Eye-Mountable Device with Muscle Sensor for Dynamic Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional contact lenses are ineffective in correcting vision problems caused by presbyopia, as they provide only static vision correction, and dynamically correlating accommodative effort with vision correction remains a significant challenge due to the natural loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens with age.
Innovation Solution
Ophthalmic devices with muscle sensors, such as smart contact lenses or intraocular lenses, that electrically detect physiological activation of muscles associated with accommodative effort, allowing for closed-loop control to provide dynamic vision correction by measuring electrical activity of muscles like the iris and ciliary muscles, without relying on mechanical movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional contact lenses are used for vision correction, then static vision correction is provided, but dynamic vision correction for presbyopia cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the contact lens system adjustable and responsive to physiological changes. The device includes a muscle sensor that detects ciliary muscle activation and a controller that dynamically adjusts the lens power in response to sensor signals, enabling the lens to transition from static to dynamic vision correction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a muscle sensor to continuously monitor ciliary muscle electrical activity and feeding this information back to a controller, which then adjusts the lens accommodation accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system enables dynamic adaptation to changing vision needs, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
2Reliability
If mechanical movement is used to detect accommodative effort, then vision correction can be adjusted, but the natural loss of elasticity in the crystalline lens with age makes this ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical detection methods with electrical sensing. Instead of relying on mechanical movement of the lens or eye, the system uses an electromyography (EMG) sensor to detect electrical activity in the ciliary muscle. This substitution overcomes the limitation of mechanical systems failing to detect accommodative effort in presbyopic eyes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary - the EMG sensor - that indirectly measures accommodative effort through electrical muscle activity rather than directly measuring mechanical lens movement. This intermediary approach provides reliable detection of accommodative effort even when the crystalline lens has lost elasticity, while managing system complexity through targeted sensing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If electromyography sensors are used to detect muscle electrical activity, then dynamic vision correction can be achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the contact lens system to perform multiple functions: vision correction, muscle activity detection, and dynamic accommodation adjustment. By integrating the EMG sensor and control system into the contact lens platform, the device achieves dynamic vision correction without requiring separate systems, thereby managing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by adjusting the lens optical properties (accommodation) in response to changes in muscle electrical activity parameters. The controller modifies lens parameters dynamically based on EMG signal intensity, enabling adaptive vision correction while keeping the physical device structure relatively simple.
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
Enables dynamic vision correction by accurately correlating accommodative effort with specific vision correction needs, effectively mitigating presbyopia effects by using electromyography sensors to adjust the ophthalmic device's accommodative response in real-time.
Implementation Method 1
an electromyography sensor to measure electrical activity of the ciliary muscle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
An ophthalmic device includes an enclosure, an electromyography sensor, and a controller. The enclosure is configured to mount in or on an eye. The enclosure further includes a first material and a second material disposed within the first material. The electromyography sensor is adapted to measure electrical activity of a muscle of the eye proximate to a first annular region of the ophthalmic device when the ophthalmic device is mounted in or on the eye. The electromyography sensor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, each positioned within the first annular region between the first material and at least a portion of the second material. The controller, coupled to the electromyography sensor, stores instructions that when executed causes the ophthalmic device to perform operations including acquiring a first signal representative of the electrical activity of the muscle by measuring the electrical activity with the electromyography sensor.