Contact Lens Assembly for Misalignment-Tolerant Diffractive Optics
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Solution Overview
Problem
The economic commercial scale manufacture of contact lenses with diffractive optical elements and liquid crystal cells is challenging due to alignment and bonding issues, which can lead to optical defects, fluid leakage, and short circuits, especially when multiple cells are involved.
Innovation Solution
A contact lens assembly design comprising first, second, and third lens members, where the second lens member is positioned between the first and third members to define cavities without diffractive optical elements on its anterior and posterior surfaces, allowing for easier alignment and reduced risk of defects during manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If diffractive optical elements are integrated into contact lens assemblies with multiple lens members, then optical functionality is improved, but manufacturing alignment precision becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediate lens members (second lens members) that act as mediators between the first and third lens members. These intermediate members provide reference surfaces and alignment features that facilitate precise positioning of the diffractive optical elements without requiring direct alignment between the outer lens members, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving optical functionality and maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens assembly is divided into multiple separate lens members (first, second, and third lens members) that can be manufactured and aligned independently. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized separately and assembled with controlled alignment, reducing the cumulative alignment errors that would occur in a monolithic structure while preserving the optical functionality of the diffractive elements.
2Strength
If adhesive zones are created to bond lens members together, then structural integrity is improved, but risk of adhesive flow into optical zones increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality differentiation by creating distinct adhesive zones with specific surface properties that are localized to non-optical regions. The lens members have different surface characteristics in different zones: optical zones maintain smooth, contamination-free surfaces while adhesive zones have properties optimized for bonding. This allows strong structural integrity through adhesive bonding while preventing adhesive flow into optical zones through localized surface property control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple liquid crystal cells are included in the lens assembly, then optical performance is improved, but risk of short circuits increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses intermediate lens members as physical mediators that separate and isolate the electronic components of multiple liquid crystal cells. These intermediate members provide electrical insulation and physical barriers between conductive elements of different cells, allowing multiple cells to be integrated for enhanced optical performance while preventing short circuits through the insulating properties of the intermediate lens materials.
4Adaptability or versatility
If diffractive optical elements are positioned on multiple surfaces, then optical functionality is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate lens members serve as measurement intermediaries that provide accessible reference surfaces for detecting and measuring alignment. By positioning alignment reference features on the intermediate members rather than directly on the diffractive optical element surfaces, the patent enables easier detection and measurement of alignment status while maintaining the multi-surface diffractive optical functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing for greater misalignment tolerance without affecting optical performance, reducing the risk of defects and short circuits, and maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a second lens member having a structured posterior surface region defining a first diffractive optical element and a structured anterior surface region defining a second diffractive optical element
Implementation Method 2
The liquid crystal cells can then be switched between a first state in which the refractive indices of the first diffractive optical element and the first liquid crystal layer are similar such that the diffractive optical element does not diffract incident light and a second state in which the refractive indices are dissimilar such that the diffractive optical element diffracts incident light
Data Source
AI summary
A contact lens assembly 100 is disclosed. The contact lens assembly 100 comprises a second lens member 104 located between first and third lens members 102, 106. A structured anterior surface region 110 of the first lens member 102 that defines a diffractive optical element and a posterior surface region 115A of the second lens member 104 together define a first cavity. A structured posterior surface region 112 of the third lens member 106 that defines a diffractive optical element and an anterior surface region 113A of the second lens member 104 together define a second cavity. The posterior and anterior surface regions 115A, 113A of the second lens member 104 do not include a diffractive optical element.