Contact Lenses With Dimpled Lubricious Coating for Blink-Driven Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact lenses, particularly translating and silicone hydrogel lenses, face challenges in moving effectively with blink or gaze changes, leading to suboptimal vision correction for presbyopia and reduced oxygen transmission.
Innovation Solution
The contact lenses feature a lubricious coating on their back surface with dimple patterns that enhance translational properties, including pseudotruncation and spherocylindrical power, allowing for improved movement with blink and gaze changes, and can be single or multifocal with specific optical zones for distance, near, and intermediate vision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicone hydrogel material is used in contact lenses, then oxygen transmission to ocular tissues is improved, but the lens movement with blink is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating dimples only in specific regions of the lens (peripheral zone) rather than uniformly across the entire lens. This localized modification allows the lens to maintain its oxygen transmission properties while gaining improved movement characteristics in the specific areas where dimples are present, resolving the contradiction between material properties and movement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the lens surface by introducing dimples with specific depth ranges (5-50 micrometers) and density parameters (10-500 dimples per lens). These parameter changes modify the lens-eye interface characteristics, enabling silicone hydrogel lenses to achieve adequate movement with blink while maintaining their superior oxygen transmission properties
2Ease of operation
If the lens is designed to translate vertically for near vision access, then near vision correction is improved, but the lens stability and positioning may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the lens movement characteristics adaptive rather than fixed. The dimpled surface allows the lens to move dynamically in response to blink forces and eyelid interactions, enabling vertical translation for near vision access while maintaining stability through controlled interaction with the eye surface. The lens can shift position when needed but returns to a stable central position
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by strategically placing dimples in specific asymmetric patterns or regions of the lens, particularly in the peripheral zone. This asymmetric distribution creates directional movement characteristics that facilitate vertical translation for near vision while maintaining overall lens stability through controlled asymmetry in the lens-eye interface
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
The dimpled design and lubricious coating significantly improve the lenses' ability to translate with blink and gaze changes, enhancing vision correction and comfort by allowing greater movement and oxygen transmission, as demonstrated in in vivo experiments.
Implementation Method 1
The contact lenses are treated on their back surface with an agent that renders it lubricious
Data Source
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AI summary
Contact lenses have design features to enhance translational properties such as dimples and coating treatments.