Optical material and method for modifying the refractive index
View Patent ↗The invention is directed to an optical device comprising refractive optical structures, wherein the refractive structures are characterized by a change in refractive index, exhibit little or no scattering loss, and exhibit no significant differences in the Raman spectrum with respect to the non-irradiated optical, polymeric material.
1. An optical device comprising an optical polymeric material with select regions that have been irradiated with a focused, visible or near-IR laser having a pulse energy from 0.05 nJ to 1000 nJ, wherein the irradiated regions are characterized by a positive change in refractive index, exhibit little or no scattering loss, and exhibit no significant differences in the Raman spectrum with respect to the non-irradiated optical, polymeric material, wherein the optical polymeric material is a hydrogel.
2. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the irradiated regions of the optical material are defined by a three dimensional structure.
3. The optical device of claim 1 selected from an intraocular lens, a corneal inlay, a corneal ring or a keratoprothesis.
4. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the optical polymeric material is prepared from (meth)acrylate monomer selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxymethyl(meth)acrylate, 2-phenylethyl(meth)acrylate, methyl(meth)acrylate and 3-phenylpropyl(meth)acrylate.
5. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the pulse energy of the laser is from 0.2 nJ to 100 nJ.
6. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the pulse energy of the laser is from 0.5 nJ to 10 nJ.
7. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the visible or near-IR laser generates pulses having a pulse width of 4 fs to 100 fs.
8. The optical device of claim 1 is an intraocular lens that has been positioned in the lens capsule of a patient.
9. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the optical, polymeric hydrogel is a copolymer that is prepared from a first monomeric component present in the copolymer in an amount of at least 70% by weight, and its homopolymer will have a refractive index of at least 1.50; a second monomeric component present in the copolymer in an amount from 3% to 20% by weight, and its homopolymer will have a glass transition temperature of less than about 300° C., wherein the first and second monomeric components together represent at least 80% by weight of the copolymer; and a crosslinking monomeric component.
10. The optical device of claim 9 wherein the copolymer is prepared in the presence of a fourth monomeric component, which is a hydrophilic component.
11. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is prepared from a monomer having the formula:
wherein: R is H or CH 3 ; m is 0-10;
Y is nothing, 0, S, or NR wherein R is H, CH 3 , C n H 2n+1 (n=1-10), iso OC 3 H 7 , phenyl or benzyl;
Ar is any aromatic ring, such as benzene, which can be unsubstituted or substituted with H, CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , n-C 3 H 7 , iso-C 3 H 7 , OCH 3 , C 6 H 11 , Cl, Br, phenyl or benzyl; and
a cross-linking monomer having a plurality of polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated groups, wherein the resulting optical, polymeric material will have a glass transition temperature not greater than 37° C. and an elongation of at least 150%.
12. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is prepared from about 80 wt % HEMA and about 20 wt % MMA with a water content of about 26%.
13. An optical device comprising an optical polymeric hydrogel material with select regions that have been irradiated with a focused, visible or near-IR laser having a pulse energy from 0.05 nJ to 100 nJ, wherein the irradiated regions are characterized by a positive change in refractive index, exhibit little or no scattering loss, and exhibit no significant differences in the Raman spectrum with respect to the non-irradiated optical, polymeric material, said optical, polymeric hydrogel is a copolymer that is prepared from a first monomeric component present in the copolymer in an amount of at least 70% by weight, and its homopolymer will have a refractive index of at least 1.50; a second monomeric component present in the copolymer in an amount from 3% to 20% by weight, and its homopolymer will have a glass transition temperature of less than about 300° C., wherein the first and second monomeric components together represent at least 80% by weight of the copolymer; and a crosslinking monomeric component.
14. The optical device of claim 13 wherein the copolymer is prepared in the presence of a fourth monomeric component, which is a hydrophilic component.
15. The optical device of claim 13 wherein the first monomeric components is selected from the group consisting of 2-phenylethyl(meth)acrylate and 3-phenylpropyl(meth)acrylate.