Multi-Zone Orthokeratology Lens for High Cylinder Astigmatism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact lenses used in orthokeratology are ineffective in treating patients with high cylinder astigmatism, true corneal astigmatism, crystalline astigmatism, or residual astigmatism, and fail to address other ocular disorders such as keratoconus and axial myopia progression.
Innovation Solution
A contact lens design featuring a peripheral portion, alignment portion, reverse portion, and treatment portion, along with staining features, that migrates epithelial cells to reshape the cornea, providing a stable and effective correction for high cylinder astigmatism and other ocular disorders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional contact lenses are used for orthokeratology, then they can treat patients with minimal or no astigmatism, but they fail to treat patients with high cylinder astigmatism, true corneal astigmatism, crystalline astigmatism, or residual astigmatism
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens incorporates distinct functional zones with different curvatures: a peripheral portion with first curvature to migrate epithelial cells inward, a treatment portion with second curvature to reshape the cornea, and intermediate portions connecting them. Each zone has optimized local properties to address specific aspects of corneal astigmatism, enabling the lens to treat high cylinder astigmatism, true corneal astigmatism, crystalline astigmatism, and residual astigmatism simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The lens is divided into multiple functional segments: peripheral portion, first intermediate portion, treatment portion, second intermediate portion, and alignment portion. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone's curvature and function, with the peripheral portion handling epithelial cell migration and the treatment portion handling corneal reshaping, thereby expanding adaptability across different astigmatism types while maintaining treatment reliability
2Reliability
If contact lenses apply pressure to reshape the cornea, then they can correct astigmatism, but they may cause discomfort or pressure-related side effects
Solution Approach 1:
The lens design incorporates a reverse portion with third curvature that is opposite in direction to the peripheral and treatment portions. This creates a pressure relief zone that modulates the force distribution across the cornea, reducing concentrated pressure points while maintaining effective corneal reshaping in the treatment zone. The alignment portion with fourth curvature further refines pressure distribution to enhance comfort
3Reliability
If contact lenses have complex multi-zone designs to treat high cylinder astigmatism, then they can achieve stable correction, but they increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is designed as an integrated multi-zone structure with clearly defined functional segments (peripheral, intermediate, treatment, reverse, and alignment portions). Each segment has specified curvature ranges that can be manufactured using precision molding techniques. The segmentation provides a systematic framework that guides the manufacturing process, ensuring consistent replication of the complex design while maintaining correction stability
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens is designed as a universal orthokeratology lens that can treat multiple types of astigmatism (high cylinder, true corneal, crystalline, and residual astigmatism) with a single multi-zone design. This multi-functionality is achieved through the coordinated action of different curvature zones, each contributing to overall correction stability without requiring multiple specialized lens types, thereby simplifying manufacturing compared to producing separate lenses for each astigmatism type
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 contact lens effectively reshapes the cornea by applying controlled pressure and migration of epithelial cells, offering stable correction and prevention or reduction of high cylinder astigmatism and other ocular disorders.
Implementation Method 1
The peripheral portion may cause migration of epithelial cells from a periphery of a cornea of the eye of the patient towards a center of the cornea of the eye of the patient
Implementation Method 2
The staining feature may contact the cornea, thereby reshaping the cornea to treat high cylinder astigmatism
Implementation Method 3
The reverse portion may relieve pressure caused by the migration of the epithelial cells
Data Source
AI summary
A contact lens for shaping a cornea of an eye of a patient to treat high cylinder astigmatism may include a peripheral portion, an alignment portion, a treatment portion, a reverse portion, and a staining feature. The peripheral portion may cause migration of epithelial cells from a periphery of a cornea of the eye of the patient towards a center of the cornea of the eye of the patient. The alignment portion may align the contact lens on the cornea. The treatment portion may cause migration of the epithelial cells from the center of the cornea towards the periphery of the cornea. The reverse portion may relieve pressure caused by the migration of the epithelial cells. The staining feature may contact the cornea, thereby reshaping the cornea to treat high cylinder astigmatism. The staining feature may apply a ribbon-shaped staining pattern to the cornea across the contact lens.