Decentered Light-Transmissive Contact Lens for AMD Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) significantly reduces vision acuity by degenerating macular tissue, leading to reliance on peripheral vision, which has lower receptor density and resolution, and existing technologies have not effectively addressed the need to improve visual acuity in patients.
Innovation Solution
An optical eye-contact device with a decentered light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion is designed to direct light onto areas of the retina outside the damaged macula, allowing for improved visual acuity by compensating for refractive errors and enhancing light propagation without directly impacting the fovea.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If light is directed through the center of the lens (standard optical axis), then the macula receives light for central vision, but the fovea is damaged in AMD patients causing severe vision loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by decentering the light-transmissive portion from the optical axis of the contact lens. This asymmetric positioning redirects light away from the damaged foveal region and onto healthier peripheral retinal areas, thereby maintaining visual function despite macular degeneration. The decentered aperture creates an asymmetric optical path that bypasses the damaged central region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating a specific decentered region in the contact lens that has different optical properties (light-transmissive) compared to the surrounding opaque portions. This localized light-transmissive area is strategically positioned to target undamaged retinal regions, providing differentiated optical treatment to different parts of the retina based on their functional status.
2Reliability
If a decentered light-transmissive portion is used to bypass damaged macular tissue, then light reaches undamaged retinal areas, but the device complexity increases compared to standard contact lenses
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens is segmented into distinct functional zones: a decentered light-transmissive portion and surrounding opaque portions. This segmentation allows the lens to selectively transmit light only through the specific decentered aperture while blocking other regions, creating a simplified yet effective optical design that achieves complex functional goals through spatial division.
3Reliability
If light is redirected to peripheral retinal areas, then visual acuity improves by utilizing healthy receptor regions, but the peripheral retina has lower receptor density resulting in reduced resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by using only the necessary portion of the retina that remains functional. Rather than attempting to utilize the entire retinal surface, the decentered aperture is precisely sized and positioned to direct light onto the specific healthy retinal region needed for functional vision, accepting the trade-off in resolution for the gain in functional visual capability.
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 device significantly improves visual acuity in patients with AMD, increasing it from levels like 1/60 to 6/12 or higher, providing up to 250% improvement in visual acuity by directing light to undamaged areas of the retina, thereby alleviating complications of AMD.
Implementation Method 1
the light-transmissive portion is decentered with respect to the contact lens body's symmetry axis and allows a portion of light incident on the distal surface to propagate from the distal device surface via the light-transmissive portion and emanate from the proximal device surface
Implementation Method 2
an opaque portion which is non-transmissive to visible light
Implementation Method 3
the contact lens body is configured to at least partially or fully compensate for refractive errors of the patient's eye
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments concern an optical eye-contact device comprising a lens body having a symmetry axis and which further comprises a light-transmissive portion and an opaque portion, wherein the light-transmissive portion is decentered with respect to the symmetry axis.