Method and apparatus for limiting growth of eye length
Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to therapeutic intervention in patients with eye-length-related disorders to prevent, ameliorate, or reverse the effects of the eye-length-related disorders. Embodiments of the present invention include methods for early recognition of patients with eye-length-related disorders, therapeutic methods for inhibiting further degradation of vision in patients with eye-length-related disorders, reversing, when possible, eye-length-related disorders, and preventing eye-length-related disorders. Additional embodiments of the present invention are directed to particular devices used in therapeutic intervention in patients with eye-length-related disorders.
1. A method, comprising:
forming an ophthalmic lens comprising an area having a plurality of elements selected from the group consisting of:
(i) bumps on a surface of the ophthalmic lens;
(ii) depressions on the surface of the ophthalmic lens;
(iii) translucent inclusions in a lens material; and
(iv) transparent inclusions in the lens material, the transparent inclusions having a refractive index different from that of the lens material,
wherein the elements are dot-shaped elements having, in the area of the ophthalmic lens, a non-zero dot density in a range between 0 and 8 dots per mm 2 ,
wherein the plurality of elements have a density, dimension, and material selected to reduce a visual acuity in a patient's vision when looking through the area.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprising obtaining an ophthalmic lens for a person identified as having an eye-lengthening disorder and introducing, to the area of the ophthalmic lens, the plurality of elements.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero dot density varies across the area.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the non-zero dot density increases in a radial direction from a central area toward a periphery of the ophthalmic lens.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area continuously covers a central region of the ophthalmic lens.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the non-zero dot density varies across the area.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the non-zero dot density increases in a radial direction from the central region toward a periphery of the ophthalmic lens.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area surrounds a second area left free of the elements.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second area is located at a central region of the ophthalmic lens.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second area has a diameter less than 10 mm.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero dot density varies across the area.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the non-zero dot density increases in a radial direction from a central area toward a periphery of the ophthalmic lens.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the area comprises a region in which the non-zero dot density is constant.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the region is in a peripheral region of the ophthalmic lens.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the area comprises a central region, a peripheral region, and an intermediate region between the central region and the peripheral region, and the non-zero dot density radially varies in the intermediate region.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-zero dot density increases monotonically across the intermediate region from the central region to the peripheral region.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements consists entirely of bumps on a surface of the ophthalmic lens.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area is a first area and the ophthalmic lens further comprises a second area different from the first area, wherein the density, dimension, and material of the plurality of elements in the first area are selected to reduce a visual acuity from 20/20 when a line of sight of the patient looking through the first lens passes through the second area to about 20/25 when the line of sight the patient passes through the first area.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a patient with eyeglasses containing the ophthalmic lens.
20. A method, comprising:
forming an ophthalmic lens comprising an area having a plurality of elements selected from the group consisting of:
bumps on a surface of the ophthalmic lens;
(ii) depressions on the surface of the ophthalmic lens;
(iii) translucent inclusions in a lens material; and
(iv) transparent inclusions in the lens material, the transparent inclusions having a refractive index different from that of the lens material,
wherein the elements are dot-shaped elements having, in the area of the ophthalmic lens, a non-zero dot density in a range between 0 and 8 dots per mm 2 ,
wherein the area comprises a central region, a peripheral region, and an intermediate region between the central region and the peripheral region, and the non-zero dot density radially varies in the intermediate region.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the non-zero dot density increases monotonically across the intermediate region from the central region to the peripheral region.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the area surrounds a second area left free of the elements.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the second area is located at a central region of the ophthalmic lens.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of elements consists entirely of bumps on a surface of the ophthalmic lens.
25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising providing a patient with eyeglasses containing the ophthalmic lens.