Stabilized electro-active contact lens
An electro-active contact lens system and a method for making the electro-active contact lens system is disclosed. The system includes a contact lens, an electro-active element attached to the contact lens, a view detector attached to the contact lens and in electronic communication with the electro-active element, and a power source attached to the contact lens. In certain embodiments, the view detector may be a rangefinder which determines the distance of an object being viewed and these embodiments further include a means to stabilize the rangefinder between the opening of the eyelids when the electro-active contact lens system is worn by a wearer. The electro-active contact lens system provides electro-active vision correction of one or more focal lengths.
1. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye, and a power source attached to the contact lens to provide power to the electro-active element and the view detector, wherein the power source is a conformal battery.
2. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a rangefinder.
3. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a tilt switch.
4. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the view detector comprises a micro-gyroscope.
5. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the electro-active element is contained within a capsule connected to the contact lens.
6. The contact lens system of claim 5 wherein the capsule is constructed of a rigid material.
7. The contact lens system of claim 6 wherein the capsule provides a fixed distance optical power.
8. The contact lens system of claim 5 wherein the view detector is contained in the capsule.
9. The contact lens system of claim 1 wherein the contact lens provides a fixed distance optical power.
10. The contact lens system of claim 1 further comprising a truncated portion of the contact lens adapted to stabilize the view detector.
11. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye, and a power source attached to the contact lens to provide power to the electro-active element and the view detector, wherein the power source is adapted to convert kinetic energy from movement of a patient's eye into electric energy.
12. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye, and at least one prism adapted to stabilize the view detector.
13. An electro-active contact lens that includes an electro-active element encapsulated within a rigid material, wherein the rigid material is surrounded by a hydrophilic material.
14. The electro-active contact lens of claim 13 wherein the hydrophilic material encapsulates the rigid material.
15. The electro-active contact lens of claim 13 wherein the hydrophilic material comprises a flange around a periphery of the rigid material.
16. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye and further stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eyelid.
17. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye and further stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's pupil.
18. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye and wherein the view detector comprises a radar range finder.
19. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a wearer's eye and wherein the view detector comprises a laser range finder.
20. An electro-active contact lens system that includes a contact lens, an electro-active element, and a view detector, wherein the view detector is stabilized at a predetermined orientation relative to a horizontal meridian of of the contact lens system.
21. The electro-active contact lens system of claim 20 wherein the view detector is stabilized within plus or minus 5 degrees of the horizontal meridian of the contact lens system.