Tinted Optical Filter Selective Wavelength Transmission

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sunglasses attenuate beneficial blue-green light, disrupting circadian rhythms and potentially causing sleep troubles, mood disorders, and visual acuity issues due to excessive pupil dilation and inadequate light transmittance, while attempts to enrich blue light exposure result in cosmetically undesirable tints.

Innovation Solution

A tinted optical article with an optical filter that selectively transmits wavelengths between 460 nm and 530 nm, ensuring retinal exposure to chronobiological blue light without altering the tint or transmittance specifications, using luminescent agents like phosphorescent or fluorescent materials and interferential filters to achieve high emission rates and spectral reflectance profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If sunglasses are designed to block UV and high energy visible light, then eye protection is improved, but retinal exposure to beneficial blue-green light is significantly decreased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeye protectionVSAvoidretinal exposure to blue-green light

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The optical filter is designed with wavelength-selective properties that differentiate between harmful and beneficial light ranges. It blocks UV and high energy visible light (400-450 nm) while transmitting chronobiological blue light (460-530 nm), creating localized quality differences in the transmission spectrum to simultaneously protect eyes and preserve beneficial light exposure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The visible spectrum is segmented into harmful and beneficial portions. The optical filter divides the spectrum transmission characteristics, completely blocking the harmful UV and high energy visible range while selectively transmitting the beneficial blue-green range, thereby separating protective and illuminating functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If sunglasses transmit chronobiological blue light, then circadian rhythm synchronization is improved, but the tint and transmittance specifications become cosmetically undesirable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircadian rhythm synchronizationVSAvoidcosmetic acceptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The optical filter parameters are precisely engineered to transmit specific wavelength ranges (460-530 nm) while maintaining overall transmittance within acceptable limits for sunglasses. The filter's spectral characteristics are optimized to provide sufficient blue light transmission for circadian rhythm benefits while keeping the tint aesthetically acceptable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The optical article combines multiple functional layers including the optical filter with specific spectral transmission properties. This composite structure integrates the blue light transmission function with cosmetic tinting requirements, achieving both circadian rhythm benefits and aesthetic acceptability through material composition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Illumination intensity

If sunglasses significantly attenuate light luminance, then glare reduction is improved, but pupil diameter increases logarithmically causing optical aberrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglare reductionVSAvoidoptical aberrations

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The optical filter parameters are optimized to provide selective wavelength transmission that reduces overall luminance attenuation compared to conventional sunglasses. By transmitting beneficial blue-green light while blocking only harmful portions, the filter achieves glare reduction with minimal impact on pupil diameter and visual acuity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Preserves beneficial blue light exposure, maintaining visual comfort and eye protection while synchronizing biological rhythms, enhancing visual acuity, and preventing undesirable tint changes, thus addressing the drawbacks of prior art sunglasses.

Implementation Method 1

the fluorescent material comprises fluorescents nanoparticles such as quantum dots

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluorescence: Fluorescence

Implementation Method 2

the luminescence agent is a phosphorescent material or a fluorescent material which emits light respectively by phosphorescence and by fluorescence

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhosphorescence: Phosphorescence

Implementation Method 3

the optical filter is an interferential filter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical interference: Interference

Data Source

PatentUS9958706B2Tinted optical article

Publication Date: 2018.05.01 ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL(COMPAGNIE GENERALE D OPTIQUE)

AI summary

A tinted optical article includes an optical substrate providing with an optical filter wherein the optical filter is configured to selectively emit light in at least one selected range of wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum of 460 nm to 530 nm, allowing retinal exposure of a wearer eye to chronobiological blue-enriched light.