# US 11,442,291 B2 · Contact lens and detection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,291 B2 - Document ID: US11442291B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/635,755 - Filed: 2018-08-03 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-03 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Masanori Iwasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442291B2 ## CPC - A61B 3/125: with contact lenses - G02C 7/049: {Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures} - A61B 3/101: {for examining the tear film} - A61B 5/1455: using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters - G01N 1/14: Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices - G01N 21/78: producing a change of colour - G01N 2001/149: {Capillaries; Sponges} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A contact lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lens section attachable to an eyeball, and one or a plurality of structure portions provided in the lens section and intended to accumulate tears. This makes it possible to, for example, measure an absorption spectrum of the tears, by emitting light toward the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A contact lens comprising: a lens section attachable to an eyeball; and one or a plurality of structure portions provided in the lens section and intended to accumulate tears, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions includes an inlet coupled with an inflow path and an outlet coupled with a discharge path, and the inlet is adjacent to an outer edge of the lens and the outlet is provided in an area between a pupil and an iris. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions is formed to avoid a middle of the lens section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The contact lens according to claim 2, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions includes a channel provided inside the lens section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The contact lens according to claim 3, wherein the channel includes an inflow path enabled to draw tears in by a capillary phenomenon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The contact lens according to claim 4, wherein the channel includes a discharge path having a width wider than a width of the inflow path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The contact lens according to claim 4, wherein an entrance of the inflow path is disposed at a position close to an edge of the lens section, in the channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The contact lens according to claim 3, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a sealing section that includes a material dissolvable by tears and seals an inlet of the channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The contact lens according to claim 7, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a suction chamber coupled to the channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The contact lens according to claim 8, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a plurality of storage chambers that is coupled to the channel and stores tears. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The contact lens according to claim 9, wherein the channel is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The contact lens according to claim 10, wherein each of the storage chambers includes a material that develops color or displays fluorescence by enzymatic reaction or chemical reaction with tears. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a first optical element that guides external light to inside of the channel, a second optical element that guides the external light propagating through the inside of the channel to a pupil or an iris, and a reaction material provided in the inside of the channel, the reaction material developing color or displaying fluorescence by enzymatic reaction or chemical reaction with tears. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The contact lens according to claim 3, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a diffraction element disposed to be opposed to the channel in a thickness direction of the lens section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The contact lens according to claim 13, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a reflection layer disposed to be opposed to the channel in the thickness direction of the lens section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The contact lens according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the channel has a prism shape, and the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a reflection layer and a diffraction element disposed to be opposed to each other with at least the portion having the prism shape of the channel interposed therebetween. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The contact lens according to claim 3, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a reflection layer disposed to be opposed to the channel in a thickness direction of the lens section. ### Claim 17 A detection method comprising: emitting light toward tears accumulated in one or a plurality of structure portions in a contact lens that includes a lens section attachable to an eyeball, and the one or plurality of structure portions provided in the lens section and intended to accumulate tears, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions includes an inlet coupled with an inflow path and an outlet coupled with a discharge path, and the inlet is adjacent to an outer edge of the lens and the outlet is provided in an area between a pupil and an iris; and detecting, through the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions, transmitted light transmitted by the contact lens, reflected light reflected by the contact lens, diffracted-transmitted light diffracted and transmitted by the contact lens, or diffracted-reflected light diffracted and reflected by the contact lens, of the light emitted toward the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The detection method according to claim 17, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a reflection layer disposed to be opposed to the channel in a thickness direction of the lens section, and the measurement method further includes detecting the reflected light transmitted by the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions, and reflected by the reflection layer, of the light emitted toward the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The detection method according to claim 17, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a diffraction element disposed to be opposed to the channel in a thickness direction of the lens section, and the measurement method further includes detecting the diffracted-transmitted light diffracted by the diffraction element, and transmitted by the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions, of the light emitted toward the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The detection method according to claim 17, wherein the one or plurality of structure portions further includes a diffraction element disposed to be opposed to the channel in a thickness direction of the lens section, and a reflection layer disposed to be opposed to the diffraction element with the channel interposed therebetween, of the channel, at least a portion opposed to the diffraction element has a prism shape, and the measurement method further includes detecting the diffracted-reflected light diffracted by the diffraction element, refracted by the portion having the prism shape of the channel, transmitted by the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions, and reflected by the reflection layer, of the light emitted toward the tears accumulated in the one or plurality of structure portions.