Hyper-osmotic Contact Lens Fluid Absorption Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact lenses designed to treat corneal edema, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,096,655, may not effectively manage fluid absorption and refractive properties for individual patient needs, particularly in terms of osmotic gradient and vision modification.
Innovation Solution
A hyper-osmotic contact lens with a central convex disc, peripheral curved portion, annular groove, and apertures is designed to create an osmotic gradient for fluid absorption, using a hyper-osmotic chamber filled with substances like dry hydrogel or glycerol solutions, which can be tailored for refractive properties and stability, allowing for adjustable treatment duration and placement over the cornea or limbus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a hyper-osmotic contact lens is designed with a microcontainer structure and selective water permeable membrane, then fluid absorption from the cornea is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hyper-osmotic chamber as a separate functional component that can be filled with hyper-osmotic substance, allowing the lens to be divided into functional zones: a posterior region with the chamber for fluid absorption and an anterior region for vision correction. This extraction resolves the contradiction by isolating the complex fluid absorption function from the simple vision correction function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the hyper-osmotic chamber within the contact lens structure, where the chamber is bounded by anterior and posterior walls that are integral parts of the lens. The selective water permeable membrane is positioned within the lens structure to allow water passage while maintaining the chamber's integrity. This nested configuration enables both fluid absorption and vision correction in a single integrated device.
2Quantity of substance
If the posterior wall is made of selective water permeable membrane, then water flow from cornea to chamber is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the posterior wall of the hyper-osmotic chamber selective water permeable, while the anterior wall and other lens portions can be made of different materials optimized for vision correction. This localized application of special membrane properties reduces the overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective water flow from the cornea into the chamber.
3Quantity of substance
If the lens is designed to treat corneal edema with osmotic gradient, then dehydration of cornea is improved, but adaptability to individual patient refraction needs decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contact lens into distinct functional zones: a posterior region containing the hyper-osmotic chamber for dehydration treatment and an anterior region designed for vision correction. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function - the posterior chamber maintains high osmotic gradient for effective dehydration while the anterior portion can be customized with different refractive powers to meet individual patient vision needs.
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 lens effectively dehydrates the cornea by osmosis, maintaining stability and refractive correction, with the osmotic gradient and aperture design enhancing fluid absorption and surface tension to ensure prolonged treatment efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
The hyper-osmotic contact lens absorbs fluid from an edematous cornea by the force of an osmotic gradient
Implementation Method 2
water from the edematous cornea can flow out of the cornea into the hyper-osmotic chamber by the force of osmosis
Implementation Method 3
The posterior wall, which is the area in which the cornea and the contact lens overlap, is made of a selective water permeable membrane
Data Source
AI summary
A hyper-osmotic contact lens including a contact lens including a central convex disc, a peripheral curved portion that extends radially from the disc, an annular groove formed in the disc and one or more apertures formed in the groove.