Tear shaping for refractive correction

1. A lens for refractive tear shaping, the lens comprising:

a curved lens body having a peripheral edge and defining a central cavity indented into a base curve thereof, the central cavity presenting a recess relative to the base curve;

wherein the central cavity is structured to define a tear lens within the central cavity by interaction between a tear film of an eye and a posterior facing tear shaping surface of the curved lens body, an anterior curvature of the tear lens being dependent on a shape of the posterior facing tear shaping surface,

wherein the central cavity includes a cavity peripheral edge having a diameter of between two millimeters and five millimeters,

wherein a center or centroid of the central cavity being is located collinear with an optical center of the curved lens body, and

wherein the central cavity has a depth between twenty-five microns and one hundred microns, as measured from a center of the posterior facing tear shaping surface to an imaginary extension of the base curve of the curved lens body.

2. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the curved lens body further defines at least one passage therethrough that creates a fluid connection between the central cavity and an anterior surface of the lens.

3. The lens of claim 2 , wherein the at least one passage comprises a central passage.

4. The lens of claim 2 , wherein the at least one passage comprises at least one peripheral passage.

5. The of claim 2 , wherein the at least one passage comprises at least one central passage and at least one peripheral passage.

6. The lens of claim 1 , wherein opposing portions of the cavity peripheral edge, when viewed in cross section, are parallel.

7. The lens of claim 1 , wherein opposing portions of the cavity peripheral edge, when viewed in cross section, are non-parallel.

8. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the posterior facing tear shaping surface has a first radius of curvature longer than a second radius of curvature of an anterior corneal surface on which the lens is to be placed in close approximation.

9. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the posterior facing tear shaping surface has a first radius of curvature shorter than a second radius of curvature of an anterior corneal surface on which the lens is to be placed.

10. A method of making a lens for refractive tear shaping, the method comprising:

shaping a curved lens body from a transparent material, the curved lens body having a central cavity indented into a posterior concave surface thereof, the posterior concave surface defining a base curve of the curved lens body and the central cavity presenting an opening in the base curve;

sizing and shaping the central cavity to have a posterior facing tear shaping surface structured to form a tear lens within the central cavity;

forming the central cavity to have a cavity peripheral edge with a diameter of between two millimeters and five millimeters located on a center of the central cavity that is located collinear with an optical center of the curved lens body; and

forming the central cavity to have a depth between twenty-five microns and one hundred microns as measured from a center of the posterior facing tear shaping surface to an imaginary extension of the base curve of the curved lens body.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming in the curved lens body at least one passage therethrough that creates a fluid connection between the central cavity and an anterior surface of the curved lens body.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one passage comprises at least one peripheral passage.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming wherein the at least one passage comprises at least one central passage and at least one peripheral passage.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one passage comprises a central passage.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the peripheral cavity edge such that opposing portions of the cavity peripheral edge, when viewed in cross section, are parallel.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the peripheral cavity edge such that opposing portions of the cavity peripheral edge, when viewed in cross section, are non-parallel.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the posterior facing tear shaping surface to have a first radius of curvature longer than a second radius of curvature of the base curve.

18. The method of claimed in claim 10 , further comprising forming the posterior facing tear shaping surface to have a first radius of curvature shorter than a second radius of curvature of the base curve.