Deformable Contact Lens with Fenestrated Layer for Tear Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact lenses and therapeutic coverings for correcting refractive errors and treating epithelial defects are cumbersome, have inadequate tear flow, and may not fit well on post-ablation corneas, leading to discomfort and reduced vision, especially for extended wear and post-refractive surgery eyes.
Innovation Solution
The development of ophthalmic lenses with a deformable inner and peripheral portion, featuring a silicone or hydrogel layer with fenestrations to enhance tear flow and hydration, allowing for extended wear by pumping tear liquid and therapeutic agents to the cornea, and a design that accommodates the unique shape of ablated corneas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If contact lenses are designed for extended wear, then duration of action is improved, but tear flow and eye health deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens incorporates a porous layer with interconnected pores that allow tear fluid to permeate through the lens structure. This porous design enables continuous oxygen and nutrient transport to the cornea while maintaining extended wear capability, thus resolving the contradiction between prolonged wear duration and eye health maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens utilizes hydraulic principles by incorporating channels and reservoirs that facilitate fluid flow through the lens. Tear fluid is pumped through the porous layer via pressure gradients created during blinking, ensuring adequate tear flow and corneal hydration even during extended wear periods.
2Measurement precision
If contact lenses are made rigid for optical correction, then vision correction is improved, but comfort and adaptability to corneal shape deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens is divided into distinct functional zones: a rigid optical zone for precise vision correction and a softer peripheral zone for comfort and adaptability. This segmentation allows the lens to simultaneously provide sharp visual acuity and comfortable fit on the cornea.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens employs composite construction combining rigid gas permeable material in the optical zone with softer hydrogel or silicone hydrogel materials in the peripheral zone. This composite structure integrates the optical precision of rigid materials with the comfort and conformability of soft materials.
3Ease of manufacture
If contact lenses are designed with uniform structure, then manufacturing is simplified, but tear flow and hydration distribution deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The lens structure is segmented into functional regions including hydrophilic zones, hydrophobic zones, and porous channels. This segmentation creates preferential pathways for tear fluid flow while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process through mold-based fabrication of the heterogeneous structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lens are assigned different properties: hydrophilic areas for tear attraction, hydrophobic areas for fluid channeling, and porous areas for permeation. This local differentiation optimizes tear flow distribution across the lens surface while using standard manufacturing techniques.
4Ease of operation
If contact lenses are made soft for comfort, then ease of operation is improved, but rigidity for maintaining shape and optical quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is segmented into a rigid optical zone that maintains its shape for optical quality and a soft peripheral zone that conforms to the cornea for comfort. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens combines rigid gas permeable materials in the optical zone with soft hydrogel or silicone hydrogel materials in the peripheral zone. The rigid portion maintains structural integrity and optical precision, while the soft portion provides comfort and adaptability to corneal movements.
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
These lenses provide improved vision and comfort for extended periods, enhance tear flow, promote epithelial regeneration, and maintain eye health, allowing for longer wear without the drawbacks of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a silicone or hydrogel layer with fenestrations to enhance tear flow and hydration, allowing for extended wear by pumping tear liquid and therapeutic agents to the cornea
Data Source
AI summary
Ophthalmic lenses for correcting refractive error of an eye are disclosed. Ophthalmic lenses include a deformable inner portion and a deformable peripheral portion. When disposed over the optical region of an eye, the inner portion is configured so that engagement of the posterior surface against the eye deforms the posterior surface so that the posterior surface has a shape diverging form the refractive shape of the epithelium when viewing with the eye through the ophthalmic lens. The rigidity of the inner portion is greater than the rigidity of the peripheral portion and the ophthalmic lenses are configured to allow movement relative to the eye upon blinking of the eye and to be substantially centered on the optical region of the cornea following the blinking of the eye. Methods of correcting refractive errors of an eye such as astigmatism or spherical aberration using the ophthalmic lenses are also disclosed.