Dynamic Contact Lenses with Eyelid-Actuated Shape Change
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional contact lenses, particularly translating lenses for presbyopia correction, are unstable and cause discomfort due to repeated movement over the cornea, leading to lid contact and potential trauma, especially with meibomian gland openings, resulting in hyperkeratosis and meibomian gland dysfunction.
Innovation Solution
Dynamic contact lenses with a dynamic portion that transitions between conforming and non-conforming configurations, utilizing a material with a Young's modulus of 0.05 MPa to 10 MPa and an as-fabricated center SAG height of 10 μm to 300 μm, allowing for adjustable optical power and reduced corneal trauma by changing shape in response to eyelid forces and gaze movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If translating contact lenses are designed to move over the cornea to provide vision correction, then vision correction capability is improved, but lens stability deteriorates causing repeated movement and lid contact
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens incorporates a dynamic portion that can change configuration between conforming and non-conforming states, allowing the lens to adapt its position and shape in response to eyelid forces and gaze movements, providing vision correction while maintaining stability
Solution Approach 2:
The lens utilizes changes in material properties through phase transitions or elastic deformation, where the dynamic portion changes its physical state or shape in response to environmental conditions, enabling both vision correction and stability
2Reliability
If translating contact lenses move over the cornea during blinking, then vision correction is maintained, but user comfort deteriorates due to repeated lid contact and trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The lens design anticipates the harmful effect of lid contact by incorporating a dynamic portion that proactively changes configuration in response to eyelid forces, preventing direct trauma to the cornea before it occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The lens converts the previously harmful eyelid contact forces into a beneficial mechanism by using these forces to trigger configuration changes in the dynamic portion, which then provides vision correction while avoiding corneal trauma
3Ease of operation
If contact lenses are designed with lower lid impingement, then user comfort is improved, but vision correction capability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic portion of the lens changes configuration in response to gaze movements and eyelid forces, allowing the lens to maintain comfort by reducing lid impingement while simultaneously providing the necessary vision correction through shape changes
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 dynamic contact lenses provide stable vision correction with reduced discomfort and trauma by adapting to different gaze angles and vision needs, maintaining quasi-stable configurations that minimize corneal contact and lid impingement, thus delaying presbyopia progression and correcting myopia and hyperopia effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The dynamic portion can also be configured to provide a dynamic tear lens that changes optical power in response to forces applied to the dynamic contact lens by eyelids and/or gaze movement
Data Source
AI summary
Dynamic contact lenses fabricated with a dynamic portion that extends outward from the peripheral portion are disclosed. When worn on an eye the dynamic portion forms a tear lens for correcting vision. The dynamic portion can also be configured to provide a dynamic tear lens that changes optical power with forces applied by eyelids. The dynamic portion can be configured to assume a conforming configuration and at least one non-conforming configuration, or can be configured to assume at least two non-conforming configurations. The dynamic contact lenses can be used for correcting vision such as correcting presbyopia.