UV and high energy visible absorbing ophthalmic lenses
View Patent ↗An ophthalmic lens operable to protect the eye from harmful ultraviolet and high energy visible wavelengths of light and methods for producing the same.
1. An eyeglass lens comprising:
a light absorbing layer having a non-linear relationship between an optical path length and a weight percentage of light absorbing compounds in said light absorbing layer, wherein said light absorbing layer having said optical path length greater than 1 mm and said weight percent of light absorbing compounds up to 1, having said optical path length in a range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm and said weight percentage of light absorbing compounds up to 3 and having said optical path length in a range of 0.01 mm and 0.1 mm and said weight percentage of light absorbing compounds up to 10 and a transmittance of not more than 50 percent for wavelengths in a range of 280 to 443 nm;
wherein a yellow index of said eyeglass lens is less than or equal to 16.
2. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer has a weight percent of light absorbing compounds in a range of 2 to 6 percent.
3. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer has a transmittance of no more than 50 percent for wavelengths in a range of 280 to 410 nm.
4. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer is a monolithic film.
5. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer is an adhesive layer of a laminate.
6. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer is a component of a composite ophthalmic lens.
7. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer comprises a thermoplastic resin.
8. The eyeglass lens of claim 1 wherein the light absorbing layer comprises a curable composition.
9. A method for forming an eyeglass lens comprising:
determining a target transmittance of wavelengths in a range of 280 to 450 nm for the eyeglass lens;
determining a target range of thickness for the eyeglass lens in a range of 0.01 mm to greater than 1 mm;
adding a weight percent of a light absorbing compound to a medium based upon the target transmittance, the target range of thickness so that a non-linear relationship exists between the target range of thickness and the weight percentage of light absorbing compounds, wherein the target thickness being greater than 1 mm when the weight percent of light absorbing compounds is up to 1, the target thickness being in a range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm when the weight percentage of the light absorbing compounds is up to 3 and the target thickness being in a range of 0.01 mm and 0.1 mm and the weight percentage of the light absorbing compounds is up to 10,
obtaining a target yellowness index for the eyeglass lens of less than or equal to 16; and
forming the eyeglass lens with the medium containing the light absorbing compound.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the target transmittance comprises determining a target transmittance of less than 50 percent.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the target transmittance comprises determining a transmittance of not more than 50 percent for wavelengths in a range of 280 to 410 nm.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein forming the eyeglass lens comprises forming the eyeglass lens through injection molding of a molten thermoplastic.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein forming the eyeglass lens comprises forming the eyeglass lens through curing of a curable composition.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein forming the eyeglass lens comprises forming a composite eyeglass lens having a layer of the medium containing the light absorbing compound.