Method of manufacturing an electro-active lens
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing an electro-active lens is disclosed. The lens is manufactured by providing a lens blank having a front and back surface, a thickness, and an index of refraction. An electro-active element is placed on one of the front or back surfaces of the lens blank. A covering surface is then formed over the surface of the lens blank containing the electro-active element. In some embodiments, the electro-active lens may then be surfaced to provide a desired fixed optical power and edged to fit within a spectacles frame.
1. A method of manufacturing an electro-active lens comprising:
providing an electro-active element; and
covering an exposed surface of the electro-active element to produce an electro-active lens;
wherein the electro-active element comprises a plurality of pixels; and
wherein the electro-active lens is capable of focusing an image from ambient light;
wherein the electro-active element is connected to a power source; and
wherein the power source is connected to a hinge screw of a spectacle frame.
2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the exposed surface of the electro-active element is covered by a lens blank; and
wherein the lens blank is selected from the group consisting of a semi-finished blank, an unfinished lens blank, a lens wafer, a preformed optic and a finished lens blank.
3. A method as in claim 2 , further comprising the forming of a recess in the front or back surface of the lens blank for receiving the electro-active element which is placed on the lens blank.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the recess is formed by one of machining or molding the surface of the lens blank.
5. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the electro-active element is connected to an electrical bus.
6. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus is flexible.
7. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus at least partially encircles the electro-active element.
8. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus is connected to a transparent electro-active lead that reaches into a periphery of the electro-active lens.
9. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus comprises a plurality of transparent electrical leads that radiate outward from the electro-active element.
10. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus contains at least one perforation.
11. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the electro-active element is connected to a controller.
12. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the covering is formed by molding.
13. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the covering is formed by surface-casting.
14. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the covering is formed by conformal sealing.
15. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the covering is formed by a lens wafer.
16. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the lens blank is a finished lens blank having an optical power equal to a wearer's distance vision prescription.
17. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the lens blank is a finished lens blank having an optical power equal to zero.
18. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the electro-active element provides a refractive change.
19. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the refractive change corrects for a higher order aberration.
20. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the refractive change corrects for a refractive error of an eye other than myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and regular astigmatism.
21. A method as in claim 18 , wherein the refractive change corrects for conventional refractive error of an eye;
wherein the conventional refractive error is at least one of myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia or regular astigmatism.
22. The method of claim 1 where in the electro-active element is connected to a view detector.
23. A method of manufacturing an electro-active lens comprising:
providing an electro-active element;
covering an exposed surface of the electro-active element to produce an electro-active lens;
wherein the electro-active element comprises a plurality of pixels,
the electro-active lens is capable of focusing an image from ambient light,
the exposed surface of the electro-active element is covered by a lens blank,
the lens blank is selected from a group comprising a semi-finished blank, an unfinished lens blank, a lens wafer, a preformed optic and a finished lens blank,
the lens blank corrects a wearer's refractive error other than myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, and regular astigmatism, and
the electro-active element corrects a spherical error of the wearer.
24. A method of manufacturing an electro-active lens from a lens blank comprising
providing a lens blank comprising a front and back surface, a thickness and an index of refraction, the front or back lens blank surface having a recess;
placing an electro-active element containing a plurality of pixels within the recess of the lens blank surface; and
forming a covering layer over the surface of the lens blank containing the electro-active element;
wherein the electro-active element is capable of focusing an image in ambient light; and
wherein the covering layer is formed by way of curing an optical resin.
25. A method as in claim 5 , wherein the bus is bonded to the lens blank.