Lens element

Abstract

To provide a lens element that inhibits or at least slows the progression of refractive errors of the eye, such as myopia or hyperopia. [Solution] A lens element intended to be worn in front of a person's eye, comprising a refractive area having a refractive power based on the prescription of the person's eye, and a plurality of at least three discontinuous optical elements, at least one of which has an aspheric optical function.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens element intended to be worn in front of a person's eye to inhibit the progression of an ocular refractive error, such as myopia or hyperopia. [Background technology]

[0002] Myopia of the eye is characterized by the eye imaging distant objects in front of the retina. Myopia is usually corrected using concave lenses, and hyperopia is usually corrected using convex lenses.

[0003] It has been observed that some individuals, particularly children, when corrected using conventional single vision optical lenses, image inaccurately when viewing objects at close distances, i.e., in near vision situations. Due to this imaging defect on the part of myopic children who are corrected for distance vision, the image of the near object is also formed behind the retina, even in the foveal area.

[0004] Such imaging defects may affect the progression of myopia in such individuals: in most of the individuals, it may be observed that the myopic defect increases over time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 107919 Brochure [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 176921 Brochure [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Eyal Ben-Eliezer et al., APPLIED OPTICS, Vol. 44, No. 14, 10 May 2005 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, there appears to be a need for a lens element that will prevent or at least slow the progression of refractive errors of the eye, such as myopia or hyperopia. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To this end, the present invention provides a lens element intended to be worn in front of a person's eye, comprising: a refractive area having a refractive power according to a prescription for said eye of the person; a plurality of at least three discontinuous optical elements, at least one of which has an aspheric optical function; A lens element comprising:

[0009] Advantageously, having a plurality of at least three discontinuous optical elements with at least one optical element having an aspheric optical function can slow the progression of anomalous refractive conditions of the eye, such as myopia or hyperopia.

[0010] According to further embodiments, which may be considered alone or in combination, at least one of the discontinuous optical elements is a multifocal refractive microlens, and / or - at least one multifocal refractive micro-lens has a cylindrical power, and / or at least one multifocal refractive microlens has an aspherical surface, with or without any rotational symmetry; and / or at least one of the non-contiguous optical elements is a toric refractive microlens; at least one multifunctional refractive microlens has a toric surface, and / or at least one of the discontinuous optical elements is made of a birefringent material, and / or at least one of the non-continuous optical elements is a diffractive lens; and / or at least one diffractive lens has a metasurface structure, and / or - at least one non-contiguous optical element has a shape configured to produce a focal plane in front of the retina of the human eye; and / or at least one discontinuous optical element is a multifocal binary component, and / or at least one non-continuous optical element is a pixelated lens, and / or at least one discontinuous optical element is a π Fresnel lens, and / or at least a portion, e.g. all, of the non-continuous optical element is located in front of the ophthalmic lens; and / or at least a portion, e.g. all, of the non-continuous optical element is located on the back surface of the ophthalmic lens; and / or at least a portion, e.g. all, of the non-contiguous optical element is located between the front and back surfaces of the ophthalmic lens; and / or at least some, e.g. all, of the optical features have high-order optical aberrations, and / or the lens element comprises an ophthalmic lens having a refractive area and a clip-on having a plurality of at least three non-contiguous optical elements configured to be removably attached to the ophthalmic lens when the lens element is worn; and / or - for any circular zone having a radius between 2 mm and 4 mm and having a geometric center located at a distance of the radius + 5 mm or more from the optical center of a lens element, the ratio of the sum of the areas of the portions of non-contiguous optical elements located inside the circular zone to the area of ​​the circular zone is between 20% and 70%; and / or - at least one optical element with an aspherical optical function is configured to reduce the progression of anomalous refraction in the human eye, and / or the discontinuous optic is configured such that, along at least one section of the lens, the mean sphere of the discontinuous optic increases from the point of said section towards the periphery of said section; and / or the discontinuous optic is configured such that, along at least one section of the lens, the mean cylinder power of the discontinuous optic increases from the point of said section towards said periphery of said section; and / or the discontinuous optic is configured such that, along at least one section of the lens, the mean sphere and / or cylinder of the discontinuous optic increases from the center of said section towards the periphery of said section; and / or the refractive area includes an optical center, and the non-continuous optics are configured such that along any section passing through the optical center of the lens, the mean sphere and / or cylinder of the non-continuous optics increases from the optical center towards the periphery of the lens; and / or the refractive area comprises a distance vision reference point, a near vision reference point and a meridian connecting the distance vision reference point and the near vision reference point, and the optical element is configured such that, in a standing wearing situation, along any horizontal section of the lens, the mean sphere and / or mean cylinder of the optical element increases from the intersection of said horizontal section and the meridian towards the periphery of the lens; and / or the growth function of mean sphere and / or cylinder along a section varies depending on the position of said section along the meridian, and / or the growth function of the mean sphere and / or cylinder along the section is asymmetric, and / or the discontinuous optical element is configured such that, in a standing wearing situation, at least one section is a horizontal section; and / or the mean sphere and / or cylinder of the non-continuous optical element increases from a first point of the section towards the periphery of the section and decreases from a second point of the section towards the periphery of the section, the second point being closer to the periphery of the section than the first point; and / or the increasing function of the mean sphere and / or cylinder along at least one section is a Gaussian function, and / or the increasing function of the mean sphere and / or cylinder along at least one section is a quadratic function, and / or the refractive area is formed as a portion other than a portion formed as a plurality of discontinuous optical elements; and / or The discontinuous optical element is a circle having a radius of 0.8 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less. Inscribed inhave a possible contour shape, and / or the refractive area has a first refractive power according to a prescription for correcting anomalous refraction of the wearer's eye and a second refractive power different from the first refractive power; and / or the difference between the first and second refractive powers is 0.5 D or more; and / or at least one, e.g. at least 70%, e.g. all, of the optical elements are active optical elements that can be activated by an optical lens controller device; and / or the active optical element comprises a material with a variable refractive index, the value of which is controlled by an optical lens controller device; and / or the optical elements are positioned in a network structure, and / or the network is a structured network, and / or the structured network is a tetragonal network, a hexagonal network, a triangular network, or an octagonal network, and / or the lens element further comprises at least four optical elements organized into at least two groups of optical elements; and / or each group of optical elements is organized into at least two concentric rings having the same center, the concentric rings of each group of optical elements being defined by an inner diameter corresponding to the smallest circle tangent to at least one optical element of said group and an outer diameter corresponding to the largest circle tangent to at least one optical element of said group; and / or at least some, for example all, of the concentric rings of the optical element are centered on the optical center of the surface of the lens element on which said optical element is arranged, and / or the concentric rings of the optical element have a diameter between 9.0 mm and 60 mm, and / or The distance between two consecutive concentric rings of the optical element is 5.0 mm or greater, and the distance between two consecutive concentric rings is defined by the difference between the inner diameter of the first concentric ring and the outer diameter of the second concentric ring, the second concentric ring being closer to the periphery of the lens element.

[0011] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lens element according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view of a lens element according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example of a Fresnel height profile. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an example of a diffractive lens radial profile. [Figure 5] π Fresnel lens profile is shown. [Figure 6a] 1 illustrates a binary lens embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6b] 1 illustrates a binary lens embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6c] 1 illustrates a binary lens embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7a] The astigmatism axis γ of the lens is shown based on the TABO standard. [Figure 7b] 1 shows the cylinder axis γAX in the reference used to characterize the aspheric surface. [Figure 8] 1 shows a plan view of a lens element according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] The present invention relates to lens elements that are intended to be worn in front of a person's eye.

[0015] In the remainder of the description, terms such as "top," "bottom," "horizontal," "vertical," "superior," "inferior," "front," "rear," or other terms indicating relative positions may be used, and these terms should be understood in the context of the wear of the lens elements.

[0016] In the context of the present invention, the term "lens element" can refer to an uncut optical lens, an eyeglass optical lens with an edge that fits into a specific eyeglass frame, or an ophthalmic lens and an optical device configured to be positioned on the ophthalmic lens. The optical device can be located on the front or back surface of the ophthalmic lens. The optical device can be an optical patch. The optical device can be configured to be removably positioned on the ophthalmic lens, for example, a clip configured to be clipped onto an eyeglass frame having an ophthalmic lens.

[0017] The lens element 10 according to the present invention is configured for use on a person and is intended to be worn in front of said person's eyes.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a lens element 10 according to the present invention includes: - 12 refraction areas, a plurality of at least three non-contiguous optical elements 14; Equipped with.

[0019] The refractive area 12 has a refractive power P1 based on the prescription of the eye of the person for whom the lens element is configured, the prescription being configured to correct the anomalous refraction of the wearer's eye.

[0020] The term "prescription" is understood to mean a set of optical properties, for example, refractive power, astigmatism, and prismatic light blur, determined by an ophthalmologist or optometrist to correct the wearer's visual defects by means of lenses placed in front of the eye. For example, a prescription for a myopic eye has a value for refractive power and a value for astigmatism with respect to the axis of distance vision.

[0021] The refractive area is preferably formed as a portion other than the portion formed by the plurality of optical elements, in other words, the refractive area is a portion complementary to the portion formed by the plurality of optical elements.

[0022] The refractive area 12 may further have at least a second refractive power P2 different from the first refractive power P1.

[0023] In the sense of the present invention, two refractive powers are considered to be different if the difference between the two refractive powers is 0.5D or more.

[0024] If the anomalous refraction of the person's eye corresponds to myopia, the second refractive power is greater than the first refractive power.

[0025] If the anomalous refraction of the person's eye corresponds to hyperopia, the second refractive power is less than the first refractive power.

[0026] The refractive area may have a continuously varying refractive power, for example, the refractive area may have a multifocal progressive design.

[0027] The optical design of the refractive area is - a fitting cross with negative refractive power, a first zone extending toward the temporal side of the refractive collar when the lens element is being worn by a wearer; In the first zone, the refractive power increases when moving towards the temporal side, and over the nasal side of the lens, the refractive power of the ophthalmic lens is approximately the same as the fitting cross.

[0028] Such optical designs are disclosed in more detail in US Pat. No. 5,649,999.

[0029] Alternatively, the refractive power in the refractive area may have at least one discontinuity.

[0030] As represented in FIG. 1, the lens element is divided into a central zone 16 having a refractive power equal to the refractive power corresponding to the prescription and five complementary zones: four quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 at 45°, at least one of the quadrants having at least one point whose refractive power is equal to a second refractive power.

[0031] In the sense of the present invention, "quadrant at 45°" is to be understood as an equiangular quadrant of 90° oriented in the directions 45° / 225° and 135° / 315° according to the TABO standard, as shown in FIG.

[0032] Preferably, the central zone 16 has a diameter of not less than 4 mm and not more than 22 mm, with the frame reference point facing the pupil of a person gazing straight ahead in a standard wearing situation.

[0033] Wearing conditions are to be understood as the position of the lens elements relative to the wearer's eye, defined, for example, by the angle of view during wearing, the cornea-lens distance, the pupil-cornea distance, the center of rotation (CRE)-pupil distance, the CRE-lens distance, and the curvature angle.

[0034] The cornea-lens distance is the distance along the visual axis of the eye in the primary eye position (usually interpreted as horizontal) between the cornea and the back surface of the lens, and is equal to, for example, 12 mm.

[0035] The pupil-corneal distance is the distance along the visual axis of the eye between the pupil and the cornea and is usually equal to 2 mm.

[0036] The CRE-pupillary distance is the distance along the visual axis of the eye between the center of rotation of the eye (CRE) and the cornea, and is equal to, for example, 11.5 mm.

[0037] The CRE-lens distance is the distance along the visual axis of the eye in the primary eye position (usually interpreted as horizontal) between the CRE of the eye and the back surface of the lens, and is equal to, for example, 25.5 mm.

[0038] The angle of view when worn is the angle in the vertical plane at the intersection of the normal to the back surface of the lens and the visual axis of the eye in the first eye position (usually interpreted as horizontal), which is the intersection of the normal to the back surface of the lens and the visual axis of the eye in the first eye position, and is, for example, equal to -8°.

[0039] The curvature angle is the angle in the horizontal plane at the intersection of the normal to the back surface of the lens and the visual axis of the eye in the first eye position (usually interpreted as horizontal), e.g., equal to 0°.

[0040] An example of a standard wearing situation can be defined by a pre-eye angle of −8°, a cornea-lens distance of 12 mm, a pupil-cornea distance of 2 mm, a CRE-pupillary distance of 11.5 mm, a CRE-lens distance of 25.5 mm, and a curvature angle of 0°.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the invention, the lower quadrant Q4 has a second refractive power different from the refractive power corresponding to the prescription correcting the ametropia.

[0042] For example, the refractive area may have a progressive diopter function, which may extend between an upper quadrant Q2 and a lower quadrant Q4.

[0043] Advantageously, in such a configuration, for example, when a person views at near viewing distances, the multifocality of the lens can compensate for the attendant lag.

[0044] According to an embodiment, at least one of the temporal quadrant Q3 and the nasal quadrant Q1 has a second refractive power different from the refractive power corresponding to the person's prescription, for example, the temporal quadrant Q3 has a variable power depending on the decentering of the lens.

[0045] Advantageously, such a configuration increases the efficiency of ametropic control in peripheral vision and is more effective in the horizontal axis.

[0046] According to an embodiment, the four quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 have concentric power progression.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the invention, the central zone of the lens, which corresponds to the zone centered on the optical center of the lens element, does not contain any optical elements. For example, a lens element may have an empty zone, centered on the optical center of said lens element, having a diameter equal to 0.9 mm and not containing any optical elements.

[0048] The optical center of the lens element may correspond to the fitting point of the lens.

[0049] Alternatively, the optical element may be disposed in front of the lens element.

[0050] At least one optical element of the plurality of at least three non-contiguous optical elements 14 has an aspheric optical function.

[0051] In the sense of the present invention, two optical elements arranged on the surface of a lens element are discontinuous if, along all paths supported by said surfaces linking the two optical elements, one reaches the base surface on which the optical elements are arranged.

[0052] If the surface on which at least two optical elements are arranged is a sphere, the base surface corresponds to said sphere, in other words two optical elements arranged on a sphere are discontinuous if the sphere is reached along all paths that link the optical elements and are supported by said sphere.

[0053] If the surface on which at least two optical elements are arranged is aspheric, the base surface corresponds to the local spherical surface that best fits said aspheric surface. In other words, two optical elements arranged on an aspheric surface are discontinuous if, along all paths linking the optical elements and supported by said aspheric surface, one arrives at the spherical surface that best fits the aspheric surface.

[0054] Preferably, at least 50%, such as at least 80%, such as all, of the non-continuous optical elements 14 have aspheric optical functions.

[0055] In the sense of the present invention, an "aspheric optical function" is to be understood as not having a single focus.

[0056] Advantageously, such optical function of the optical element can reduce deformation of the retina of the wearer's eye and slow the progression of ametropia in the eye of the person wearing the lens element.

[0057] At least one non-contiguous optical element having an aspheric optical function is transparent.

[0058] Advantageously, the non-continuous optical elements are not visible on the lens element and do not affect the aesthetics of the lens element.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 2, the lens element 10 according to the present invention comprises an object-side surface F1 formed as a convex curved surface facing the object side, and an eye-side surface F2 formed as a concave surface having a curvature different from that of the object-side surface F1.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion, for example all, of the non-continuous optical element is disposed on the anterior surface of the ophthalmic lens.

[0061] At least a portion, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements may be disposed on the back surface of the ophthalmic lens.

[0062] At least a portion, for example all, of the non-continuous optical element may be disposed between the anterior and posterior surfaces of the ophthalmic lens. For example, the lens element may include zones of different refractive index that form the non-continuous optical element.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lens element may comprise an ophthalmic lens having a refractive area and a clip-on having a plurality of at least three non-contiguous optical elements configured to be removably attached to the ophthalmic lens when the lens element is worn.

[0064] Advantageously, when a person is in a long-distance environment, such as outdoors, the person can separate the clip-on from the ophthalmic lens and eventually replace it with a second clip-on that does not have any of the at least three optical elements. For example, the second clip-on can have a solar tint. The person can also use the ophthalmic lens without any additional clip-on.

[0065] Non-contiguous optical elements may be added to the lens element independently on each surface of the lens element.

[0066] These non-contiguous optical elements can be added in a defined array such as a rectangle or hexagon, or randomly.

[0067] The non-contiguous optical element may cover a particular zone of the lens element, such as the center of any other area.

[0068] The density or power of the non-continuous optics may be adjusted depending on the zone of the lens element. Typically, the non-continuous optics are positioned at the periphery of the lens element to increase the effectiveness of the non-continuous optics in myopia control, for example, to compensate for peripheral defocus due to the peripheral shape of the retina.

[0069] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for any circular zone having a radius of 2 mm to 4 mm and having a geometric center located at a distance of the optical center of a lens element that is equal to or greater than the radius + 5 mm, the ratio of the sum of the areas of the portions of the optical elements located inside the circular zone to the area of ​​the circular zone is 20% to 70%, preferably 30% to 60%, more preferably 40% to 50%.

[0070] Discontinuous optical elements can be made using different techniques such as direct surface machining, molding, casting or injection, embossing, thin film machining, or photolithography.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements have a shape configured to create a focal plane in front of the retina of a human eye, in other words, such non-continuous optical elements are configured such that, in the presence of a light beam, every section plane at which the light beam converges is located in front of the retina of a human eye.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements having aspheric optical functions are multifocal refractive microlenses.

[0073] In the sense of the present invention, a "microlens" is a circular lens having a diameter of 0.8 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, preferably 1.0 mm or more and less than 2.0 mm. Inscribed in Possible contour shapes.

[0074] In the sense of the present invention, "multifocal refractive microlenses" include bifocal (having two focal powers), trifocal (having three focal powers), multifocal progressive lenses with continuously varying focal powers, e.g., aspheric progressive lenses.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the optical elements, preferably more than 50%, more preferably more than 80% of the optical elements, is an aspherical microlens. In the sense of the present invention, an aspherical microlens has a continuous refractive power evolution over its surface.

[0076] Aspherical microlenses can have asphericity between 0.1D and 3D, and the asphericity of an aspherical microlens corresponds to the ratio of the optical refractive power measured at the center of the microlens to the optical refractive power measured at the periphery of the microlens.

[0077] The center of the microlens may be defined by a spherical area centered on the geometric center of the microlens and having a diameter equal to 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, preferably 2.0 mm.

[0078] The periphery of the microlens may be defined by an annular zone centered on the geometric center of the microlens and having an inner diameter of 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm and an outer diameter of 0.70 mm to 0.80 mm.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aspherical microlens has an optical refractive power of 2.0D to 7.0D in absolute value at the geometric center and an optical refractive power of 1.5D to 6.0D in absolute value at the periphery.

[0080] The asphericity of an aspheric micro-lens, prior to coating the surface of the lens element on which the optical element is disposed, can vary according to the radial distance from the optical center of said lens element.

[0081] Furthermore, the asphericity of the aspherical microlens after coating the surface of the lens element on which the optical element is disposed can further vary according to the radial distance from the optical center of said lens element.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one multifocal refractive microlens has a toric surface, which is a surface of revolution that can be created by rotating a circle or an arc around an axis of rotation that does not pass through the center of curvature (ultimately positioned at infinity).

[0083] The toric surface lens has two different radial profiles at right angles to each other, thus producing two different focal powers.

[0084] The toric and spherical components of a toric lens produce astigmatic rays as opposed to a single focus.

[0085] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the non-continuous optical elements having aspheric optical functionality, for example, all of the non-continuous optical elements, is a toric refractive microlens, for example, a toric refractive microlens having a sphere value of 0 diopters (δ) or more and +5 diopters (δ) or less and a cylinder value of 0.25 diopters (δ) or more.

[0086] In a particular embodiment, the toric refractive microlenses may be purely cylindrical, meaning that the minimum meridional power is zero while the maximum meridional power is strictly positive, for example less than 5 diopters.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements are made of a birefringent material. In other words, the optical elements are made of a material that has a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of the light. Birefringence can be quantified as the maximum difference between the refractive indices exhibited by the materials.

[0088] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the discontinuous optical elements have a discontinuity, such as a discontinuous surface, for example a Fresnel surface, and / or a refractive index profile with a discontinuity.

[0089] FIG. 3 shows an example of a Fresnel height profile of a non-continuous optical element that may be used in the present invention.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements are made of diffractive lenses.

[0091] FIG. 4 shows an example of a diffractive lens radial profile of a non-continuous optical element that may be used in the present invention.

[0092] At least one, for example all, of the diffractive lenses may have a metasurface structure as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,279,999.

[0093] A diffractive lens can be a Fresnel lens whose phase function ψ(r) has a π phase jump at the nominal wavelength, as seen in Figure 5. For clarity, these structures may be given the name "π Fresnel lens," in contrast to monofocal Fresnel lenses, whose phase jumps are multiples of 2π. A π Fresnel lens, whose phase function is displayed in Figure 5, diffracts light primarily in two diffraction orders associated with a diopter power of 0δ and a positive diopter power P, e.g., 3δ.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-continuous optical elements are multifocal binary components.

[0095] For example, a binary structure such as that shown in Figure 6a shows two main diopter powers, denoted -P / 2 and P / 2. When associated with a refractive structure such as that shown in Figure 6b, with a diopter power of P / 2, the final structure shown in Figure 6c has diopter powers 0δ and P. The case shown relates to P=3δ.

[0096] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, for example all, of the non-contiguous optical elements are pixelated lenses. An example of a multifocal pixelated lens is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one, e.g., all, of the non-continuous optical elements have an optical function with high-order optical aberrations, e.g., the optical elements are microlenses made up of continuous surfaces defined by Zernike polynomials.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical elements are positioned in a mesh structure.

[0099] The network in which the optical elements are positioned may be a structured network.

[0100] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the optical elements are positioned along multiple concentric rings.

[0101] The concentric rings of optical elements may be annular rings.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lens element may further comprise at least four optical elements, the at least four optical elements being organized into at least two groups of optical elements, each group of optical elements being organized into at least two concentric rings having the same center, the concentric rings of each group of optical elements being defined by an inner diameter and an outer diameter.

[0103] The inner diameter of the concentric rings of each group of optical elements corresponds to the smallest circle tangent to at least one optical element of said group of optical elements, and the outer diameter of the concentric rings of optical elements corresponds to the largest circle tangent to at least one optical element of said group.

[0104] For example, a lens element may have n rings of optical elements, where f inner1 refers to the inner diameter of the concentric ring closest to the optical center of the lens element, and f outer1 refers to the outer diameter of the concentric ring closest to the optical center of the lens element, and f inner n refers to the inner diameter of the ring closest to the periphery of the lens element, and f outer n refers to the outer diameter of the concentric ring closest to the periphery of the lens element.

[0105] The distance D between two consecutive concentric rings of optical elements i and i+1 iteeth, D i =|f inner i+1 -f outer i | where f outer i denotes the outer diameter of the first ring of optical element i, and f inner i+1 refers to the inner diameter of the second ring of optical element i+1 that is contiguous with the first ring and closer to the periphery of the lens element.

[0106] According to another embodiment of the invention, the optical elements are organized into concentric rings that are centered on the optical center of the surface of the lens element on which they are located and link the geometric centers of each optical element.

[0107] For example, a lens element may have n rings of optical elements, where f refers to the diameter of the ring closest to the optical center of the lens element, and f n refers to the diameter of the ring closest to the periphery of the lens element.

[0108] The distance D between two consecutive concentric rings of optical elements i and i+1 i teeth,

number

[0109] The concentric rings of optical elements may be annular rings.

[0110] Advantageously, the optical centre of the lens element and the centre of the concentric rings of the optical element coincide, e.g. the geometric centre of the lens element, the optical centre of the lens element and the centre of the concentric rings of the optical element coincide.

[0111] In the sense of the present invention, the term coincidence is to be understood as being really close together, for example less than 1.0 mm apart.

[0112] Distance D between two consecutive concentric rings i can vary according to i. For example, the distance D between two consecutive concentric circles i can vary from 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

[0113] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance D between two consecutive concentric rings of the optical element i is greater than 2.00 mm, preferably 3.0 mm, and more preferably 5.0 mm.

[0114] Advantageously, the distance D between two successive concentric rings of the optical element is greater than 2.00 mm. i This allows a larger refractive area to be managed between these rings of the optical element, thus providing better vision.

[0115] Consider an annular zone of a lens element having an inner diameter of more than 9 mm and an outer diameter of less than 57 mm, with a geometric center located at a distance of less than 1 mm from the optical center of the lens element, and with the ratio of the sum of the areas of the parts of the optical element located inside said circular zone to the area of ​​said circular zone being between 20% and 70%, preferably between 30% and 60%, more preferably between 40% and 50%.

[0116] In other words, for a given value of the above ratio, the inventors have observed that organizing the optical elements into concentric rings spaced apart by more than 2.0 mm can provide an annular zone of refractive area that is easier to manufacture than the refractive area achieved when the optical elements are arranged in a hexagonal network or randomly on the surface of the lens element, thereby providing better correction of the anomalous refraction of the eye and therefore better visual acuity.

[0117] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the diameter d of all optical elements of the lens element i are identical.

[0118] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance D between two consecutive concentric rings i and i+1 is i may increase as i increases towards the periphery of the lens element.

[0119] The concentric rings of optical elements may have a diameter between 9 mm and 60 mm.

[0120] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lens element comprises optical elements arranged in at least two, preferably six or more, and more preferably eleven or more concentric rings. For example, the optical elements may be arranged in eleven concentric rings centered on the optical center of the lens.

[0121] According to an embodiment of the invention, the optical element is configured such that, along at least one section of the lens, the mean sphere of the optical element increases from the point of said section towards the periphery of said section.

[0122] The optical element may be further configured such that along at least one section of the lens, e.g., at least along the same section as the section in which the mean sphere of the optical element increases, the cylinder power increases from said section point, e.g., the same point as the mean sphere, towards the periphery of said section.

[0123] Advantageously, having an optical element configured such that along at least one section of the lens the mean sphere and / or mean cylinder of the optical element increases from the point of said section towards the periphery of said section allows for increased defocusing of light rays in front of the retina in the case of myopia or behind the retina in the case of hyperopia.

[0124] In other words, the inventors have observed that having an optical element configured along at least one section of the lens such that the mean sphere of the optical element increases from the point of said section towards the periphery of said section helps to slow the progression of refractive abnormalities of the eye, such as myopia or hyperopia.

[0125] As is known, the minimum curvature CURV min is the expression

number

[0126] Similarly, the maximum curvature CURV max is the expression

number

[0127] If the surface is locally spherical, the local minimum radius of curvature R min and the local maximum curvature radius R max are the same, and therefore the minimum curvature CURV min and maximum curvature CURV max If the surface is aspherical, the local minimum radius of curvature R min and the local maximum curvature radius R max is different.

[0128] Minimum curvature CURV min and maximum curvature CURV max From these equations, SPH can be calculated according to the type of surface being considered. min and SPH max We can infer the minimum and maximum spheres denoted as

[0129] If the surface under consideration is the object side (also called the front surface), then the formula is

number

[0130] If the surface under consideration is the lateral surface of the eye (also called the posterior surface), then the formula is

number

[0131] As is known, Mean spherical power SPH at any point on the aspheric surface mean Also

number

[0132] Therefore, the formula for mean sphere depends on the surface under consideration, and if the surface is object-side, then:

number

number

[0133] Any aspheric characteristics of a lens can be expressed in terms of local mean sphere and local mean cylinder. A surface can be considered locally aspheric if the cylinder is at least 0.25 diopters.

[0134] In the case of an aspheric surface, the local cylinder power axis γ AX7a shows the astigmatism axis γ as defined in the TABO criterion, and FIG. 7b shows the cylinder axis γ in the criterion defined to characterize aspheric surfaces. AX Shows.

[0135] Cylinder power axis γ AX is the maximum curvature CURV relative to the reference axis in the sense of the chosen rotation max In the criteria defined above, the reference axis is horizontal (the angle of this reference axis is 0°), and the meaning of rotation is when looking at the wearer (0°≦γ AX ≦180°), counterclockwise for each eye. Therefore, the cylinder axis γ AX The axis value of represents the diagonal axis, which extends from the upper right quadrant to the lower left quadrant when looking at the wearer.

[0136] The optical element may be configured such that along at least one section of the lens, the mean sphere and / or cylinder of the optical element increases from the center of said section towards the periphery of said section.

[0137] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical element is configured such that in a normal wearing situation, at least one section is a horizontal section.

[0138] The mean sphere and / or cylinder may increase along at least one horizontal section according to an increasing function, the increasing function being a Gaussian function, which may be different for the nasal and temporal portions of the lens to take into account asymmetries in the human retina.

[0139] Alternatively, the mean sphere and / or cylinder may increase along at least one horizontal section according to an increasing function, the increasing function being a quadratic function that may be different for the nasal and temporal portions of the lens to take into account asymmetries in the human retina.

[0140] According to an embodiment of the invention, the mean sphere and / or mean cylinder of the optical element increases from a first point of the section towards the periphery of the section and decreases from a second point of the section towards the periphery of the section, the second point being closer to the periphery of the section than the first point.

[0141] Such an embodiment is shown in Table 1, which provides the mean sphere of the optical element according to the radial distance to the optical center of the lens element.

[0142] In the example of Table 1, the optical element is a microlens placed on a spherical anterior surface having a curvature of 329.5 mm, the lens element is made of an optical material having a refractive index of 1.591, and the wearer's prescribed optical power is 6D. The optical element is to be worn in a standard wearing situation, and the wearer's retina is considered to have a defocus of 0.8D at an angle of 30°. The optical element is determined to have a peripheral defocus of 2D.

[0143] [Table 1]

[0144] As shown in Table 1, starting near the optical center of the lens element, the mean sphere of the optical element increases toward the periphery of the section and then decreases toward the periphery of the section.

[0145] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mean cylindrical power of the optical element increases from a first point of the section towards the periphery of the section and decreases from a second point of the section towards the periphery of the section, the second point being closer to the periphery of the section than the first point.

[0146] Such an embodiment is shown in Tables 2 and 3, which provide the amplitude of the cylindrical power vector projected onto a first direction Y corresponding to the local radial direction and a second direction X orthogonal to the first direction.

[0147] In the example of Table 2, the optical element is a microlens placed on a spherical anterior surface having a curvature of 167.81 mm, the lens element is made of a material having a refractive index of 1.591, and the wearer's prescribed optical power is -6D. The lens element is to be worn in a standard wearing situation, and the wearer's retina is considered to have a defocus of 0.8D at an angle of 30°. The optical element is determined to provide a peripheral defocus of 2D.

[0148] In the example of Table 3, the optical element is a microlens placed on a spherical anterior surface having a curvature of 167.81 mm, the lens element is made of a material having a refractive index of 1.591, and the wearer's prescribed optical power is -1 D. The lens element is to be worn in a standard wearing situation, and the wearer's retina is considered to have a defocus of 0.8 D at an angle of 30°. The optical element is determined to provide a peripheral defocus of 2 D.

[0149] [Table 2]

[0150] [Table 3]

[0151] As shown in Tables 2 and 3, starting near the optical center of the lens element, the mean cylinder power of the optical element increases toward the periphery of the section and then decreases toward the periphery of the section.

[0152] According to an embodiment of the invention, the refractive area has an optical center and the optical element is configured such that along any section passing through the optical center of the lens, the mean sphere and / or mean cylinder of the optical element increases from the optical center towards the periphery of the lens.

[0153] For example, the optical elements may be regularly distributed along a circle centered on the optical center of one of the optical elements.

[0154] The circular optical element, 10 mm in diameter and centered at the optical center of the refractive area, can be a microlens with a mean spherical power of 2.75D.

[0155] The circular optical element, 20 mm in diameter and centered at the optical center of the refractive area, can be a microlens with a mean spherical power of 4.75D.

[0156] The circular optical element, 30 mm in diameter and centered on the optical center of the refractive area, can be a microlens with a mean spherical power of 5.5D.

[0157] The circular optical element, 40 mm in diameter and centered at the optical center of the refractive area, can be a microlens with a mean spherical power of 5.75D.

[0158] The cylinder power of the different microlenses can be adjusted based on the shape of a person's retina.

[0159] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the refractive area includes a distance vision reference point, a near vision reference point, and a meridian connecting the distance vision reference point and the near vision reference point. For example, the refractive area may have a progressive multifocal lens design configured to a person's prescription or configured to slow the progression of ametropia in the eye of a person wearing the lens element.

[0160] Preferably, according to such an embodiment, the optical element is configured such that, in a normal wearing situation, along any horizontal section of the lens, the mean sphere and / or cylinder of the optical element increases from the intersection of said horizontal section with the meridian towards the periphery of the lens.

[0161] The meridian corresponds to the locus of intersection of the main gaze direction with the surface of the lens.

[0162] The increasing function of mean sphere and / or mean cylinder along a section may be different depending on the position of said section along the meridian.

[0163] In particular, the increasing function of mean sphere and / or mean cylinder along the section is asymmetric, for example, the increasing function of mean sphere and / or mean cylinder is asymmetric along the vertical section and / or the horizontal section in a standard wearing situation.

[0164] According to an embodiment of the invention, at least one, such as at least 70%, such as all, of the optical elements are active optical elements that may be activated manually or automatically by an optical lens controller device.

[0165] The active optical element may include a material with a variable refractive index that is controlled by an optical lens controller device.

[0166] The invention has been described above using embodiments without limiting the general inventive concept.

[0167] Many further modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the exemplary embodiments described above, which are given by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is determined solely by the appended claims.

[0168] In the claims, the words "comprising" do not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that different features are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0169] 10 Lens Elements 12 Refraction Area 14 Non-continuous optical elements 16 Central Zone

Claims

1. 1. A lens element intended to be worn in front of a person's eye, comprising: a refractive area having a refractive power based on a prescription for the eye of the person; a plurality of at least three discontinuous optical elements, more than 50% of which are aspherical microlenses having aspherical optical functions, the discontinuous optical elements being microlenses having an outline shape that can be inscribed in a circle having a diameter of 0.8 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less; Equipped with A lens element having a radius of 2 mm to 4 mm and a geometric center located at a distance of 5 mm from the optical center of the lens element plus the radius, wherein the ratio of the sum of the areas of the portions of the optical element located within each of the circular zones to the area of ​​each of the circular zones is 20% to 70%.

2. The lens element of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the non-continuous optical elements is a multifocal refractive microlens.

3. The lens element of claim 2 , wherein the at least one multifocal refractive microlens has a toric surface.

4. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the non-continuous optical elements is a toric refractive microlens.

5. The lens element of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the non-continuous optical elements is made of a birefringent material.

6. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the non-continuous optical elements is a diffractive lens.

7. The lens element of claim 6 , wherein the at least one diffractive lens has a Metasurface structure.

8. A lens element according to claim 6 or 7, wherein at least one discontinuous optical element is a multifocal binary component.

9. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least a portion of said discontinuous optical element is arranged on the anterior surface of an ophthalmic lens.

10. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least a portion of said discontinuous optical element is arranged on a back surface of an ophthalmic lens.

11. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least a portion of the non-continuous optical element is disposed between the front and back surfaces of an ophthalmic lens.

12. 12. A lens element according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising an ophthalmic lens having a refractive area and a clip-on comprising the plurality of at least three discontinuous optical elements configured to be removably attached to the ophthalmic lens when the lens element is worn.

13. A lens element according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one optical element having an aspheric optical function is configured to inhibit progression of anomalous refraction of the eye of the person.

14. The lens element of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the lens element is a spectacle lens element.

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