Reduction of wavefront errors caused by applanation of surfaces of a multi-lenslet compliant lens system
AssigneeConexus Lens, Inc.
InventorSean J. McCafferty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for reducing wavefront errors, manifesting during the process of refocusing of an accommodating (re-focusable) lens system that includes an elastically-deformable lenslet disposed along an optical axis and that has an optical power that is varied by changing the degree of applanation of an area of contact of such elastically-deformable lenslet with a neighboring lenslet in response to variation of force applied to the lenslet axially (in one case—by an external element connected with or forming a part of the lens system housing and/or lenslet support element). Associated accommodating lens systems.
Claims16
A method for reducing optical wavefront errors associated with a process of applanation of at least one constituent lenslet of a mechanically-compliant lens system, the lens system having a first optical power when the lens system is under no stress, the method comprising:
- adapting the lens system by:
- (1a) configuring said lens system to include a group of multiple pairs of immediately-neighboring each other constituent lenslets, wherein each constituent lenslet of said group is in contact with an immediately neighboring lenslet at an axial point thereof when all lenslets of said group are under no stress;
- and/or
- (1b) structuring said lens system such that at least one of said constituent lenslets of the group has an aspheric surface facing a surface of an immediately-neighboring constituent lenslet of said group;
- and
- in a process of changing an optical power of the lens system from the first optical power to a second optical power by axially repositioning a chosen surface of at least one of the constituent lenslets of said group along the optical axis and thereby changing a degree of applanation of a region of contact between two facing each other surfaces of two immediately-neighboring constituent lenslets of said group:
- (1c) bending a first lenslet of the two immediately-neighboring constituent lenslets of said group by applying a moment to an edge of said at least one of constituent lenslets with respect to the optical axis;
- and/or
- (1d) applying a radially-directed load to a second lenslet of the two immediately-neighboring constituent lenslets of said group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.