer perimeter of the ophthalmic lens; obtaining a pattern of three or more optical elements; and forming the optical elements on the lens according to the pattern. At least three optical elements each have an optical effect different from the optical power of the ophthalmic lens. (i) The pattern is radially asymmetric, or (ii) the ophthalmic lens has at least one optical or structural feature (e.g., a marker or feature at the edge of the lens) that is radially asymmetric with respect to the ophthalmic lens, (i) the ophthalmic lens is radially asymmetric and the pattern is formed on the ophthalmic lens according to a specified direction, or (ii) one or more optical or structural features that specify the rotational orientation of the ophthalmic lens are formed on at least one surface and / or edge of the ophthalmic lens.

[0012] Generally, in another aspect, the present invention provides a method comprising the steps of receiving an ophthalmic lens having opposing surfaces that define the optical power of the ophthalmic lens, wherein one or both of the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens has an edge that defines the outer perimeter of the ophthalmic lens, and the ophthalmic lens is optically and structurally radially symmetric with respect to the optical axis; obtaining a pattern of three or more optical elements, the pattern being radially asymmetric; forming the optical elements on the lens according to the pattern; and forming on at least one surface and / or edge of the ophthalmic lens one or more structural features that can be used to specify the rotational orientation of the lens, wherein each of at least three optical elements has an optical effect different from the optical power of the ophthalmic lens.

[0013] Generally, in another aspect, the present invention provides a step of providing an ophthalmic lens having opposing surfaces that define the optical power of the ophthalmic lens, wherein one or both of the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens includes an edge that defines the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens, and the ophthalmic lens has at least one optical or structural feature that is radially asymmetric about the optical axis; a step of obtaining a pattern of three or more optical elements, the pattern being radially asymmetric with respect to its center; a step of using a data processing device to identify the relative orientation of the ophthalmic lens and the pattern; and a step of forming optical elements on the lens according to the pattern and the identified orientation, wherein at least three optical elements each have an optical effect different from the optical power of the ophthalmic lens. The method is characterized by including these steps.

[0014] Generally, in yet another aspect, the present invention provides a step of receiving an ophthalmic lens having opposing surfaces that define the optical power of the ophthalmic lens, wherein one or both of the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens has an edge that defines the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens, and the ophthalmic lens is radially symmetric with respect to the optical axis; a step of obtaining a pattern of three or more optical elements, the pattern being radially asymmetric; a step of forming optical elements on the lens according to the pattern; and a step of forming one or more optical or structural features on at least one surface and / or edge of the ophthalmic lens that define the rotational orientation of the lens with respect to an axis passing through the geometric center of the lens, wherein each of at least three optical elements has an optical effect different from the optical power of the ophthalmic lens. The method is characterized by including these steps.

[0015] In a further aspect, the present invention provides an ophthalmic lens having opposing surfaces that define the optical power of the ophthalmic lens, wherein one or both of the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens includes an edge that defines the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens has at least one optical or structural feature that is not radially symmetric about the optical center, and the edge including the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens is not radially symmetric about the optical center, an ophthalmic lens, and a pattern of at least three optical elements having an outer shape and / or density distribution that defines an image that can be viewed from outside a spectacle including the ophthalmic lens, the image not being radially symmetric with respect to the optical center, a pattern, and an article characterized thereby.

[0016] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method in a data processing apparatus, the method comprising receiving an input parameter value specified by a user, determining, using the data processing apparatus, a pattern of optical elements for forming on a surface of an ophthalmic lens based on the input parameter value, and providing optical elements on the surface of the ophthalmic lens according to the pattern.

[0017] In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method for forming an ophthalmic lens for suppressing myopia progression in a human patient, the method comprising receiving, in a data processing apparatus, information characterizing the ophthalmic lens based on a refractive anomaly of the human patient, determining, by the data processing apparatus, a pattern of optical elements for forming on a surface of the ophthalmic lens, the pattern of optical elements being selected to suppress myopia progression in the human patient, and fabricating the ophthalmic lens based on the information and the pattern of optical elements, the surface of the ophthalmic lens including one or more portions having a base curvature corresponding to the optical power and the pattern of optical elements for correcting the refractive anomaly of the human patient.

[0018] In yet another aspect, the present invention is a system for forming an ophthalmic lens from a stock ophthalmic lens selected for a human patient to suppress myopia progression in the human patient, the system comprising: an input terminal for receiving information regarding the stock ophthalmic lens and information regarding the human patient; a data processing device programmed to receive the information regarding the stock ophthalmic lens and the information regarding the human patient from the input terminal and output a pattern of optical elements to be formed on the surface of the stock ophthalmic lens, the pattern of optical elements being selected such that it suppresses myopia progression in the human patient; and a lens surface modification device arranged to receive the pattern of optical elements output by the data processing device and form the optical elements on the surface of the ophthalmic lens according to the pattern.

[0019] Each of the foregoing aspects may include one or more features recited in the claims and / or described in the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1A, an exemplary system 100 for providing glasses 101 includes an input terminal 110 and a data processing device 120 that communicate with a lens modification system 130. The glasses 101 include lenses 150, 151 mounted on a glasses frame 170. Each of the lenses 150, 151 includes patterns 155, 156 of optical elements formed on the lens by the lens modification system 130 as part of a customization process.

[0022] The input terminal 110 may be, for example, a computer terminal or a mobile device (such as a tablet computer or a mobile phone) running a software application that facilitates operation of the system 100. The data processing device 120 includes a processing module 122 (e.g., having one or more computer processors) that obtains or calculates information 124 regarding a pattern 155 of optical elements to be formed on the lens. For example, the optical elements may include lenslets, scattering centers, and / or Fresnel lens elements, which may be arranged according to the pattern 155. In some embodiments, the optical elements inhibit the progression of myopia in a user of the eyeglasses 101. Upon selection, the system 100 transmits the information 125 regarding the pattern 155 to the lens modification system 130.

[0023] The system 100 is designed to be able to modify a variety of lenses 140 to include a pattern of optical elements 155. That is, the system is designed to modify lens blanks commercially available from numerous ophthalmic lens companies. These include single vision prescription lenses, multifocal lenses, and plano lenses. The lenses 140 are generally formed from glass or plastic. The corrective lenses 142 are typically selected according to the user's needs (e.g., Rx) and preferences (e.g., lens material, coatings).

[0024] The lens modification system 130 includes a platform 132 that positions a selected lens 142 relative to an exposure apparatus 134, or vice versa. Depending on the embodiment, the exposure apparatus 134 either deposits material on the surface of the lens to form an optical element, or exposes the lens to radiation that modifies the surface and / or bulk of the lens 142 to form an optical element. The lens modification system 130 also includes, for example, an optical alignment module or a physical stop, that aligns the lens 142 relative to the exposure apparatus 134 to ensure that the pattern is formed according to a specified relative alignment between the lens and the pattern.

[0025] System 100 controls the relative orientation between lens 142 and exposure device 134 to form optical elements on the lens according to pattern 155. After forming pattern 155 of optical elements 152 on lens 142, the edges of the lens are shaped (e.g., milled) to fit eyeglass frame 170 in a process commonly referred to as edging. Alternatively, before forming pattern 155 of optical elements 152 on lens 142, the edges of the lens are shaped to fit eyeglass frame 170. A second lens is modified in the same manner to provide second lens 151 for mounting in frame 170.

[0026] 1A 的方法可以包括附加涂层。 For example, additional coatings may be applied to one or both lens surfaces, either before or after application of pattern 155. Examples include UV or blue light filters, anti-reflective coatings, photochromic coatings, polarizers, mirror coatings, tints, and hard coats. In some cases, additional shaping of the lens surface may be performed, either before or after application of pattern 155, for example, to customize the multifocal lens for a user.

[0027] This process can be performed at an eyeglass store, distribution center, optical laboratory, or centralized manufacturing facility. Lens modifications can be performed locally on lenses from lens inventory, integrating with existing eyeglass delivery protocols to allow just-in-time delivery of highly customized pairs of eyeglasses, including customized optical element patterns.

[0028] Referring also to FIG. 1B, in some embodiments, the personalized glasses 101 may be provided by a sequence 180 that may be performed entirely in an ophthalmologist's office or in cooperation with a distribution center, an optical laboratory, or a centralized manufacturing facility. In a first step 181, the ophthalmologist determines the patient's prescription, for example, by refracting the subject. In this step, the power of the ophthalmic lens on which the pattern is to be formed is determined. The patient also selects an eyeglass frame in the same manner as for ordinary prescription glasses. In some embodiments, the eyeglass frame is selected from a retail store, and the lens shape can be communicated to an edging facility by (i) providing a model number so that the trace shape can be retrieved from a database, (ii) performing a frame tracing process in the store and electronically providing the trace shape, or (iii) shipping the frame to the edging facility so that the edging facility can obtain the trace shape. In an alternative embodiment, the eyeglass frame may be selected from a "static frame board," and one or more in-store models match the eyeglass frames in stock at the edging facility.

[0029] The eye care professional may also collect additional information for selecting a pattern. Generally, the pattern can take into account factors such as the patient's lens prescription (Rx), the patient's pupil size, the patient's convergence, the patient's pupil distance, the patient's line of sight angle, a measure of the patient's myopia progression, the patient's predisposition to myopia (e.g., genetic factors or behavioral influencers), the final shape and size of the lens after being mounted on the eyeglass frame, the prominence of the pattern of the optical element to others, the patient's comfort, the optical center height of a given pupil with respect to the patient's frame, the patient's preferences or selections (e.g., the outer shape of the pattern), the preferences of the eyeglass professional (e.g., the dosage of the therapeutic effect), and the like.

[0030] In the next step 182, the system identifies a pattern of optical elements suitable for the patient. This identification can include selecting from among several pre-established patterns (e.g., stored in a pattern database) or calculating a new pattern according to a pattern generation algorithm. For example, the pattern can be calculated by the system to have a particular profile or density profile selected by the user.

[0031] Pattern parameters that can be varied include, for example, the type of optical element (e.g., microlens, scattering center, Fresnel lens), the size of the optical element, its density, and the shape of the region it occupies. Additionally, there are parameters such as the size, shape, position of the clear aperture, and the position of the pattern on the lens. Each of these can be individualized according to the desired optical effect of the pattern on the wearer (e.g., the amount of contrast reduction in the peripheral vision and the angular range of the clear aperture) and / or the prominence of the pattern to someone else when the observer looks at the glasses being worn.

[0032] Once the system establishes a pattern, at step 183, information regarding the pattern is transferred to the lens modification system. This information may include one or more data files in a format readable by the lens modification system 130. For example, commercially available software suitable for generating images (e.g., Microsoft Office products such as Visio, PowerPoint, or Word; Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator) can be used in combination with standard driver software to generate control signals for the lens modification system 130. For example, the pattern can be specified in file formats such as WinLase Professional Job (WLJ), WinLase Professional Object (WLO), HPGL Plotter File (PLT), Windows Enhanced Metafile (EMF), Windows MetaFile (WMF). AutoCad (DXF), AutoCad (DWG), Adobe Illustrator (AI), CorelDRAW (CDR), Excellon2 File (EX2), Windows Bitmap (BMP), JPEG Bitmap (JPG), CompuServe Bitman (GIF), PaintBrush (PCX), TruView Job (JOB) or TruView Object (MCL) files. Patterns encoded in such files can be generated using computer code in computer programming languages such as AppleScript, JavaScript, Python, C++. Alternatively, or additionally, custom software and file formats can be used. Such patterns can be generated by software using input parameters from specific users such as eye care professionals or patients.Such custom patterns can be generated in a short time, such as within 24 hours (e.g., within 12 hours, within 1 hour, within 50 minutes, within 40 minutes, within 30 minutes, within 20 minutes, within 10 minutes, e.g., within 1 minute, within 40 seconds, within 30 seconds, within 10 seconds, within 1 second), enabling rapid and just-in-time manufacturing.

[0033] Next, in step 184, the lens modification system 130 aligns the lens relative to the system or vice versa to form a pattern at a specified position on the lens. This can include physically moving the lens relative to the lens modification system and / or software adjustments to translate, rotate, and / or scale the size of the pattern to correspond to the position of the lens. Once aligned, in step 185, the system modifies the lens according to the information regarding the pattern to form an optical element with the desired pattern.

[0034] In step 186, the edge of the lens is shaped and the shaped lens is mounted in a frame.

[0035] Generally, these steps can occur in other orders. For example, the lens can be edged and shaped in step 186 before the optical element is formed on the lens in step 185.

[0036] In some embodiments, both the lens and the pattern are radially symmetric. In other words, both the lens and the pattern have symmetry with respect to the central axis. This can also be referred to as rotational symmetry. For example, a plano lens or a lens with only spherical power is a radially symmetric lens if it has a circular edge. Generally, a lens with a circular edge is referred to as a circular lens even if the curvature of the surface protrudes from the plane of the circle defined by the edge.

[0037] Furthermore, the optical elements can be arranged in a pattern that is radially symmetric about the geometric center of the pattern. Such patterns generally have a circular periphery and perform the same optical function regardless of the radial direction from which the user looks. In such cases, the geometric center of the pattern, such as the center of a clear aperture in the annular region of the optical element, can be aligned with the optical center of the lens. For such spherical lenses, the optical center often coincides with the geometric center of the lens. In such cases, alignment of the pattern to the lens can be achieved, for example, by measuring and marking the optical center using a lens meter and then aligning the pattern to the marked optical center before forming the pattern on the lens.

[0038] More generally, however, the techniques described above can also be used to form rotationally asymmetric patterns on radially symmetric or radially asymmetric lenses. Generally, it is necessary to establish a relative alignment between the lens and the pattern that takes into account the asymmetry before forming the optical element. The system adjusts the alignment as necessary to ensure the relative alignment is as specified. In some embodiments, structural and / or optical alignment features can be formed on the lens that allow for alignment of the lens within the lens modification system before forming the optical element. Examples that generally fall into the following four categories are described below:

[0039] Type 1: Radially symmetric lenses (e.g., with radially symmetric power profiles) and radially symmetric patterns (i) A circular plano lens with a radially symmetric pattern about the lens. An example of such a lens is shown in Figure 1C. Lens 100C is a plano lens (SPH=0.00D, CYL=0.00D) that includes a radially symmetric pattern 110C of optical elements centered about the geometric center 105C of the lens. (ii) A circular spherical lens with no cylindrical power, having a radially symmetric pattern about the lens. An example of such a lens is shown in FIG. 1D. Here, lens 100D is a spherical lens (SPH=-1.00D, CYL=0.00D) that includes a radially symmetric pattern 110D of optical elements centered about the geometric center 105D of the lens. Geometric center 105D coincides with the optical center of lens 100D.

[0040] In these examples, lenses can be made in a "just-in-time" fashion by incorporating one or more inputs from the user, such as the density of the pattern, the spacing of the optical features, etc. Such lenses do not require orientation and are radially symmetric in all respects, so they can be molded and fitted in any orientation. It is also possible to pre-make such lenses and stock each pattern and spherical power as a separate stock-keeping unit (SKU).

[0041] Type 2: Radially asymmetric lenses (e.g., with a radially asymmetric power profile) and radially symmetric patterns (i) A round, flat, or circular spherical lens with a cylindrical power axis and a radially symmetric pattern about the lens. An example of such a lens is shown in Figure 1E. A lens 100E having SPH=-1.00D and CYL=-0.50D along a cylindrical axis 102E includes a radially symmetric pattern 110E about the geometric center 105E of the lens. (ii) A multifocal or progressive lens with a radially symmetric pattern about the lens. An example of such a lens is shown in Figure 1F, where a progressive lens 100F has five zones of different optical powers (120F, 121F, 122F, 123F, and 124F). The radially symmetric pattern 110F is centered at the geometric center 105F of the lens. (iii) Non-circular lenses, such as lenses with flat edges or notches, or lenses shaped to fit into a spectacle frame, having a pattern that is radially symmetric about the lens. Examples of such lenses are shown in FIGS. 1G and 1H. In FIG. 1G, lens 100G is circular but has a flat edge 101G. Lens 101G includes a radially symmetric pattern 110G centered about the radial center 105G of the circular portion of the edge. Center 105G may coincide with the optical center of the lens. FIG. 1H shows a lens 100H shaped to fit into a spectacle frame. Lens 100H includes a radially symmetric pattern 110H having a center 105H that may coincide with the optical center of lens 100H.

[0042] In these examples, the lenses can be made in a "just-in-time" manner by incorporating one or more inputs from the user, such as pattern density, spacing of optical features, etc. Such lenses already have an orientation function, but since the pattern is radially symmetric and centered on the lens, no specific orientation between the pattern and the lens is required. During molding, such lenses can be oriented using conventional optical alignment techniques, such as alignment using a cylindrical axis or progressive lens markers. It may also be possible to pre-make such lenses, like spherical power lenses with cylindrical power, and stock each pattern and lens power as separate stock keeping units (SKUs). However, this may not be practical for progressive designs that are customized for each patient, such as progressive power lenses. In this case, it may be considered to first apply the pattern to a semi-finished blank and stock it until surface finishing, or apply the pattern "just-in-time" after surface finishing.

[0043] Type 3: Radially symmetric lenses and patterns that are radially asymmetric with respect to the lens (i) A circular plano lens with a radially symmetric pattern, where the center of the lens does not coincide with the geometric center of the pattern. FIG. 1I shows an example of such a lens, where a plano lens 100I includes a pattern 110I that is radially symmetric about a point 111I that is offset from the geometric center 105I of the lens. A marker 103I (e.g., on or in the lens) can be used as a fiducial in aligning the pattern to the lens. (ii) A circular spherical lens with no cylindrical power that has a radially symmetric pattern, where the center of the lens does not coincide with the geometric center of the pattern. FIG. 1J shows an example of such a lens. Specifically, spherical lens 100J includes a pattern 110J that is radially symmetric about a point 111J that is offset from the geometric center 105J of the lens. The geometric center can coincide with the optical center of the lens. Marker 103J can be used as a reference when aligning the pattern to the lens. (iii) A circular, plano lens with a radially asymmetric pattern. An example of such a lens is shown in FIG. 1K, where plano lens 100K includes pattern 110K, which has a circular outline formed by horizontal lines of optical elements (e.g., scattering centers or rows of lenslets). The circular center of pattern 110K is aligned with the geometric center 105K of the lens. Marker 103K can be used as a reference when aligning the pattern with the lens. (iv) A circular spherical lens without cylindrical power that has a radially asymmetric pattern. FIG. 1L shows an example of such a lens. Here, spherical lens 100L includes pattern 110L with a circular outline formed by horizontal lines of optical elements (e.g., scattering centers or rows of lenslets). The circular center of pattern 110L is aligned with the geometric center 105L of the lens. The geometric center can coincide with the optical center of the lens. Marker 103L can be used as a reference when aligning the pattern with the lens.

[0044] In these examples, since the starting lens is radially symmetric, there is no need to align the lens for patterning, but it is necessary to add alignment marks before, during, or after patterning to determine the desired orientation of the asymmetric pattern within the spectacle frame. These alignment marks can be used to manually determine the direction or can be machine-read to determine the direction. Also, it can be used to place one or more additional direction markers that can be manually or machine-read, either alone or in combination with other markers, to determine the desired direction. Examples of such alignment marks include physical ones such as notches or flattened portions of the circular outer shape of the lens, additional markings such as references, or those encoded / determined in the asymmetry of the pattern itself.

[0045] Type 4: A lens that is radially asymmetric and a pattern that is radially asymmetric with respect to the lens. (i) A circular plano-powered lens or a spherical-powered lens with a cylindrical power axis and a radially symmetric pattern that is not at the center of the lens. FIG. 1V shows an example of such a lens. Here, the lens 100V with SPH = -1.00D, CYL = -0.50D and the cylinder axis 102V includes a pattern 110V of an optical element that is radially symmetric about a point 111V offset from the geometric center 105V of the lens. (ii) A circular plano-powered lens or a spherical-powered lens with a cylindrical power axis and a radially asymmetric pattern. An example of such a lens is shown in FIG. 1M. Here, the lens 100M with SPH = -1.00D, CYL = -0.50D and the cylinder axis 102M includes a pattern 110M having a circular outer shape formed by the horizontal lines of optical elements (e.g., scattering centers or rows of lenslets). The center of the circle of the pattern 110M is aligned with the geometric center 105M of the lens. (iii) A circular plano or spherical power lens, with or without a cylindrical power axis, having an off-centered optical center and a radially symmetric pattern that is not at the center of the lens. Figure 1N shows an example of such a lens. Here, lens 100N includes a pattern 110N that is radially symmetric about a point 111N offset from the geometric center 105N of the lens. Point 111N coincides with the optical center of lens 100N. (iv) A circular plano or spherical power lens, with or without a cylindrical power axis, having a non-concentric optical center and a radially asymmetric pattern. Figure 1O shows an example of such a lens. Here, lens 100O includes a pattern 110O having a circular outer shape formed by a horizontal line of optical elements (e.g., a scattering center or a row of lenslets). The center of the circle of pattern 110O is aligned with the geometric center 105O of the lens, but the optical center 111O of the lens is offset from the geometric center 105O. (v) A circular multifocal or progressive lens and a radially symmetric pattern that is not at the center of the lens. Figure 1P shows an example of such a lens. Here, progressive lens 100P has five zones (120P, 121P, 122P, 123P, and 124P) with different optical powers. The radially symmetric pattern 110P is centered at a point 111P in zone 122P and is offset from the geometric center 105P of the lens located in zone 121P. (vi) A circular multifocal or progressive lens and a radially asymmetric pattern, an example of which is shown in Figure 1Q. Here, lens 100Q includes a pattern 110Q of optical elements arranged in parallel lines 120Q disposed horizontally across the lens and spanning zones (102Q, 103Q, 104Q, 105Q, and 106Q) of the lens, having different optical powers. The radial center of pattern 110Q coincides with the geometric center 105Q of lens 100Q. (vii) A non-circular lens having a radially symmetric pattern that is not at the center of the lens (such as a lens with a flat edge or notch, a lens shaped to fit into an eyeglass frame, etc.). FIG. 1R shows an example of such a lens 100R having a flat edge 101R and a radially symmetric pattern 110R of optical elements centered at a point 111R eccentric from the optical center 105R of the lens 100R. FIG. 1S shows an example of a lens 100S having an edge shaped to fit into an eyeglass frame. The lens 100S is radially symmetric about the point 111S and includes a pattern 110S that is not centered at the optical center 105S of the lens. (viii) A non-circular lens having a radially asymmetric pattern (such as a lens with a flat edge or notch, a lens shaped to fit into an eyeglass frame, etc.). FIG. 1T shows an example of such a lens 100T having a flat edge 101T and a pattern 110T of optical elements having a circular outer shape. The pattern 110T is composed of a row of optical elements, and the circle indicating the outer shape of the optical elements is centered at the optical center 105T of the lens 100T. FIG. 1U shows an example of a lens 100U having an edge shaped to fit into an eyeglass frame. The lens 100U includes a pattern 110U of optical elements having a circular outer shape. The pattern 110U is composed of a row of optical elements, and the circle indicating the outer shape of the optical elements is centered on the optical center 105U of the lens 100U.

[0046] In these examples, both the lens and the pattern are radially asymmetric. In these cases, the orientation of the lens and the orientation of the pattern can be aligned so that both the lens and the pattern can be mounted in the desired orientation when the molded lens is mounted in the eyeglass frame. Since there are almost infinitely many lens designs, lens orientations, and pattern orientations, it would be difficult to pre-manufacture and stock such lenses. Therefore, there is a great advantage in Just-In-Time production.

[0047] In general, optical elements can be formed on lenses in a variety of ways, including UV LED direct substrate printing, pad printing, hot stamping, and screen printing techniques. Accordingly, a variety of different systems (e.g., commercially available systems) can be used for the lens modification system 130 in the system 100 described above. In some embodiments, optical elements are formed by inkjet-applying a curable material to the surface of a blank ophthalmic lens and then curing the material to set the optical elements in a pattern. Referring to FIG. 2 , an inkjet and curing system 200 includes an inkjet printer 220 and a computer 210 in communication with the printer. The printer 220 includes a controller 230, a reservoir 240, an inkjet printhead 250, and a stage 260. The stage 260 supports the lens 201 and positions it relative to the printhead 250. The reservoir 240 stores uncured material for inkjetting. Examples of curable materials suitable for inkjet processing include a variety of commercially available proprietary monomers and oligomers that are crosslinked together by photopolymerization.

[0048] In operation, print head 250 receives uncured material from reservoir 240. Stage 260 moves lens 201 relative to print head 250 (as depicted by arrow 261) while print head 250 ejects droplets of uncured material 202 toward the lens. Either the stage and / or the print head may be the moving part during this process. Drop volume varies depending on the desired protrusion size. Drop volume is 0.001 mm 3 to 0.05 mm 3 (e.g., about 0.002 mm 3 , approximately 0.003 mm 3 , approximately 0.004 mm 3 , about 0.005mm 3 , approximately 0.006 mm 3 , approximately 0.008 mm 3 , about 0.010mm 3 , approximately 0.012 mm 3Upon contact with the lens surface, the droplet wets the surface and forms an uncured protrusion 305. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the stage 260 remains stationary and an actuator moves the print head relative to the lens.

[0049] System 200 also includes a UV lamp 270. Stage 260 positions a lens adjacent to lamp 270 so that the lamp can cure the deposited material to form the final protrusion. Examples of suitable UV lamps include LEDs emitting in the wavelength range of 360 nm to 390 nm. Alternatively, or additionally, thermal curing can be used to cure the deposited material.

[0050] The controller 230 communicates with the reservoir 240, print head 250, stage 260, and UV lamp 270 and coordinates their respective operations to facilitate printing and curing of the droplets. Specifically, the controller 230 controls the relative motion between the print head 250 and stage 260, the inkjet droplet firing frequency, and the droplet volume so that the system 200 forms the desired pattern on the lens 201. The controller 230 can also control the temperature of the uncured material (e.g., by a heater associated with the reservoir 240 or elsewhere) to control the viscosity of the uncured material. A user inputs a droplet pattern via the computer 210, which generates corresponding control signals for the printer and communicates the signals to the controller 230.

[0051] Commercially available inkjet printers may be used. Suitable inkjet printers include Roland DGA (Irvine, CA) and Mimaki (Suwanee, GA) brand UV LED Direct-to-Substrate Printers.

[0052] In some embodiments, the lens can be mounted in a frame and the frame can be fitted to the wearer before the deposited material has cured, allowing the printed pattern to be cleanly removed from the lens and reprinted as needed.

[0053] Other methods for forming the optical elements comprised of protrusions are also possible. For example, transfer printing or lithographic printing can be used instead of inkjet printing. In transfer printing, the protrusions are formed on a separate substrate and then transferred to the surface of the lens in a separate process step. In lithographic printing, a continuous, uniform layer of protrusion material is formed on the lens surface, and the layer may be patterned to form scattering centers or lenslet patterns. Optical or contact lithography can be used to pattern the layer. In some embodiments, the pattern may be provided by a film that is laminated onto the surface of the lens.

[0054] Although the optical elements formed by inkjet printing are protrusions formed on the surface of an ophthalmic lens, other embodiments are possible that provide equivalent optical properties and lens durability. For example, in some embodiments, the optical elements can be formed as recesses in the lens surface. The recesses can have dimensions similar to the protrusions described above. The recesses can be formed using various techniques, such as etching (e.g., physical or chemical etching) or ablation of material from the lens surface (e.g., using laser radiation or a molecular or ion beam).

[0055] In some embodiments, an optical element is formed on the lens surface by exposing the lens surface to laser radiation. The focused laser radiation locally interacts with the lens material at the surface, leaving small depressions, bubbles, craters, etc. By selectively irradiating the lens surface with laser light, an optical element pattern can be formed on the surface. For example, while irradiating the laser beam in a pulsed manner, it can be moved relative to the surface. The relative movement between the beam and the lens surface can be performed by methods such as moving the beam while keeping the surface fixed, moving the surface while keeping the beam fixed, moving both the beam and the surface, and the like.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary laser system 300 for forming an optical element on the surface of a lens includes a laser 320, a beam chopper 330, a focusing optical system 340, a mirror 350, and a stage 370. The laser 320 irradiates a laser beam toward the mirror 350, and the mirror 350 deflects the beam toward the lens 301 positioned relative to the mirror 350 by the stage 370. An actuator 360 (e.g., a piezoelectric actuator) is attached to the mirror 350. The laser system 300 also includes a controller (e.g., a computer controller) that communicates with the laser 320, the beam chopper 330, and the actuator 360.

[0057] The beam chopper 330 and the focusing optical system 340 are arranged in the beam path. The chopper 330 periodically blocks the beam so that the lens 301 is exposed to discrete pulses of the laser light. The focusing optical system 340 generally includes one or more optical power elements (e.g., one or more lenses) and focuses the beam onto a sufficiently small spot on the surface of the lens 301 so as to shape the area modified by the beam on the surface of the lens 301 to a desired pattern feature size. The actuator 360 changes the orientation of the mirror 350 with respect to the beam to scan the pulsed beam to different target points on the lens surface. The controller 310 adjusts the operations of the laser 320, the chopper 330, and the actuator 360 so that the laser system forms a predetermined optical element pattern on the lens.

[0058] In some embodiments, the stage 370 also includes an actuator. The stage actuator can be a multi-axis actuator and can, for example, move the lens in two lateral dimensions orthogonal to the beam propagation direction. Alternatively, or additionally, the actuator can move the stage along the beam direction. Moving the stage along the beam direction can be used to maintain the exposed portion of the lens surface at the focal position of the beam, regardless of the curvature of the lens surface, thereby maintaining a substantially constant beam size across the lens surface. The stage actuator can also be controlled by the controller 310 that coordinates the movement of this stage with the other elements of the system. In some embodiments, the stage actuator is used in place of the mirror actuator.

[0059] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the orientation and position of the optical or structural features of the lens are captured, prior to being introduced into system 100 or 200 respectively, using, for example, a focimeter, a lensmeter, an optical mapper, a CCD camera with feature detection software, a mechanical fixture or tracer that captures on a mechanical structure. The lens is then fixed in a known orientation and position based on the previous measurements, for example, using a clamp, a fixture, a jig, a suction cup, etc., and introduced into system 100 or 200 respectively without losing the orientation and position information. This transfer can be carried out, for example, by using a robotic arm, a manual transfer to a holder or a known position and orientation, a rotary turntable with a fixed lock position, etc. Alternatively, the apparatus for capturing the direction and position of the optical and structural features of the lens, including the aforementioned examples, can be integrated with other components of the system, for example, on an actuating stage 260 or 370, a conveyor or a rotary table. In general, the implementation may include machine vision and automatic alignment of the lens to various system components to achieve the desired arrangement of the pattern of optical elements on the lens.

[0060] Generally, the laser 320 can be any type of laser capable of generating light with sufficient energy to surface modify the lens material. Gas lasers, dye lasers, solid-state lasers, and semiconductor lasers can be used. In general, many laser technologies suitable for machining applications, for example, can be used. Gas lasers include certain excimer lasers (e.g., XeCl at 308 nm and XeF at 353 nm). Other types of gas lasers that can be used include certain infrared lasers, such as CO2 lasers (emission wavelengths at 9.4 m or 10.6 m). Commercially available laser systems can be used, such as CO2 laser systems manufactured by Universal Laser Systems, Inc. (Scottsdale, AZ) (e.g., the 60W VLS 4.60 system). Examples of solid-state lasers that can be used include ytterbium-doped glass lasers emitting at 1 m and chromium-doped alexandrite lasers (e.g., emitting at visible or near-infrared wavelengths). Examples of semiconductor lasers that can be used include InGaAsP or InGaAsP lasers.

[0061] The pulse width and pulse energy are typically selected to modify the amount of material on the lens surface to provide an optical element of a desired size.

[0062] While the examples of lens modification systems described above form optical elements on the lens surface, alternatively or additionally, optical elements can be embedded in the lens material itself. For example, the lens material and laser exposure system can be selected such that exposure induces localized changes in the refractive index of the bulk lens material itself, forming optical elements (e.g., scattering centers or lenslets) in the lens body. Further methods for forming optical elements on lenses are described in Exhibits I and II enclosed herewith.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, a jig 490 is used to support multiple lenses during lens modification. The jig 490 includes a tray 491 with an array of lens holders 492 sized to securely hold the lenses. For example, if 70 mm diameter lens blanks are used, each lens holder has a 70 mm diameter to securely hold a respective lens. During operation, the jig 490 containing one or more lenses is positioned on the stage 460. Alternatively, smaller (e.g., 60 mm) or larger (e.g., 80 mm or 100 mm) lens blanks can be used. The jig holds each lens in a precise position so that the system 400 can precisely jet or laser the lens surface. The jig also allows for the production of multiple lenses in a single batch. While the jig in FIG. 4 includes 48 lens holders, in general, the jig can be designed to hold any number of lenses, subject to the physical constraints imposed by the lens modification system. Many sizes of fixtures are possible, including fixtures that accommodate about 24 lenses, about 48 lenses, about 100 lenses, about 200 lenses, about 300 lenses, about 400 lenses, about 500 lenses, or more than 500 lenses per load.

[0064] Turning now to further examples of optical element patterns, a variety of different patterns are generally possible. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, rotationally asymmetric patterns are used. Such patterns lack radial symmetry about an axis, such as an axis passing through the geometric center of the pattern. An example of such a pattern is shown in FIG. 5, which illustrates an ophthalmic lens 500 including a first clear aperture 510 and an annular scattering region 530 surrounding the clear aperture. In this case, the lens 500 has uniform optical properties and is, for example, a spherical lens or a single-vision lens such as a compound lens or toric lens (i.e., having a spherical component and a cylindrical component), or a plano lens (i.e., a lens with no optical power). FIG. 5 also illustrates vertical and horizontal axes for ease of reference. While the lens 500 is depicted as a circular blank and thus radially symmetrical relative to a spherical lens, it will be understood that the horizontal and vertical directions refer to how the lens is oriented when mounted in an eyeglass frame.

[0065] A first clear aperture 510 is located substantially near the center of the lens 500. A patterned region 530 is also centrally located relative to the lens center. The patterned region 530 is also surrounded by a transparent region 540. A second clear aperture 520 is also provided in the patterned region 530, separated from the clear aperture 510 along an axis 532 that is offset from the normal axis of the lens by an angle α.

[0066] 5, clear aperture 510 is a distance viewing aperture that can be engaged for distance viewing activities such as reading road signs, and second clear aperture 520 is a near vision aperture that can be engaged for near vision activities such as reading a book.

[0067] When referring to the offset angle from the vertical meridian after fitting, it can be selected in accordance with the path of the eye when the user focuses on a nearby object. Also, when accommodating to focus on a near object, an inward horizontal movement of the eyes called convergence occurs. Thus, the angle can be selected to match the user's convergence with respect to the near object in order for the myopic object to be visible to the eye accommodated through the second aperture. In some embodiments, α is 45° or less, for example, about 30° or less, about 25° or less, about 20° or less, about 15° or less, about 10° or less, about 8° or less, for example, 1° or more, 2° or more, 3° or more, 4° or more, 5° or more, or 0°. For example, the clear aperture 520 (for myopia) can be offset from the vertical axis passing through the center of the clear aperture 510 towards the user's nose to correspond to the vergences of the wearer's eyes when focusing on nearby objects. This offset can be 1 mm or more (for example, 2 mm or more, 3 mm or more, 4 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 6 mm or more, 7 mm or more, for example 10 mm or less, 9 mm or less, 8 mm or less), and this distance is measured from the horizontal center point of the clear aperture 510 (which may correspond to the center of the lens in some embodiments) to the horizontal center point of the clear aperture 520. Both the clear aperture 510 and the clear aperture 520 are circular, and the aperture 520 has a slightly larger diameter than the aperture 510. Generally, the size of the aperture varies and is set so as not to be so large as to significantly inhibit the effect of reducing the contrast of peripheral vision by the optical elements in the pattern area while providing sufficient axial vision (through the aperture 510) and sufficient near vision (through the aperture 520) to the user. Typically, both clear apertures have a diameter of 2 mm or more (for example, 3 mm or more, 4 mm or more, 5 mm or more, for example, 10 mm or less).

[0068] Non-circular apertures are also possible (see specific examples below). For example, the horizontal width of the aperture can be different from the vertical height of the aperture. In FIG. 5, the horizontal widths of the apertures 510 and 520 are w 510 , w 520is specified as such. Generally, the horizontal width of the aperture may be the same or different. In some embodiments such as illustrated in FIG. 5, w 520 can be made larger than w 510 . For example, w 520 can be made 10% or more larger than w 510 (e.g., 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 75% or more, 100% or more, e.g., 200% or less, 150% or less, 120% or less, etc.). In some embodiments, w 520 is selected such that, in the case of near vision, while the user is engaged in a particular task of scanning the line of sight horizontally (e.g., while reading), the user's visual axis remains within the clear aperture 520. This can be advantageous when it enables the user to scan the field of view through the clear aperture without moving the head.

[0069] The distance between the apertures can also vary and is typically set such that the apertures correspond to comfortable axial vision and comfortable near vision for the user. The distance between the closest edges of the clear aperture can be 1 mm or more (e.g., 2 mm or more, 5 mm or more, e.g., 10 mm or less).

[0070] In FIG. 5, the distance δ NF between the centers of the aperture 510 and the aperture 520, indicated by, can vary so as to correspond to the direction of the user's line of sight when the aperture 520 is focused on a nearby object. In some embodiments, δ NF can be in the range from 0.5 mm to 20 mm (e.g., 0.6 mm or more, 0.7 mm or more, 0.8 mm or more, 0.9 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 11 mm or more, 12 mm or more, 13 mm or more, 14 mm or more, e.g., 19 mm or less, 18 mm or less, 17 mm or less, 16 mm or less, 15 mm or less).

[0071] The separation between aperture 510 and aperture 520 depends on the size of each aperture and the distance between their centers. In some embodiments, this separation can be 0.5 mm or more (e.g., 1 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 3 mm or more). The separation can be 10 mm or less (e.g., 9 mm or less, 8 mm or less, 7 mm or less, 6 mm or less, 5 mm or less).

[0072] The patterned region 530 includes optical elements that scatter at least a portion of the light incident on the lens in these regions, or defocus the focus by optical aberration, or blur. Thereby, it is considered that the contrast of the user's peripheral vision can be reduced and the progression of myopia in the user can be suppressed. Generally, the optical element can include features on the surface of the lens (e.g., protrusions or depressions) or inclusions in the bulk lens material.

[0073] Generally, the properties of the optical elements can be selected based on various design parameters so as to bring about a desired degree of contrast reduction on the user's retina. Generally, these design parameters include, for example, the optical element density, their size and shape, and their refractive index, which will be described in more detail below. Ideally, the optical elements are selected such that they cause sufficiently low discomfort to the wearer to allow for continuous long-term wear, provide high visual acuity in the fovea, and reduce the contrast of the image in other parts of the retina. For example, for children, it is considered desirable for them to wear glasses comfortably for most of the day, if not all day. Alternatively, or additionally, the optical elements can be designed for specific tasks, particularly those tasks that are thought to strongly promote the growth of the eye axis, such as video games, reading, or other wide-angle, high-contrast image exposures. For example, in such situations (e.g., situations where the user experiences high contrast in the peripheral vision and / or situations where the wearer moves and does not need to orient themselves using the peripheral vision), the scattering intensity and scattering angle in the periphery can be increased, while less consideration may be needed for concerns regarding awareness and self-esteem. In such high-contrast environments, the efficiency of peripheral contrast reduction may be increased. Similarly, the defocus lenslet, the blur radius, and the intensity of the optical aberration features can also be adjusted.

[0074] Reducing image contrast in the user's eye cavity is believed to be less effective in controlling eye growth than reducing image contrast in other portions of the user's retina. Therefore, the scattering centers can be adjusted to reduce (e.g., minimize) light scattered into the user's eye cavity, while relatively more of the light on other portions of the retina is scattered light. The amount of scattered light on the cavity can be affected by the size of the clear aperture, but also by the properties of the scattering centers, particularly those closest to the clear aperture. In some embodiments, for example, scattering centers closest to the clear aperture can be designed for less efficient light scattering than scattering centers further away. Alternatively, or additionally, in some embodiments, scattering centers closest to the clear aperture can be designed for smaller angle forward scattering than those further away from the aperture. In a similar manner, the amount of blur produced by defocusing lenslets or optical aberration features depends on the density of the features, their size, and the intensity of the visual blur (e.g., by the amount of relative plus-minus power of the lenslets). By optimizing the design to suppress blur in the central vision while inducing blur in the peripheral retina, it is possible to provide a comfortable visual experience and slow the progression of myopia.

[0075] In certain embodiments, the scattering center can be designed to provide reduced narrow-angle scattering and increased wide-angle scattering through the scattering center's geometry to create a uniform light distribution on the retina / low-contrast signal while maintaining visual acuity. For example, the scattering center can be designed to generate significant wide-angle forward scattering (e.g., 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 2.5 degrees or more deflection, etc.). Narrow-angle forward scattering, i.e., scattering within 2.5 degrees, can be kept relatively low (e.g., 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, 10% or less, etc.).

[0076] Generally, to optimize the scattering centers for use in myopia-reducing glasses, the performance of the scattering centers can be evaluated using various different measurement criteria. For example, the scattering centers can be optimized empirically, for example, based on physical measurements of lenses having different scattering center shapes, sizes, and layouts. For example, light scattering can be characterized based on haze measurements such as the international test standards for haze (e.g., ASTM D1003 and BS EN ISO 13468). A conventional haze meter can be used. For example, the BYK-Gardner haze meter (such as the haze guard plus device) that measures the amount of light that completely passes through the lens, the amount of non-disturbed transmitted light (e.g., within 0.5 degrees), the amount deflected by 2.5 degrees or more, and the transparency (amount within 2.5 degrees) can be regarded as an indicator for narrow-angle scattering. For the purpose of empirically optimizing the scattering pattern, other devices can also be used to characterize light scattering. For example, a device that measures the diffusion of light by measuring the light at an annular ring near 2.5 degrees can be used (e.g., the device of Hornell described in standard EN167).

[0077] Alternatively, or in addition, the contrast-reducing optical element can be optimized by computer modeling software (e.g., Zemax or Code V).

[0078] In some embodiments, the scattering centers can be designed based on the optimization of the point spread function that is a representation of the image of the scattering centers on the retina. For example, the size, shape, composition, spacing, and / or refractive index of the scattering centers can be varied to evenly spread the illumination of the retina so that the outer retina of the fovea is uniformly covered with scattered light and reduces (e.g., minimizes) the contrast in this region of the retina.

[0079] In some embodiments, the optimization of light scattering covering the peripheral retina emphasizes the intensity of scattered light relative to non-obstructed light in a particular region of the retina and more strongly suppresses high-contrast images. High-contrast images, such as reading black and white text, tend to occur more from the lower half of the eye socket. Thus, more strongly blanketing the upper orbit of the retina with scattered light is beneficial for reducing the signal for axial length growth, while visual effects on the upper visual orbit, such as glare or halos, can be reduced. Similarly, the blur from defocusing lenslets or optical aberrations can have its intensity changed to have different effects on the lower and upper visual orbits.

[0080] Alternatively, or in addition, the scattering centers can be designed based on the optimization of a modulation transfer function that references the spatial frequency response of the human visual system. For example, the size, shape, and spacing of the scattering centers can be varied to smooth the attenuation of the spatial frequency range. The design parameters of the scattering centers can be varied to increase or decrease a particular spatial frequency as desired. Generally, the spatial frequencies for vision are 18 cycles per degree on the fine side and 1.5 cycles per degree on the coarse side. The scattering centers can be designed such that the signal increases at particular spatial frequencies within this range.

[0081] The foregoing measurement criteria can be used to evaluate the scattering centers based on the size and / or shape of the scattering centers, both of which can be varied as desired. For example, the scattering centers can be substantially circular (e.g., spherical), elongated (e.g., elliptical), or irregular in shape. Generally, when the scattering center is a protrusion on the surface of the lens, the protrusion should have a dimension (e.g., diameter) that is large enough to scatter visible light and small enough not to be resolved by the wearer during normal use. For example, the scattering center can be from about 0.001 mm or more (e.g., about 0.005 mm or more, about 0.01 mm or more, about 0.015 mm or more, about 0.025 mm or more, about 0.025 mm or more, about 0.03 mm or more, about 0.035 mm or more, about 0.04 mm or more, about 0.045 mm or more, about 0.05 mm or more, about 0.055 mm or more, about 0.06 mm or more, about 0.07 mm or more, about 0.08 mm or more, about 0.09 mm or more, about 0.1 mm) to about 1 mm or less (e.g., about 0.9 mm or less, about 0.8 mm or less, about 0.7 mm or less, about 0.6 mm or less, about 0.5 mm or less, about 0.4 mm or less, about 0.3 mm or less, about 0.2 mm or less, about 0.1 mm).

[0082] Note that when the scattering centers are small, e.g., having dimensions comparable to the wavelength of light (e.g., from 0.001 mm to about 0.05 mm), the light scattering may be considered Rayleigh or Mie scattering. For larger scattering centers, e.g., about 0.1 mm or more, most of the light scattering may be due to geometric scattering. The optical element can also include, for example, a non-focusing microlens, a prism, or a higher-order aberration microlens.

[0083] Generally, the dimensions of the optical elements may be the same across each lens or may vary. For example, the dimensions may increase or decrease as a function of the position of the optical element, e.g., as measured from the clear aperture and / or as a function of the distance from the edge of the lens. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the optical element vary monotonically as the distance from the center of the lens increases (e.g., monotonically increase or monotonically decrease). In some aspects, the monotonic increase / decrease in dimensions includes linearly varying the diameter of the optical element as a function of the distance from the center of the lens.

[0084] The shape of the optical element can be selected to provide an appropriate light scattering or blurring profile. For example, the optical element can be substantially spherical or non-spherical. In some embodiments, the optical element can be elongated in one direction (e.g., horizontal or vertical), as in the case of an elliptical scattering center. In some embodiments, the optical element has an irregular shape.

[0085] Generally, the distribution of the optical elements in the patterned region 530 can be varied to provide an appropriate level of light scattering or blurring. In some embodiments, the optical elements are arranged on a regular array, such as on a square grid, spaced evenly in all directions. Generally, the optical elements are collectively arranged spaced apart so as to provide sufficient contrast reduction in the periphery of the viewer for myopia reduction. Generally, the smaller the spacing between the scattering centers, the greater the contrast reduction (provided that adjacent scattering centers do not overlap or merge). Generally, the scattering centers can be spaced apart by an amount in the range of about 0.05 mm from their nearest neighbors (e.g., about 0.1 mm or more, about 0.15 mm or more, about 0.2 mm or more, about 0.25 mm or more, about 0.3 mm or more, about 0.35 mm or more, about 0.4 mm or more, about 0.45 mm or more, about 0.5 mm or more, about 0.55 mm or more, about 0.6 mm or more, about 0.65 mm or more, about 0.7 mm or more, about 0.75 mm or more) to about two mm (e.g., about 1.9 mm or less, about 1.8 mm or less, about 1.7 mm or less, about 1.6 mm or less, about 1.5 mm or less, about 1.4 mm or less, about 1.3 mm or less, about 1.2 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, about 0.9 mm or less, about 0.8 mm or less), and it is preferable that they are so. As an example, the spacing can be 0.55 mm, 0.365 mm, or 0.240 mm.

[0086] The optical elements may be arranged in a grid that is not square. For example, a hexagonal (e.g., closely packed hexagonal) grid may be used. Irregular arrangements are also possible, such as, for example, a random or semi-random arrangement may be used. Displacements from a square grid or a hexagonal packed grid are also possible, such as, for example, they can be displaced by a random amount. Examples of such optical element patterns are shown in Document II.

[0087] Generally, the coverage rate by the optical elements of a lens can vary depending on the pattern. Here, the coverage rate refers to the ratio of the total area of the lens projected onto the plane shown in FIG. 5 that corresponds to the optical elements. Generally, when the coverage rate of the optical elements is low, lower scattering or blurring can be obtained compared to when the coverage rate is high (assuming that the individual optical elements are discontinuous, i.e., they do not combine to form a larger optical element). The scattering center coverage rate can vary from 5% or more to about 75%. For example, the coverage rate can be 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, 25% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, 40% or more, 45% or more, for example 50% or 55%). The coverage rate can be selected according to the user's comfort level, for example, a level of peripheral vision that is comfortable enough for the wearer to spontaneously wear glasses for a long time (e.g., all day), and / or according to the desired intensity at which the axial eye growth signal is suppressed.

[0088] Light from the scene incident on the lens in the scattering region 530 between the optical elements is thought to contribute to a recognizable image of the scene on the user's retina, but light from the scene incident on the optical elements is not necessarily so. Furthermore, since at least a part of the light incident on the optical elements passes through the retina, it has the effect of reducing the image contrast without substantially reducing the light intensity on the retina. Therefore, the amount of contrast reduction in the user's peripheral vision is considered to be correlated (e.g., approximately proportional) with the ratio of the surface area of the contrast reduction region covered by the optical elements.

[0089] Generally, the scattering center is intended to reduce the contrast of the image of an object in the wearer's peripheral vision without significantly degrading the visual acuity of the viewer in this area. For example, the scattering center can scatter predominantly in a wide angle. Here, the peripheral vision refers to the vision outside the clear aperture of the lens. The image contrast in these areas can be reduced by 40% or more (e.g., 45% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more) with respect to the image contrast seen using the clear aperture of the lens, as determined using the method described below. The contrast reduction can be measured by a loss of contrast sensitivity of one or more characters, or one or more lines, on a high-contrast or low-contrast visual acuity eye chart such as a Snellen chart or an ETDRS eye chart. The contrast reduction can be one or more characters, two or more characters, three or more characters, four or more characters, or five or more characters, or one or more lines, two or more lines, or three or more lines. The contrast reduction can also be less than or equal to a certain amount measured on all high-contrast or low-contrast visual acuity eye charts, such as less than or equal to three lines, less than or equal to two lines, less than or equal to one line; or less than or equal to five characters, less than or equal to four characters, less than or equal to three characters, less than or equal to two characters, or less than or equal to one character. The contrast reduction can be set according to individual cases. A typical contrast reduction is considered to be in the range of about 50% to 55%. In very mild cases, a contrast reduction of 50% or less is sufficient, but in cases with predisposing factors, a contrast reduction of 55% or more may be required. The visual acuity can be corrected to 20 / 30 or better (e.g., 20 / 25 or better, 20 / 20 or better) as determined by subjective refraction, while still achieving a meaningful contrast reduction. In an embodiment, the contrast reduction can result in a loss of less than or equal to two Snellen chart lines (e.g., less than or equal to 1.5 lines, less than or equal to one line), and a loss of one line corresponds to a decrease in visual acuity from 20 / 20 to 20 / 25.

[0090] The contrast referred to here is the luminance difference between two objects in the same visual field. Therefore, contrast reduction is to change this difference.

[0091] Contrast and contrast reduction can be measured in various ways. In some embodiments, contrast can be measured based on the luminance difference between different portions of a standard pattern, such as a checkerboard of black and white squares, obtained through the clear aperture and the scattering center pattern of the lens under controlled conditions.

[0092] Alternatively, or additionally, contrast reduction may be determined based on the optical transfer function (OTF) of the lens (see, for example, http: / / www.montana.edu / jshaw / documents / 18%20EELE582_S15_OTFMTF.pdf). For OTF, contrast is specified for the transmission of stimuli modulated sinusoidally at different "spatial frequencies" where the bright and dark regions differ. These stimuli appear as alternating light and dark bars with the spacing between the bars varying over a range. In all optical systems, the contrast transmittance is lowest for the stimulus with the highest spatial frequency that varies sinusoidally. The relationship that describes the contrast transmission for all spatial frequencies is the OTF. The OTF is obtained by the Fourier transform of the point spread function. The point spread function can be obtained by imaging a point source through the lens onto a detector array and determining how the light from the point is distributed across the entire detector.

[0093] When the measurements are contradictory, the OTF technique is preferred. In some embodiments, contrast can be estimated based on the ratio of the area of the lens covered by the scattering centers compared to the area of the clear aperture. In this approximation, it is assumed that all the light hitting the scattering centers is uniformly dispersed across the entire retinal area, reducing the amount of light available in the bright regions of the image and thereby adding light to the dark regions. Thus, contrast reduction may be calculated based on measurements of the light transmittance through the clear aperture and the scattering regions of the lens.

[0094] The patterned region 530 has a circular shape (e.g., oval, polygonal, or other shapes such as irregular shapes including images), although other shapes are possible. The size of the patterned region is typically selected so that reduced contrast in the user's peripheral vision is experienced over a significant portion of the user's field of view, even when not looking directly through the on-axis aperture. The patterned region 530 can have a diameter (or maximum dimension, for non-circular regions) of 30 mm or more (e.g., 40 mm or more, 50 mm or more, 60 mm or more, 70 mm or more, 80 mm or more, e.g., 100 mm or less, 90 mm or less, 80 mm or less, 70 mm or less, 60 mm or less). In some embodiments, the patterned region extends to the edge of the lens.

[0095] In some embodiments, the periphery of the patterned area can be blended with the transparent area by gradually reducing the amount, density, or power of the optical elements.

[0096] In some embodiments, the transparent regions can exhibit a lower amount of light scattering or haze compared to the patterned regions.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 6A, eyeglasses 501 include two lenses 500a and 500b in eyeglass frame 550. Each lens corresponds to lens 500 shown in FIG. 5 and is shaped and sized to fit frame 550 with second clear aperture 520 aligned below clear aperture 510 along axis 132 and angled α from the vertical axis. In each case, the offset angle is in the direction of the user's nose. This angle is the same for lenses 500a and 500b, but in some embodiments, the offset angle can be different. For example, different offset angles can be used to accommodate variations between convergence for each eye.

[0098] Referring to FIGS. 6B and 6C, the clear apertures 510 and 520 can be sized, shaped, and positioned in the glasses 501 to form a line of sight through the aperture 510 along the user's standard line of sight (e.g., for distant vision), and to form a line of sight through the aperture 520 along the normal seated line of sight (e.g., for near vision such as reading). The clear aperture 510 can be sized and positioned to form a line of sight through the clear aperture at ±2° or more (e.g., ±3° or more, ±4° or more, ±5° or more, e.g., ±10° or less, ±9° or less, ±8° or less, ±7° or less, ±6° or less) in the vertical and / or horizontal directions. The angular ranges in the horizontal and vertical directions may be the same or different. Also, the angular range of the upper field of view and the angular range of the lower field of view may be the same or different.

[0099] The clear aperture 520 can be sized and positioned to form a line of sight through the clear aperture at ±2° or more (e.g., ±3° or more, ±4° or more, ±5° or more, e.g., ±10° or less, ±9° or less, ±8° or less, ±7° or less, ±6° or less) in the vertical and / or horizontal directions about the normal seated line of sight axis. The angular ranges in the horizontal and vertical directions may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the clear aperture 520 can have a sufficient horizontal width, for example, at a position 15° lower than the standard line of sight, so that the user has a line of sight through the aperture in the symbol recognition area. For example, the horizontal width of the clear aperture 120 can be sized to form a line of sight through the clear aperture of up to ±30° (e.g., up to ±25°, up to ±20°, up to ±15°, up to ±12°).

[0100] The ophthalmic lens 500 includes a circular distant vision aperture and a circular near vision aperture, but more generally, one or both of these apertures can have a non-circular shape, for example, to form a desired field of view along the standard line of sight axis and the normal seated line of sight axis. For example, either or both of the clear apertures can have an elliptical, polygonal, or irregular shape.

[0101] Additional optical element patterns for myopia progression control are shown in enclosed Appendix III.

[0102] As mentioned above, the horizontal and vertical axes refer to how the lens 500 will ultimately be oriented in an eyeglass frame. For unworn ophthalmic lenses 500, which are plano or spherical, before the edges are shaped for fitting into a frame, such lenses are typically radially symmetric, and the angle α is arbitrary until the lens is shaped for fitting. However, for lenses that do not have radial symmetry, such as cylindrical or toric lenses, the angle α can alternatively be defined relative to the direction of the second aperture 520 relative to the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical component. In other words, in addition to aligning the aperture 510 with the appropriate point on the lens (e.g., the center of the lens), it is important to align the axis 532 with the cylindrical axis of the lens.

[0103] This process is illustrated in Figures 7A-7D, where Figure 7A shows a lens 710 having a non-zero cylindrical power with a cylindrical axis 712. Also shown is the geometric center 715 of lens 710. Figure 7B shows a pattern of scattering centers 720. Pattern 720 includes a pair of apertures 722 and 724 located in a region 730 of scattering centers. Also shown is an axis 728 running from the geometric center 725 of the pattern, which is also the geometric center of aperture 724, through the geometric center of aperture 722.

[0104] Figure 7C shows the relative alignment of pattern 720 and lens 710. In this example, the center 725 of pattern 720 is aligned with the center 715 of lens 710. In addition, the pattern is aligned with axis 728 at an angle to cylindrical axis 712. The angle can be specified, for example, based on the cylindrical axis of the user's prescription and the range of pupil movement from distance vision to near vision. Figure 7C also shows the outer shape of the edge 740 of the lens once sized for an eyeglass frame. A marker 750 is provided near the lens periphery to mark the cylindrical axis that provides a reference for aligning the lens and pattern and for shaping the lens into its final form 799 shown in Figure 7D. Marker 750 can be a printed or etched reference used to establish the orientation of the lens relative to the lens modification system before, during, or after forming pattern 720 on the lens, and can be any optical feature distinguishable by an alignment system used with the lens modification system. The marker can be formed using the same system used to form pattern 720 or a different system. In some embodiments, marker 750 is formed within the lens, within the bulk lens material.

[0105] In the foregoing example, a printed or etched reference, which is an example of an optical feature, is utilized to establish the orientation of the cylindrical axis of the lens in order to form a pattern having a desired orientation. However, it is also possible to use other features for this purpose. For example, it is possible to measure the optical properties of the lens itself, i.e., measure the cylindrical axis and then use that measurement to properly align the pattern relative to the lens. Alternatively, or in addition, in some embodiments, it is possible to use physical features to establish proper alignment of the lens.

[0106] For example, referring to FIG. 8A, lens 810 has a non-zero cylindrical power with a cylindrical axis 812 and a straight-edged section 818 at the otherwise circular edge of the lens. The straight-edged section 818 is aligned parallel to axis 812. The geometric center 815 of lens 810 is also shown. Here, the geometric center of the lens refers to the center of the circle defined by the edge of lens 810.

[0107] FIG. 8B shows a pattern 820 of scattering centers for formation on lens 810. Pattern 820 includes a pair of apertures 822 and 824 disposed in an area 830 of scattering centers. Also shown is an axis 828 passing through the geometric center of aperture 822 from the geometric center 825 of the pattern, which is also the geometric center of aperture 824.

[0108] FIG. 8C shows the relative alignment of pattern 820 and lens 810. In particular, the center 825 of pattern 820 is aligned with the center 815 of lens 810. In addition, the pattern is aligned with axis 828 at an angle to the cylindrical axis 812. FIG. 8C also shows the outer profile of the edge 740 of the lens once sized for an eyeglass frame. The straight-edged section 818 is used to establish the vertical and horizontal directions for shaping the lens into the final form 899 shown in FIG. 8D.

[0109] Other types of physical features can be used for alignment purposes instead of or in addition to the straight-edged section 818. For example, in some embodiments, one or more notches can be made in the edge having a known relationship (e.g., aligned or offset by a known amount) with axis 812. The physical features can be formed on the lens before, during, or after forming the pattern on the lens.

[0110] In the above example, the pattern of the optical elements occupies a geometric shape such as a circle and features optical elements arranged in a regular array such as an annular pattern, on a grid, or in a series of stripes, or in a random manner. However, as described above, patterns having an irregular pattern or a non-circular outer shape (e.g., an irregular outer shape) can be used. Such patterns may be recognizable shapes or images. An example is shown in FIG. 9A. Here, on one surface 910 of the lens 900, for example, the side facing the wearer, a pattern 930 of optical elements in a circular region is formed. The outer shape 920 of the lens shaped for an eyeglass frame is shown.

[0111] On the opposing surface, recognizable shapes or images such as images, artwork, logos, etc. can be formed. The size or density of the pattern of the optical elements can be varied so that part of the pattern is reflected to the observer and appears brighter or darker. By varying the size or density of the optical pattern, a grayscale image can be created. When using coloring materials for the deposition or creation of the optical elements, the size, density, and color of the optical pattern can be varied to create a color image. Similar to other rotationally asymmetric patterns, these patterns can have a predetermined orientation when worn on an eyeglass frame or have a predetermined orientation on the eyeball when used as a contact lens. For example, as shown in FIG. 9B, the side surface 940 of the lens 900 features a heart-shaped pattern having an inner region of one density of optical elements and an outer region of a different density.

[0112] As a result, the lens 900 shown in FIG. 9C features optical elements on both sides. The patterns on the front surface (i.e., the direction facing away from the wearer during use) can be formed so that these shapes are visible to the person looking at the wearer without being perceived by the wearer themselves.

[0113] The irregularly shaped patterns shown in Figures 9A-9C are merely examples, and the techniques disclosed herein can be used to form patterns that result in more complex images. 9A-9C are merely examples, and more generally, the techniques disclosed herein can be used to form patterns that result in more complex images. In general, by varying the geometry of the pattern and the density and size of the optical elements, it is possible to provide eyeglasses that display almost any image that can be digitized. Thus, the disclosed techniques allow users to customize lenses with images of their name, signature, logo, pets, family, friends, pop culture figures, and more.

[0114] In addition, by forming patterns on both sides, the image changes depending on the observer's relative position in relation to the lens due to the parallax effect of the two images shifted on the front and back sides of the lens.

[0115] The aforementioned examples feature single-vision lenses, such as plano lenses, sphere lenses, and toric lenses. More commonly, multifocal lenses—such as progressive lenses and bifocal lenses—can also be used. Progressive lenses are radially asymmetric and typically characterized by a gradient of lens power increase, in addition to correcting for the wearer's other refractive errors. The gradient begins with the wearer's distance prescription at the top of the lens and reaches the maximum, or reading, power at the bottom of the lens. This corresponds to the eye's natural path when focusing on near objects. The length of the progressive power gradient across the lens surface generally varies depending on the lens design, with the final add power typically ranging from 0.75 to 3.50 diopters. An example of a progressive lens with a rotationally asymmetric pattern is shown in Figure 10.

[0116] As shown, lens 1000 includes five distinct zones, delimited by dotted lines 1022, 1023, 1024, and 1025. These include a near vision zone 1011, an intermediate zone 1012, and a distance vision zone 1013. Such lenses may also include peripheral distortion zones 1014 and 1015. Although delimited by dotted lines, the change in optical power from one zone to the next is typically gradual.

[0117] With respect to the scattering / transparent features of the lens, the progressive power ophthalmic lens 1000 includes a transparent outer region 1040, a light-scattering region 1030, a first clear aperture 1010 for distance vision, and a second clear aperture 1020 for near vision. The second clear aperture 1020 is aligned along an axis 1032 that is offset from the normal axis of the lens by an angle α. The clear aperture 1010 for distance vision overlaps (in this case, partially) with the distance vision zone 1013 of the progressive lens, while the aperture 1020 for near vision overlaps with the near vision zone 1011.

[0118] In some embodiments when a multifocal lens is used, the second clear aperture (e.g., aperture 1020 in lens 1000) is specifically aligned over a region of the lens having add power for near vision. For example, the location of the second aperture can have an optical power of +0.25D (e.g., +0.5D or more, +0.75D or more, +1.0D or more, +1.25D or more, +1.5D or more, +1.75D or more, +2.0D or more) or more compared to the optical power of the lens at the first clear aperture (i.e., the aperture for distance vision).

[0119] As noted above, other optical elements besides scattering centers can be used in place of or in addition to scattering centers. For example, a lens may include one or more lenslets having a different optical power than the base lens in the areas identified as "scattering regions" in the above embodiments. More generally, scattering regions are also referred to as patterned regions. Examples of such lenslets are found in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 6,239,629, U.S. Patent No. 6,239,629 entitled "Spectacle Lens" published on April 23, 2019, U.S. Patent No. 6,239,629 entitled "Lens Element" published on September 6 ... October 31, 2019. For example, lenslets for myopic defocus can be used. In some embodiments, the optical element is an annular refractive structure (e.g., a Fresnel lens) for myopic defocus, an example of which is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0122999, entitled "Method of Optical Treatment," issued March 24, 2009.

[0120] An example of an axially asymmetric lens, in which the pattern of the lenslets is axially asymmetric, is shown in FIG. 11. Here, lens 1100 has a non-zero cylindrical power and a cylinder axis 1142. The pattern of the optical element features a first clear aperture 1110 and an annular-shaped region 1130 surrounding a clear aperture that features an array of lenslets 1131 (shown in the inset) of a size and shape for myopic defocus. The lenslets introduce defocus into portions of the wavefront that would otherwise be focused onto the user's retina. The first clear aperture 1110 is disposed substantially near the center of lens 1100. The myopic defocus region 1130 is also centered with respect to the lens center. The myopic defocus region 1130 is also surrounded by a transparent region 1140. A second clear aperture 1120 is also provided in the light scattering region 1130, separated from the clear aperture 1110 along an axis 1132 that is offset by an angle α from the vertical axis of the lens. The cylinder axis 1142 is aligned at an angle with respect to the axis 1132.

[0121] In general, the optical characteristics of the lenslets can vary depending on the degree of defocus considered appropriate for the user. For example, the lenslets can be spherical or aspherical, or can include higher-order aberrations. The lenslets can have positive or negative optical powers. In some embodiments, the optical power of the lenslets is zero (e.g., where the base power of the lens is strongly negative). The lenslets can each have the same optical power, or different lenslets can have different optical powers. In some embodiments, the lenslets can have an added power of +0.25 D or more (e.g., +0.5 D or more, +0.75 D or more, +1.0 D or more, +1.25 D or more, +1.5 D or more, +1.75 D or more, +2.0 D or more, +3.0 D or more, +4.0 D or more; up to +5.0 D) compared to the base optical power of the lens. In certain embodiments, the lenslets can have an added power of -0.25 D or less (e.g., -0.5 D or less, -0.75 D or less, -1.0 D or less, -1.25 D or less, -1.5 D or less) compared to the base optical power of the lens.

[0122] The size of the lenslets can also be varied as appropriate: the lenslets can have diameters of 0.5 mm or greater (e.g., 0.8 mm or greater, 1 mm or greater, 1.5 mm or greater, 2 mm or greater, 3 mm or greater; e.g., up to 5 mm).

[0123] Some embodiments may include both lenslets and scattering centers. For example, referring to Figure 12, an exemplary lens 1200 includes a transparent outer region 1240, a light-scattering region 1230, a first clear aperture 1210 for distance vision, and a second clear aperture 1220 for near vision. The second clear aperture 1220 is aligned along an axis 1232 that is offset from the normal axis of the lens by an angle α.

[0124] The scattering region 1230 includes scattering centers, as described above. Additionally, the scattering region 1230 includes lenslets 1235 arranged in an annular configuration around the aperture 1210. The lenslets introduce defocus into portions of the wavefront that would otherwise be focused onto the user's retina. Scattering centers are included at the locations of the lenslets 1235. For example, scattering centers can be formed on the surface of each lenslet 1235, on the surface of the opposing lens but overlapping at the same lateral location as the lenslet 1235, and / or included within the bulk of the lens 1200 that laterally overlaps the lenslet 1235. In some embodiments, scattering centers are included between the lenslets 1235 but do not laterally overlap the lenslets. In certain embodiments, the scattering region of the lens includes only lenslets but no additional scattering centers.

[0125] A further example of a rotationally asymmetric lens having a rotationally asymmetric pattern is shown in FIG. 13, in which a lens 1300 having a cylindrical axis 1312 that is oblique with respect to the horizontal direction is shown. The lens 1300 includes a pattern of an optical element that consists of two discrete zones, an upper zone 1320 and a lower zone 1330, each of which constitutes half of the pattern region. The different zones 1320 and 1330 have different optical element arrangements. For example, depending on the implementation, the zones can have the same type of optical elements (e.g., scattering centers), but with different densities. For example, the upper zone 1330 can have a lower density of scattering centers than the lower zone 1320, resulting in an increase in light scattering for the light transmitted through the lower zone. Alternatively, in certain embodiments, one zone can include lenslets and the other can be characterized by scattering centers.

[0126] Other variations are possible. For example, more than two zones can be used, and in some embodiments, multiple zones can be used in conjunction with one or more apertures.

[0127] FIGS. 10-13 each show an example of a lens that can be reliably and efficiently provided using the just-in-time process as described above. It will be understood that the disclosed technology is more widely applicable. For example, the foregoing examples relate to ophthalmic lenses for glasses, but this technology can also be applied to other types of ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses. In some embodiments, a custom contact lens including a pattern of optical elements can be provided using the foregoing technology.

[0128] In some embodiments, the processes described herein can be incorporated into a lens delivery protocol that includes lens blocking for custom edging of lenses for a particular eyeglass frame. For example, FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the steps of a method 1500 for customizing a standard finished single focus lens having a pattern of optical elements, edging the lens, and mounting it in an eyeglass frame. Method 1500 incorporates several steps conventionally used to customize standard lenses for eyeglasses and can be integrated into an established workflow with relatively little disruption.

[0129] In a first step 1510, a standard finished single focus lens is selected, for example from inventory, according to the Rx specified for the job. The lens can be an inventory lens or a lens that has been re-surfaced and / or coated as required by the job.

[0130] The lens is inspected (1520), and it is confirmed that the power of the lens is as specified in Rx and is within the allowable range. If the lens fails this inspection (1530), a new lens is selected and the inspection is repeated. If the lens passes this inspection, standard blocking is applied to the lens surface on the side opposite the patterned surface (1540), which is usually the convex front surface of the lens. Lens blocking refers to the process prepared before the outer periphery of the prescription lens is cut to fit into a wearable frame, and the latter process is called edging. Usually, in blocking, the optical center of the lens is detected and it is confirmed that the lens is in the correct shape for mounting in the frame. Typically, blocking involves attaching a block (e.g., a disc-shaped object formed from a plastic material that protrudes from the lens surface) to the lens surface (e.g., using an adhesive). The surfacing block can be attached after identifying the optical center of the lens, or some other identifying characteristics of the lens, such that the block forms a reference for the reference position on the lens and the angular orientation of the lens. Also, the block can provide a physical extension of the lens that can move and / or reorient the lens with respect to other processing devices. Conventional blocking techniques can be used.

[0131] In the patterning step, the blocked lens is inserted into a jig (1550). This can be done manually or by a robot. Once mounted in the jig, the lens surface is presented to a laser engraver (1560). Alternatively, a robot arm can hold the block and present the lens surface to the laser engraver. The laser engraving system determines the relative position of the lens surface with respect to the laser beam and engraves a pattern on the lens surface according to a preset pattern. At this time, only the portion within the boundary line of the edging is engraved.

[0132] After engraving, the blocked lens is transferred to an edger (1570), which can be done manually or robotically, which edges the lens to the size and shape of the eyeglass frame in which it will be fitted (1580).

[0133] After edging, the lens is deblocked and cleaned (1590). Deblocking involves removing the surface processing block from the lens surface. Depending on how the block is attached to the lens, this can be done using a solvent, a water blade, heat treatment, and / or mechanically.

[0134] The neatly edged lenses are then fitted into eyeglass frames, and the eyeglasses are inspected for defects before being delivered to the wearer (1599).

[0135] As previously mentioned, the systems and methods disclosed above utilize data processing devices to implement the just-in-time manufacturing aspects described. FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a computing device 1400 and a mobile computing device 1450 that can be used as data processing devices to implement the techniques described herein. Computing device 1400 is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and other suitable computers. Mobile computing device 1450 is intended to represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, mobile phones, smartphones, and other suitable computing devices. The components, their connections and relationships, and their functions shown herein are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting.

[0136] Computing device 1400 includes processor 1402, memory 1404, storage device 1406, a high-speed interface 1408 connecting memory 1404 and multiple high-speed expansion ports 1410, and a low-speed interface 1412 connecting a low-speed expansion port 1414 and storage device 1406. Each of processor 1402, memory 1404, storage device 1406, high-speed interface 1408, high-speed expansion port 1410, and low-speed interface 1412 are interconnected using various buses and may be mounted on a common motherboard or otherwise implemented as appropriate. Processor 1402 is capable of processing instructions for execution within computing device 1400, including instructions stored on memory 1404 or storage device 1406, to display graphical information for a GUI on an external input / output device, such as a display 1416 coupled to high-speed interface 1408. In other implementations, multiple processors and / or multiple buses may be used, along with multiple memories and memory types, as appropriate. Additionally, multiple computing devices may be connected together, each providing a portion of the required operations (eg, as a bank of servers, a cluster of blade servers, or a multiprocessor system).

[0137] The memory 1404 stores information within the computing device 1400. In some implementations, the memory 1404 is a volatile memory unit or units. In some implementations, the memory 1404 is a non-volatile memory unit or units. The memory 1404 may also be another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0138] The storage device 1406 can provide mass storage for the computing device 1400. In some implementations, the storage device 1406 can be or include a computer-readable medium such as a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, or a tape drive, a flash memory or other similar solid-state memory device, or an array of devices including devices in a storage area network or other configuration. The instructions can be stored on an information carrier. When executed by one or more processing devices (e.g., the processor 1402), the instructions perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The instructions can also be stored by one or more storage devices (e.g., the memory 1404, the storage device 1406, or memory on the processor 1402), such as a computer- or machine-readable medium.

[0139] High-speed interface 1408 manages bandwidth-intensive operations of computing device 1400, while low-speed interface 1412 manages less bandwidth-intensive operations. This allocation of functionality is merely exemplary. In some implementations, high-speed interface 1408 is coupled to memory 1404, display 1416 (e.g., via a graphics processor or accelerator), and high-speed expansion port 1410, which can accept various expansion cards (not shown). In an embodiment, low-speed interface 1412 is coupled to storage device 1406 and low-speed expansion port 1414. Low-speed expansion port 1414, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet), may be coupled to one or more input / output devices, such as a keyboard, pointing device, scanner, etc., or to networking devices, such as a switch or router, for example, via a network adapter.

[0140] Computing device 1400, as shown, may be implemented in many different forms. For example, it may be implemented as a standard server 1420 or a cluster of such servers. It may also be implemented in a personal computer such as a laptop computer 1422. It may also be implemented as part of a rack server system 1424. Alternatively, components from computing device 1400 may be combined with other components in a mobile device (not shown), such as mobile computing device 1450. Each such device may include one or more of computing device 1400 and mobile computing device 1450, or the entire system may be made up of multiple computing devices in communication with each other.

[0141] The mobile computing device 1450 includes components such as a processor 1452, memory 1464, input / output devices such as a display 1454, a communication interface 1466, and a transceiver 1468. The mobile computing device 1450 may also include a storage device such as a microdrive to provide additional storage. The processor 1452, memory 1464, display 1454, communication interface 1466, and transceiver 1468 are each interconnected using various buses, and some of the components may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners, as appropriate.

[0142] The processor 1452 can execute instructions within the mobile computing device 1450, including instructions stored in the memory 1464. The processor 1452 may be implemented as a chipset of chips including multiple separate analog and digital processors. The processor 1452 may provide for coordination of other components of the mobile computing device 1450, such as control of a user interface, applications run by the mobile computing device 1450, and wireless communication by the mobile computing device 1450.

[0143] The processor 1452 may communicate with a user via a control interface 1458 and a display interface 1456 coupled to a display 1454. The display 1454 may be, for example, a TFT (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) display or an OLED (organic light emitting diode) display, or other suitable display technology. The display interface 1456 may include appropriate circuitry for driving the display 1454 to present graphical and other information to a user. The control interface 1458 may receive and convert commands from a user for submission to the processor 1452. Additionally, an external interface 1462 may provide communication with the processor 1452 to enable proximate communication of the mobile computing device 1450 with other devices. The external interface 1462 may, for example, provide wired communication in some implementations and wireless communication in other implementations, and multiple interfaces may be used.

[0144] Memory 1464 stores information within mobile computing device 1450. Memory 1464 may be implemented as one or more of a computer-readable medium or media, a volatile memory unit or unit, or a non-volatile memory unit or unit. Expansion memory 1474 may also be provided and connected to mobile computing device 1450 via expansion interface 1472, which may include, for example, a Single In Line Memory Module (SIMM) card interface. Expansion memory 1474 may provide additional storage space for mobile computing device 1450 or store applications or other information for mobile computing device 1450. Specifically, expansion memory 1474 may include instructions for performing or supplementing the processes described above and may also include secure information. Thus, for example, expansion memory 1474 may be provided as a security module for mobile computing device 1450 and may be programmed with instructions that enable secure use of mobile computing device 1450. Furthermore, secure applications may be provided via a SIMM card, along with additional information, such as placing identifying information on the SIMM card in a non-hackable manner.

[0145] The memory may include, for example, flash memory and / or NVRAM memory (non-volatile random access memory), as described below. In some implementations, the instructions are stored on an information carrier. When executed by one or more processing units (e.g., processor 1452), the instructions perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The instructions may also be stored by one or more storage devices, such as one or more computer- or machine-readable media (e.g., memory 1464, expansion memory 1474, or memory on processor 1452). In some implementations, the instructions may be received in a propagated signal, for example, via transceiver 768 or external interface 1462.

[0146] Mobile computing device 1450 may communicate wirelessly via communication interface 1466, which may include digital signal processing circuitry as needed. Communication interface 1466 may provide for communication in various modes or protocols, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) voice, SMS (Short Message Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA2000, or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). Such communication may occur, for example, via transceiver 1468 using radio frequencies. Additionally, short-range communication may occur, such as using Bluetooth, WiFi, or other such transceivers (not shown). Additionally, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver module 1470 may provide additional navigation and location-related radio data to the mobile computing device 1450, which may be used as appropriate by applications running on the mobile computing device 1450.

[0147] The mobile computing device 1450 can also communicate audibly using an audio codec 1460, which can receive spoken information from a user and convert it into usable digital information. The audio codec 1460 can also generate audible sounds for the user, such as through a speaker in the handset of the mobile computing device 1450. Such sounds can include sounds from a voice call, recorded sounds (e.g., voice messages, music files, etc.), and sounds generated by applications running on the mobile computing device 1450.

[0148] The mobile computing device 1450 may be implemented in many different forms, as shown, for example as a mobile phone 1480, or as part of a smartphone 1482, personal digital assistant, or other similar mobile device.

[0149] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein may be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuits, specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementation in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor, which may be special purpose or general purpose, at least one input device, and at least one output device, coupled to receive data and instructions from and transmit data and instructions to a storage system.

[0150] These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, or code) contain machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming language, and / or assembly / machine language. As used herein, the terms machine-readable medium and computer-readable medium refer to any computer program product, apparatus, and / or device (e.g., magnetic disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term machine-readable signal refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0151] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user, as well as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) by which the user can provide input to the computer. For example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and the input from the user can be received in any form including acoustic, voice, or tactile input.

[0152] The systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components (e.g., as a data server), or a computing system that includes middleware components (e.g., an application server), or a front-end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described herein), or in any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet.

[0153] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located remotely from each other and typically interact via a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0154] In some embodiments, the computing system may be cloud-based and / or centrally compute the patterns. In such cases, anonymous input and output data may be stored for further analysis. In a cloud-based and / or computing center setup, it is easier to ensure data quality, maintain and update the computation engine, comply with data privacy regulations, and troubleshoot compared to distributed computation of patterns.

[0155] While several implementations have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, while described as a client application accessing a delegate, in other implementations, the delegate may be employed by other applications implemented by one or more processors, such as applications running on one or more servers. Furthermore, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Furthermore, other actions may be provided or removed from the described flows, and other components may be added or removed from the described systems.

[0156] While a number of embodiments have been described, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 100 systems 101 Glasses 110 Radial Symmetry Pattern 110 Input terminal 120 Data Processing Device 122 Processing Module 130 Lens Modification System 132 Platform 134 Exposure equipment 140 Lens 142 Lens 150 Lens 151 Lens 152 Optical element 155 Pattern of optical element 156 Pattern of optical element 170 Eyeglass frame 200 System 201 Lens 202 Uncured material 210 Computer 220 Inkjet printer 230 Controller 240 Reservoir print head 250 Print head 260 Actuating stage 270 UV lamp 300 Laser system 301 Lens 305 Protrusion 310 Controller 320 Laser 330 Beam chopper 340 Condensing optical system 350 Mirror 360 Actuator 370 Actuating stage 400 System 460 Stage 490 Fixture 491 Tray 492 Lens holder 500 Ophthalmic lens 501 Eyeglasses 510 Aperture, first clear aperture 520 Aperture, second clear aperture 530 Scattering region, patterned region 540 Transparent region 550 Eyeglass frame 710 Lens 712 Cylindrical axis 720 Pattern 722 Aperture 724 Aperture 740 Edge 750 Marker 768 Transceiver 810 Lens 812 Cylinder shaft 818 straight edged sections 820 patterns 822 Aperture 824 Aperture 900 lens 920 External shape 930 patterns 1000 Progressive Addition Ophthalmic Lenses 1000 lenses 1010 First Clear Aperture 1011 Near vision zone 1012 Intermediate Zone 1013 Far Vision Zone 1014 Peripheral distortion zone 1015 Peripheral distortion zone 1020 Second Clear Aperture 1030 Light scattering area 1040 Transparent outer area 1100 lens 1110 First Clear Aperture 1120 Second Clear Aperture 1130 Myopic defocus area, annular area, light scattering area 1131 Lenslet 1140 Transparent area 1142 Cylinder shaft 1200 lens 1210 First Clear Aperture 1220 Second Clear Aperture 1230 scattering area 1235 Lenslet 1240 outer area 1300 lens 1312 Cylinder shaft 1320 Upper Zone 1330 Lower Zone 1400 Computing Devices 1402 processor 1404 memory 1406 Storage device 1408 High - speed Interface 1410 High - speed Expansion Port 1412 Low - speed Interface 1414 Low - speed Expansion Port 1416 Display 1420 Server 1422 Laptop Computer 1424 Rack Server System 1450 Mobile Computing Device 1452 Processor 1454 Display 1456 Display Interface 1458 Control Interface 1460 Audio Codec 1462 External Interface 1464 Memory 1466 Communication Interface 1468 Transceiver 1470 GPS Receiver Module 1472 Expansion Interface 1474 Expansion Memory 1480 Mobile Phone 1482 Smartphone 1570 Edger

Claims

**Claim 1** Providing an ophthalmic lens, wherein the ophthalmic lens has opposing surfaces that define the prescription optical power (Rx) of the ophthalmic lens, the opposing surfaces further define the optical center of the ophthalmic lens, and the ophthalmic lens includes an edge that defines the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens; Obtaining a pattern of at least three optical elements; Before forming the optical elements on the ophthalmic lens, rotating or translating the pattern with respect to the ophthalmic lens and scaling the size of the pattern; and Forming optical elements on the ophthalmic lens according to the pattern; A method comprising: At least three of the optical elements each have an optical effect different from the prescription optical power (Rx) of the ophthalmic lens; (i) the pattern is not radially symmetric with respect to the optical center, or (ii) the ophthalmic lens has at least one optical or structural feature that is not radially symmetric with respect to the optical center; and (i) the ophthalmic lens is not radially symmetric with respect to the optical center, or (ii) one or more optical or structural features are formed inside the ophthalmic lens, on at least one surface of the ophthalmic lens, and / or on the edge of the ophthalmic lens, and the one or more optical or structural features specify the rotational orientation of the ophthalmic lens. A method characterized by this. **Claim 2** The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is selected to suppress the progression of myopia in a human patient. **Claim 3** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is selected from the group consisting of protrusions on one or both of the surfaces, depressions on one or both of the surfaces, and inclusions in the lens material of the ophthalmic lens having a refractive index different from the refractive index of the lens material. **Claim 4** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is selected from the group consisting of a light scattering center, a lenslet, and an annular Fresnel lens element. **Claim 5** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element includes a light scattering center that reduces the contrast of an image viewer by a user of the ophthalmic lens looking through the pattern. **Claim 6** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises one or more lenslets having an optical power different from the prescription optical power (Rx) of the ophthalmic lens that provides myopic defocus to a human patient. **Claim 7** The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern consists of one or more apertures spaced apart from the optical element. **Claim 8** The method according to claim 7, wherein the optical axis of the ophthalmic lens passes through one of the one or more apertures. **Claim 9** The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape of the pattern and / or the density distribution of the optical element define an image visible from the outside of the spectacle including the ophthalmic lens. **Claim 10** The method according to claim 1, wherein the structural feature is a pattern of additional optical elements on one of the opposing surfaces, and the pattern of the optical elements is formed on the other of the opposing surfaces. **Claim 11** The method according to claim 10, wherein the pattern of the optical elements and the additional pattern of the additional optical elements together define an image visible from the outside of the spectacle including the ophthalmic lens. **Claim 12** The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is obtained by determining the pattern based on one or more input parameter values using a data processing device. **Claim 13** The pattern is based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a human patient's prescription optical power (Rx), a human patient's pupil size, a human patient's convergence, a human patient's pupil distance, a human patient's viewing angle, a measure of a human patient's myopia progression, a predisposition to myopia of a human patient, the saliency of the pattern of the optical element, the comfort of the patient, the optical center height of a given pupil relative to the frame, the final shape and size of the lens mounted in the spectacle frame, the preferences of the user, and the preferences of eye care professionals. The method according to claim 1. **Claim 14** The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is obtained by selecting the pattern from among a plurality of predetermined patterns. **Claim 15** The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern specifies the size, shape, and relative positions of the at least three optical elements. **Claim 16** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is formed on one or both of the opposing surfaces of the ophthalmic lens. **Claim 17** The method according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is formed within the lens material of the ophthalmic lens. **Claim 18** The method according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is an eyeglass lens.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is a contact lens.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is obtained based on at least one parameter related to a human patient.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one optical or structural feature comprises a shape of an outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens is formed to conform to an eyeglass frame.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the outer periphery of the ophthalmic lens defines a circle, and the at least one optical or structural feature comprises a deviation of an edge of the ophthalmic lens from the circle.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one optical or structural feature comprises one or more reference markers on one of a surface and an edge of the ophthalmic lens.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is a plano lens.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens is a prescription lens.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the prescription lens is for correcting myopia, and the at least one structural feature constitutes a cylindrical axis of the ophthalmic lens.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the prescription lens is a multifocal lens, and the at least one structural feature comprises an optical power distribution of the multifocal lens.

29. The step of rotating or translating the pattern with respect to the ophthalmic lens includes a step of measuring an optical axis of the ophthalmic lens, and a step of determining, using a data processing device, a location on a surface of the ophthalmic lens where the optical element is to be formed based on the axis measurement.

30. The step of forming the optical element includes a step of selectively exposing a surface of the ophthalmic lens to laser radiation.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the laser radiation has a wavelength and an output sufficient to selectively melt, foam, or ablate a lens material of the ophthalmic lens at a surface of the ophthalmic lens.

32. The step of forming the optical element includes a step of selectively depositing a material on a surface of the ophthalmic lens.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the step of forming the optical element further comprises a step of curing a material selectively deposited on the surface of the ophthalmic lens.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the material is cured using UV radiation.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the material is selectively deposited on the surface of the ophthalmic lens by inkjet.

36. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of shaping the edge of the ophthalmic lens according to an eyeglass frame.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein an outer periphery is shaped before forming the optical element on the surface of the ophthalmic lens.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein an outer periphery is shaped after forming the optical element on the surface of the ophthalmic lens.

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