Multistage Contact Lens Molding for Embedded Components

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contact lens technologies face challenges in incorporating elements or components with low oxygen permeability while maintaining adequate oxygen supply to the cornea, and there is a need for efficient methods and apparatuses to embed such components within contact lenses.

Innovation Solution

A multistage molding process is employed to embed components within contact lenses, involving forming a device on a polymer substrate, molding a spacer onto a male mold, bonding the device to the spacer, and molding the remainder of the lens, allowing for incremental build-up and precise placement of components relative to optical and mechanical axes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If components with low oxygen permeability are incorporated into contact lenses, then functionality is improved, but oxygen supply to the cornea deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidoxygen supply to cornea

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The contact lens is designed with spatially varying oxygen permeability: the central region containing the component has lower oxygen permeability, while the peripheral regions maintain high oxygen permeability. This local differentiation allows the lens to provide both component functionality and adequate corneal oxygenation simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The lens is segmented into distinct functional zones: a component-containing zone with reduced oxygen permeability and surrounding oxygen-permeable zones. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone's properties to satisfy conflicting requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If multistage molding process is used to embed components, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent placement precisionVSAvoidmolding process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Components are pre-positioned on substrates or within molds before the final lens molding process. This preliminary positioning ensures precise component placement is achieved before the lens material is formed, simplifying the overall manufacturing precision requirement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The molding process uses nested molds where inner molds contain components and outer molds form the lens material around them. This nested structure allows precise component embedding within the lens matrix through a systematic multi-stage process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS12454108B2Apparatuses and methods for multistage molding of lenses

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 INNOVEGA INC

AI summary

Apparatuses and methods for multistage molding of contact lenses containing low oxygen permeable components or oxygen impermeable components. Components may be embedded within a contact lens by forming a device on a polymer substrate, molding a spacer onto a male mold, bonding the device to the spacer, removing the polymer substrate, and molding the remainder of the contact lens.