# US 12,004,943 B2 · Artificial iris, a method for controlling an artificial iris, an artificial iris, a method for controlling an artificial iris, and a method for determining a user-specific profile for an artificial iris and a method for determining a user-specific profile for an artificial iris > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,943 B2 - Document ID: US12004943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/128,097 - Filed: 2020-12-19 - Published: 2021-06-24 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-20 - Assignees: Imec Vzw - Applicants: Imec Vzw - Inventors: Andres Felipe Vasquez Quintero - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004943B2 ## CPC - A61F 2/14: Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes - G01J 1/4204: {with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266)} - G02C 7/04: Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) - G02C 7/101: {having an electro-optical light valve (electro-optical elements per se G02F)} - G02C 7/16: Shades; shields; Obturators, e.g. with pinhole, with slot {(G02C5/003 takes precedence)} - G02F 1/13318: {Circuits comprising a photodetector} - G02F 1/137: characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering - G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records - G16H 40/40: for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - A61F 2250/001: for adjusting a diameter - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - 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) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract In some embodiments, a method for controlling an artificial iris may include receiving a measurement of light intensity detected by a sensor on or adjacent to the artificial iris. The method may include accessing a user-specific profile based on user calibration for determining one or more user-specific thresholds of light intensity of the user-specific profile. The one or more user-specific thresholds are associated with light intensities for triggering a change of light transmittance through the artificial iris. The method may include comparing the received measurement of light intensity to the one or more thresholds in the user-specific profile. The method may include determining, based on the comparing, whether to turn on or turn off one or more concentric rings of liquid crystals of the artificial iris for controlling an amount of light transmitted through the artificial iris. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An artificial iris, said artificial iris comprising: a carrier, configured to be arranged in contact with a human eye or implanted in a human eye; a plurality of concentric rings of liquid crystals arranged on the carrier, wherein the liquid crystals are switchable between a blocking state providing a low transmittance of light through the artificial iris and a transmitting state providing a high transmittance of light through the artificial iris; a sensor arranged on the carrier, for detecting a light intensity incident on the artificial iris; and a processing unit comprising a processor and a memory, said memory storing at least one user-specific profile based on user calibration, each user-specific profile being associated with the same user, said processor being configured to: receive a measurement of light intensity detected by the sensor; access one of the at least one user-specific profile for determining one or more user-specific thresholds of light intensity of the user-specific profile, wherein the one or more user-specific thresholds are associated with light intensities for triggering a change of light transmittance through the artificial iris; compare the received measurement of light intensity to the one or more thresholds in the user-specific profile; and determine, based on said comparing, whether to turn on or turn off one or more of the concentric rings of liquid crystals for controlling an amount of light transmitted through the artificial iris, wherein said processor is configured to receive a measurement of light intensity by receiving measurements of light intensities for a plurality of different wavelength ranges, wherein said user-specific profile comprises one or more user-specific thresholds for each of the plurality of different wavelength ranges, and wherein said processor is configured to compare the received measurement of light intensity to the one or more thresholds in the user-specific profile by comparing each of the measurements of light intensities for a plurality of different wavelengths to the one or more thresholds for each of the plurality of different wavelength ranges in the user-specific profile. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The artificial iris according to claim 1, wherein a width of one or more of the plurality of concentric rings is based on user calibration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The artificial iris according to claim 2, wherein the width of the concentric rings is non-equal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The artificial iris according to claim 3, wherein the width of the concentric rings is increasing towards outer rings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The artificial iris according to claim 1, wherein said at least one user-specific profile comprises a plurality of stored user-specific profiles, and wherein said processor is configured to receive input for selecting one of said plurality of stored user-specific profiles to be active, and wherein said access comprises accessing the user-specific profile selected to be active. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The artificial iris according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to receive input for changing the user-specific profile by changing one or more user-specific thresholds of the user-specific profile. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method for determining a user-specific profile for the artificial iris of claim 6, said method comprising: receiving user-specific results of optimal pupil diameter for a plurality of different light intensities; fitting the user-specific results to form a representation of desired pupil diameter in relation to light intensity; and wherein the one or more user-specific thresholds includes a plurality of user-specific thresholds and said method further comprising determining the plurality of user-specific thresholds forming the user-specific profile, each user-specific threshold defining a minimum light intensity at which each concentric ring is to be turned on providing a low transmittance of light through the artificial iris, wherein each of the user-specific thresholds is determined based on using the formed representation to determine a light intensity associated with a pupil diameter corresponding to the concentric ring being turned on. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein said fitting comprises determining a hyperbolic tangent function of desired pupil diameter in relation to a logarithm of light intensity, as measured in Cd/m2. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein each user-specific threshold is determined to represent a threshold light intensity incident on said sensor, said sensor being arranged radially displaced from and adjacent to the concentric rings, said threshold light intensity corresponding to the minimum light intensity being transmitted through the artificial iris when the concentric ring is turned off. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising selecting a width of each of the concentric rings based on said user-specific results, said selected widths defining a pupil diameter corresponding to each of the concentric rings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising selecting a set-up of widths of the concentric rings from a plurality of default set-ups based on said user-specific profiles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, said method comprising receiving at least two sets of user-specific results of optimal pupil diameter for a plurality of different light intensities, each of the at least two sets representing a different condition for the same user; performing the fitting and the determining for each of the at least two sets of user-specific results to form plural user-specific profiles for the same user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method for controlling the artificial iris of claim 1, said method comprising: receiving the measurement of light intensity detected by the sensor on the artificial iris; accessing the user-specific profile based on user calibration for determining one or more user-specific thresholds of light intensity of the user-specific profile; comparing the received measurement of light intensity to the one or more thresholds in the user-specific profile; and determining, based on said comparing, whether to turn on or turn off one or more of the concentric rings of liquid crystals of the artificial iris for controlling the amount of light transmitted through the artificial iris. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one user-specific profile includes a plurality of user-specific profiles, further comprising receiving input for selecting one of the plurality of user-specific profiles to be active, each user-specific profile being associated with a same user, wherein said accessing comprises accessing the user-specific profile selected to be active. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving input for changing the user-specific profile by changing one or more user-specific thresholds of the user-specific profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein said receiving comprises receiving measurements of light intensities for the plurality of different wavelength ranges, and wherein said comparing comprises comparing each of the measurements of light intensities for the plurality of different wavelengths to the one or more thresholds for each of the plurality of different wavelength ranges in the user-specific profile. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions such that when executed on a processing unit the computer-readable instructions will cause the processing unit to perform the method according to claim 13.