Wavefront-Based Lens Alignment Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for selecting contact lenses are manual and dependent on eye care practitioners' judgment, leading to suboptimal lens positioning due to Decentration Error and Rotation Error, which affects vision quality, especially since many lenses lack fiducial marks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using wavefront exams and Zernike polynomials to calculate and correct Decentration Error and Rotation Error, involving a computer processor to analyze data from bare and lens-wearing eye exams, and selecting or designing a subsequent lens to account for these errors, potentially adjusting optic zone, cylinder power axis, base curve, diameter, sag, or shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual selection methods with fiducial marks are used, then lens positioning can be visually assessed, but the process is dependent on practitioner judgment and less precise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual assessment mechanisms with an automated wavefront sensing system. The wavefront aberrometer objectively measures lens position and orientation by analyzing optical wavefront deviations, eliminating dependence on practitioner judgment and fiducial marks while providing precise quantitative data on decentration and rotation errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wavefront maps and Zernike polynomials as intermediary mathematical representations to bridge the gap between raw optical measurements and lens positioning parameters. These intermediaries transform complex wavefront data into actionable insights about lens position, enabling precise measurement without direct visual inspection.
2Ease of operation
If fiducial marks are scribed or printed on lenses, then lens orientation can be assessed during selection, but many lenses are produced without such marks making the process difficult and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the lens itself to provide positioning information through its optical properties. The wavefront sensing system measures how the lens modifies light wavefronts, allowing the lens to 'self-identify' its position and orientation without requiring external fiducial marks or practitioner interpretation. This makes the process reliable regardless of whether marks are present on the lens.
3Reliability
If multiple trial lenses are fitted until satisfactory performance is achieved, then vision quality can be improved, but the process is time-consuming and may not yield optimal results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurement of the patient's eye optics and lens positioning characteristics before final lens selection. By pre-characterizing the eye's optical properties and measuring how different lens designs perform in terms of wavefront correction, the system enables prediction of optimal lens parameters without requiring multiple trial fittings, significantly reducing selection time while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where wavefront measurements from lens-wearing eyes provide quantitative data about actual performance. This feedback information is used to refine future lens selections, allowing the system to learn from each measurement and improve accuracy without requiring repeated manual trial-and-error fitting.
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
This approach allows for precise measurement and correction of positional errors, enabling the selection or design of a lens that optimally corrects vision by minimizing Decentration Error and Rotation Error, resulting in improved vision quality and reduced manual error in lens selection.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining results of a first wavefront exam performed on the patient's bare eye, the results including a first wavefront map
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus and method for selecting a lens that accounts for Decentration and/or Rotation Errors. The method includes obtaining results of a first wavefront exam on a patient, including a wavefront map and Zernike polynomials, selecting a first lens that improves vision, obtaining the results of a second wavefront exam including a wavefront map and Zernike polynomials, calculating the Decentration and/or Rotation Errors of the selected lens by calculating a difference between the Zernike polynomails, and selecting a second lens that better corrects accounts for the calculated Decentration and/or Rotation Errors.