System for forming and modifying lenses and lenses formed thereby
AssigneePerfect IP, LLC
InventorJosef F. Bille
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lens for placement in a human eye, such as intraocular lens, has at least some of its optical properties formed with a laser. The laser forms modified loci in the lens when the modified loci have a different refractive index than the refractive index of the material before modification. Different patterns of modified loci can provide selected dioptic power, toric adjustment, and/or aspheric adjustment provided. Preferably both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the lens are planar for ease of placement in the human eye.
Claims75
1-110. (canceled)
A method for modifying an optical property of a lens sized for placement in a human eye comprising the steps of:
- a) holding a disc, external to an eye, the disc having an anterior and posterior surface and an optical axis, and formed of an optical material having a first refractive index;
- and
- b) forming a contiguous patterned microstructure within a layer of the disc by modifying a plurality of contiguous loci in the layer by exposing the loci to a focused laser beam, causing nonlinear absorption of photons by the optical material of the loci resulting in the optical material of the modified loci having a second refractive index that is different than the optical material before modification, each modified locus being right cylindrically shaped and having an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis and an axial depth of at least 5 μm;
- wherein the contiguous patterned microstructure modifies the optical property of the lens.
A method for modifying an optical property of a disc sized for use in a human eye, the disc having an anterior surface, a posterior surface and an optical axis, and formed of an optical material having a refractive index, the method comprising the step of:
- forming a contiguous patterned microstructure within a layer of the disc by modifying the index of refraction of a plurality of contiguous loci in the layer of the disc while it is external to the eye by exposing the contiguous loci to a focused laser beam causing nonlinear absorption of photons by the optical material of the loci, there being at least 1,000,000 contiguous modified loci in the layer, each modified locus having an axial depth of no more than about 50 μm, the layer having a planar surface that is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis,
- wherein forming the contiguous patterned microstructure modifies an optical property of the lens.
A method for adjusting an optical property of a disc of polymeric optical material having opposed anterior and posterior surfaces and sized for use in a human eye, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) emitting from a laser a pulsed beam;
- b) controlling the pulse rate of the beam;
- c) focusing the beam into a first region of the disc;
- d) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in the first region forming a first portion of a contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposing each modified locus to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus, wherein the contiguous patterned microstructure adjusts the optical property of the disc;
- and
- e) repositioning the disc relative to the focusing lens so as to focus the beam into a second region of the disc.
A method for modifying at least one optical property of a lens in situ in a human eye, the lens comprising a body formed of an optical material and having an anterior surface, a posterior surface and an optical axis, the method comprising:
- forming a contiguous patterned microstructure in the body by modifying a plurality of contiguous loci in a planar layer of the body by focusing a laser beam on each locus causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus resulting in a change to the refractive index of the material in each locus, the layer being substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and each modified locus being right cylindrically shaped and having an axis substantially parallel to the optical axis and an axial depth of at least 5 μm,
- wherein the contiguous pattern microstructure modifies the at least one optical property of the lens.
A method for modifying a lens in situ in a human eye, the lens comprising a disc with an anterior surface and a posterior surface, the method comprising the step of
- forming a contiguous patterned microstructure in a layer of the disc by modifying the index of refraction of a plurality of contiguous loci in the layer of the disc, wherein the plurality of loci includes at least 1,000,000 modified loci in the layer, each modified locus having an axial depth of no more than about 50 μm, the layer being aligned with a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the disc, and wherein forming the contiguous patterned microstructure modifies an optical property of the lens.
A method for modifying optical properties of a lens of polymeric optical material located in a human eye comprising the steps of:
- a) emitting from a laser a pulsed beam;
- b) controlling the pulse rate of the beam;
- c) focusing the beam into a first region of the lens;
- d) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in the first region forming a first portion of a contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the first region, each modified locus in the first region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the first region;
- e) focusing the beam into a second region of the lens, wherein at least a portion of the second region is different than the first region;
- and
- f) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in the second region forming a second portion of the contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the second region, each modified locus in the second region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the second region,
- wherein the contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci modifies an optical property of the lens.
A method for modifying optical properties of a disc of polymeric optical material having opposed anterior and posterior surfaces and sized for use in a human eye, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) emitting from a laser a pulsed beam;
- b) controlling the pulse rate of the beam;
- c) focusing the beam into a first region of the lens;
- d) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in a first planar layer of the first region forming a first portion of a first contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the first region, each modified locus in the first planar layer of the first region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the first planar layer of the first region;
- e) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in a second planar layer of the first region forming a first portion of a second contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the first region, each modified locus in the second planar layer of the first region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the second planar layer of the first region;
- f) focusing the beam into a second region of the lens, wherein at least a portion of the second region is different than the first region;
- g) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in a first planar layer of the second region forming a second portion of the first contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the second region, each modified locus in the first planar layer of the second region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the first planar layer of the second region;
- and
- h) distributing the focused beam to a plurality of contiguous loci in a second planar layer of the second region forming a second portion of a second contiguous patterned microstructure of modified loci in the second region, each modified locus in the second planar layer of the second region having a changed index of refraction resulting from exposure to at least one pulse of the focused beam causing the nonlinear absorption of photons in the optical material of each modified locus in the second planar layer of the second region;
- wherein the first contiguous patterned microstructure modifies a first optical property of the lens and the second contiguous patterned microstructure modifies a second optical property of the lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.