Dynamic tear lenses
Dynamic contact lenses fabricated with a dynamic portion that extends outward from the peripheral portion are disclosed. When worn on an eye the dynamic portion forms a tear lens for correcting vision. The dynamic portion can also be configured to provide a dynamic tear lens that changes optical power with forces applied by eyelids. The dynamic portion can be configured to assume a conforming configuration and at least one non-conforming configuration, or can be configured to assume at least two non-conforming configurations. The dynamic contact lenses can be used for correcting vision such as correcting presbyopia.
1 . A dynamic contact lens comprising:
a dynamic portion comprising a dynamic posterior surface and a dynamic anterior surface opposite the dynamic posterior surface, wherein the dynamic portion has a diameter from 2.5 mm to 7 mm;
a peripheral portion comprising a peripheral posterior surface, a peripheral anterior surface opposite the peripheral posterior surface, and
a transition zone coupling the peripheral portion and the dynamic portion,
wherein the peripheral portion comprises a tear fluid reservoir comprising tear fluid, wherein the transition zone is configured to facilitate flow of the tear fluid between the tear fluid reservoir and the dynamic portion in response to different pressures applied to the tear fluid reservoir from different relative positions of a lower eyelid and an upper eyelid;
wherein the dynamic contact lens is configured to produce a tear lens for correcting vision when applied to a cornea; and
wherein the tear lens can assume two or more quasi-stable configurations, wherein the two or more quasi-stable configurations are characterized by a different gap between the center of the dynamic posterior surface and the cornea in response to said different pressures applied to the tear fluid reservoir by the lower eyelid and the upper eyelid.
2 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic posterior surface has a radius of curvature from 3 mm to 7.5 mm.
3 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic portion has a substantially uniform thickness.
4 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic portion has a substantially uniform thickness from 20 μm to 300 μm.
5 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the transition zone is configured facilitate flow of tear fluid to a tear lens formed between the dynamic posterior surface and a cornea when applied to an eye.
6 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the transition zone comprises features configured to enhance the flexibility of the dynamic portion.
7 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 6 , wherein the features comprise a smooth edge, a thinned cross-sectional thickness, a groove, or a combination thereof.
8 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic contact lens comprises one or more channels in the peripheral posterior surface extending from the dynamic portion.
9 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more channels extend radially from the dynamic portion.
10 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 8 , wherein the one or more channels comprises from 3 to 20 channels.
11 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more channels has a width from 100 μm to 1,000 μm, and a height from 50 μm to 200 μm.
12 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more channels has a length from 1 mm to 7 mm.
13 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the channels is coupled to one or more fenestrations extending from the peripheral anterior surface.
14 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 13 , wherein the one or more fenestrations has a diameter from 200 μm to 600 μm.
15 . The dynamic contact lens of claim 1 , further comprising one or more cavities in the peripheral posterior surface.
16 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral posterior surface comprises a peripheral base curvature.
17 . The lens of claim 16 , wherein at least the dynamic posterior surface bulges away from the peripheral base curvature toward the dynamic anterior surface.
18 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the dynamic portion does not change as the dynamic portion assumes different configurations.