Custom Monomers and Polymers for Spectacle Lenses
OwnerJagdish JETHMALANI, Gomaa ABDEL-SADEK +5inventors
InventorsJagdish JETHMALANI, Gomaa ABDEL-SADEK, Jeffrey CHOMYN, Erdem CETIN, Lawrence H. SVERDRUP, Shawn MCCARTY, Junhao GE
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Abstract
Monomers and polymers used in making spectacle lenses are disclosed. A thermal curing process is disclosed that includes a latent thermal cationic acid generator and optionally a cationic photoinitiator.
Claims20
A method of making an optical element by forming a polymer layer employing a thermally initiated cationic ring opening polymerization reaction which comprises:
- a. mixing one or more monomers and a thermal initiator,
- b. forming a layer of the mixture of (a) and
- c. heating the layer to cure it.
A method of making an optical element by forming a polymer layer employing a thermally initiated cationic ring opening polymerization reaction which comprises:
- a. mixing one or more monomers, a latent thermal cationic acid generator and a cationic photoinitiator;
- b. forming a layer of the mixture of (a);
- c. heating the layer to partially cure it;
- d. irradiating the layer to form a variable index of refraction profile in the layer;
- and
- e. heating the layer to fully cure all of the unreacted monomers.
A method of making an optical element having a variable index of refraction profile which comprises:
- a. forming a layer comprising a mixture of two or more monomers that have differing initial refractive indices and differing cured refractive indices;
- and
- b. curing specific monomers at specific points across the layer to create a pattern of refractive index that has a Δn of up to 0.30.
A method of making a lens material comprising:
- a. making a mold of a desired shape,
- b. melting a mixture of monomers selected from the group consisting of R(SH)n, R(X)n and R(Y)n and
- c. curing the monomers with heat
A formulation to make an optical element which comprises:
- a. one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of epoxy monomers, oxetane monomers and mixtures thereof and
- b. a thermal initiator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.