Method of creating ophthalmic lenses using modulated energy
View Patent ↗This invention is related to lenses and the associated processes used to manufacture lenses. In particular, the present invention is related to a process for designing and creating bifocal, multifocal, and single vision ophthalmic lenses by modulating an energy source.
1. A method for making an ophthalmic lens comprising
Providing a fluid optical material;
Providing a mold;
Injecting said fluid optical material into said mold;
Exposing said mold and fluid optical material to an energy source; and
modulating said energy source to create a spatial distribution of refractive indices in the optical zone of the lens, wherein the fluid optical material comprises a prepolymer, a photoinitiator, wherein the prepolymer is a derivative of a polyvinyl alcohol and having a chemically attached refractive index enhancing modifier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said energy source is selected from the group consisting of UV light.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said modulating step source further comprises varying light intensity according to an illumination scheme.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said variation is accomplished by creating a gray-scale mask.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said gray scale mask is created using stereo lithography.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein said gray scale mask is created using a computer-generated hologram.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein said gray scale mask masks said energy source in an illumination scheme, wherein said scheme corresponds to a desired lens geometry.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said desired lens geometry has more than one optical zone.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein said varying light intensity further comprises providing a uniform light source in optical connection with a DMD.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said DMD is in optical connection with said fluid optical material.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein said illumination scheme corresponds to a desired lens geometry.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said exposing step further comprises curing said fluid optical material into a lens.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said ophthalmic lens is selected from the group consisting of: a bifocal lens, a multifocal lens, a toric lens, a customized lens and a single vision lens.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said ophthalmic lens is designed to correct one or more of the following defects: myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia, defocus, and astigmatism.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluid optical material further comprises a sensitizer.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluid optical material comprises an additive.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fluid optical material comprises NaCl.