Hybrid Refractive Diffractive Ophthalmic Lens Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ophthalmic lenses fail to effectively correct both monochromatic and chromatic aberrations of the eye, leading to suboptimal visual quality due to limitations in refractive and diffractive designs, which can introduce or worsen chromatic aberration and neglect other aberrations.
Innovation Solution
Designing ophthalmic lenses with a combination of refractive and diffractive powers using a spectral merit function to optimize the relationship between spherical and diffractive surfaces, incorporating a diffractive lens element to correct chromatic aberration and an aspheric surface to address monochromatic aberrations, while employing spectral filters to enhance image quality across different lighting conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a diffractive pattern is used to correct chromatic aberration, then chromatic aberration correction is improved, but other monochromatic aberrations are not compensated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a diffractive optical element with an aspheric refractive element into a single hybrid lens structure. The diffractive element corrects chromatic aberration while the aspheric element simultaneously corrects monochromatic aberrations such as spherical aberration, achieving multiple correction functions in one integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid lens design makes the ophthalmic lens universally capable of correcting multiple types of optical aberrations (both chromatic and monochromatic) through a single device, rather than requiring separate corrections for different aberration types
2Measurement precision
If an aspheric lens is used to compensate spherical aberration, then spherical aberration correction is improved, but chromatic aberration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the aspheric refractive element (which corrects spherical aberration) with a diffractive optical element (which corrects chromatic aberration) into a hybrid structure, allowing both aberration types to be corrected simultaneously rather than separately
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful chromatic aberration introduced by aspheric designs into a correctable parameter by incorporating the diffractive element, which generates negative chromatic aberration to counterbalance the positive chromatic aberration from the aspheric portion
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional refractive lenses are used, then manufacturing is simple, but both chromatic and monochromatic aberrations cannot be effectively corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite optical design by integrating diffractive and aspheric refractive elements into a hybrid lens structure, combining the advantages of both approaches to achieve superior aberration correction while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through established fabrication techniques
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 solution significantly improves visual quality by effectively reducing chromatic and monochromatic aberrations, achieving higher polychromatic image quality and minimizing longitudinal chromatic aberration, thereby enhancing the optical performance of the lenses.
Implementation Method 1
A diffractive pattern could be configured to provide a passing wavefront with chromatic aberration of the opposite sign as chromatic aberration from the eye. Thus a diffractive pattern can be used to correct for chromatic aberration introduced to a wavefront from the optical parts of the eye.
Implementation Method 2
The reason is that the refractive indices of the materials in the optical parts of the eye differ for different wavelengths. Thus light having different wavelengths will be refracted a different amount and they will fall on the retina at different places
Implementation Method 3
WO 01/89424 teaches methods how to design aspheric lenses that compensate for spherical aberration
Data Source
AI summary
A method of designing an aspheric ophthalmic lens with both refractive and diffractive powers that is capable of reducing chromatic aberration and at least one monochromatic aberration of an eye comprises combining aspherical refractive and diffractive surfaces, selecting an appropriate eye model, establishing a design lens having at least one aspheric surface with a capacity to reduce monochromatic aberration in said eye model, establishing a diffractive lens element that corrects for chromatic aberration of the model eye; and adjusting the lens surface design in order to obtain a suitably high polychromatic image quality in a form that is weighted to comply with a spectral merit function.