Optical material and method for modifying the refractive index
AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsWayne H. Knox, Li Ding, Jay F. Kunzler, Dharmendra Jani
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Abstract
An optical device comprising an optical hydrogel with select regions that have been irradiated with laser light having a pulse energy from 0.01 nJ to 50 nJ and a wavelength from 600 nm to 900 nm. The irradiated regions are characterized by a positive change in refractive index of from 0.01 to 0.06, and exhibit little or no scattering loss. The optical hydrogel is prepared with a hydrophilic monomer.
Claims12
An optical device in the form of a contact lens, an intraocular lens, a corneal inlay, a corneal ring, or a keratoprothesis, comprising a completely polymerized optical hydrogel polymeric material with select regions within the completely polymerized optical hydrogel material that have been irradiated with laser light from a focused, visible or near-IR laser having a pulse energy from 0.01 nJ to 1000 nJ and a wavelength from 400 nm to 1500 nm while the optical hydrogel material is in an already completely polymerized condition, and non-irradiated regions within the completely polymerized optical hydrogel material that have not been irradiated with the laser light, wherein the irradiated regions are in the form of at least one area or volume filled structure formed by scanning the laser light over the select regions of the already completely polymerized optical hydrogel material and which are characterized by a change in refractive index in the irradiated regions relative to the refractive index of the completely polymerized optical hydrogel material in the non-irradiated regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.