Eye Covering and Refractive Correction Methods and Apparatus Having Improved Tear Flow, Comfort, and/or Applicability

A method of manufacturing a covering, the method comprising:

• injecting a flowable material into a mold;
• curing the flowable material to form a coupling component attached to an optical component;
• removing the covering from the mold;
• and
• forming a plurality of fenestrations in the covering;
• wherein the coupling component attached to the optical component is capable of pumping tear liquid when placed on an eye.

A method of manufacturing a covering, the method comprising:

• injecting an inner flowable material into an inner component mold;
• curing the inner flowable material to form an inner component;
• removing the inner component from the inner component mold;
• placing the inner component in a covering mold such that a first surface of the inner component is supported with an inner lower surface of the mold and such that a gap extends between a second surface of the inner component and an upper surface of the covering mold;
• injecting an outer flowable material into the covering mold to contact the inner component along at least a periphery of the inner component and fill the gap such that the second surface of the inner component contacts the flowable material;
• curing the outer flowable material to form at least an outer portion the covering;
• removing the covering from the covering mold;
• and
• forming a plurality of fenestrations in the covering.

A method of manufacturing a covering, the method comprising:

• injecting a flowable material into a mold;
• curing the flowable material to form a coupling component attached to an optical component;
• forming a hydrogel layer;
• forming a plurality of fenestrations in the covering extending to the hydrogel layer;
• wherein the coupling component attached to the optical component is capable of pumping tear liquid when placed on an eye.

A method for selecting an ophthalmic lens for correcting a refractive error of an eye of a patient, the eye having a cornea with an epithelium providing a refractive shape, the method comprising:

• determining a desired spherical power so as to mitigate any spherical component of the refractive error;
• identifying, from among a plurality of alternative ophthalmic lenses having differing spherical powers, the ophthalmic lens so as to provide:
• an anterior surface corresponding to the desired spherical power, the anterior surface extending along an inner portion of the ophthalmic lens, wherein the inner portion of the ophthalmic lens is deformable and a peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens has a rigidity lower than that of the inner portion;
• and
• the peripheral portion having a shape suitable for engaging the eye outside the optical region so as to support the inner portion in alignment with an optical region of the eye.

A set of alternatively selectable ophthalmic lens for correcting refractive errors of eyes of a population of patients, each eye having a cornea with an epithelium providing a refractive shape, the set comprising:

• a plurality of alternative ophthalmic lenses having differing spherical powers, each ophthalmic lens having:
• an anterior surface corresponding to an associated desired spherical power, the anterior surface extending along an inner portion of the ophthalmic lens, wherein the inner portion of the ophthalmic lens is deformable;
• and
• a peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens extending radially outwardly from the inner portion, the peripheral portion having a rigidity lower than that of the inner portion and configured for engaging tissue outside the optical region so as to support the inner portion in alignment with an optical region.

A ophthalmic lens for treating presbyopia of an eye of a patient, the eye having a cornea with an epithelium providing a refractive shape, the ophthalmic lens comprising:

• an inner portion configured to be disposed over the optical region of the cornea, wherein the inner portion of the ophthalmic lens is deformable;
• a peripheral portion having a rigidity lower than that of the inner portion and configured to support the inner portion of the ophthalmic lens by engagement between the peripheral portion and eye tissue disposed outside the optical region;
• and
• a surface extending along the inner portion, the surface having a presbyopia-mitigating refractive shape.

A ophthalmic lens for correcting a refractive error of an eye, the eye having a cornea with an epithelium providing a refractive shape extending across an optical region of the eye, the ophthalmic lens comprising:

• an inner portion configured to be disposed over the optical region of the cornea;
• a posterior surface extending along the inner portion adjacent the eye when the inner portion is disposed over the optical region, the posterior surface having a shape diverging from the refractive shape of the epithelium so that a lenticular volume is disposed therebetween;
• a peripheral portion of the ophthalmic lens disposed radially outwardly of the inner portion, the peripheral portion configured to engage the eye outside the optical region so as to retain fluid filling the lenticular volume;
• and
• an anterior surface of the ophthalmic lens extending along the inner portion opposite the posterior surface so that viewing with the eye through fluid filled lenticular volume and inner portion mitigates the refractive error.