Method and apparatus for handling an ophthalmic lens at a transfer station of a lens inspection module

Apparatus for handling an ophthalmic lens, for example a contact lens such as a soft contact lens (CL), at a transfer station of a lens inspection module where the lens contained in an inspection cuvette (1) and immersed in an inspection liquid (L) is arranged at an actual position relative to a concave inner surface (140) of a bottom glass (14) of the inspection cuvette (1) for being transferred from the inspection cuvette to a primary packaging container,

• wherein the concave inner surface (140) of the bottom glass (14) forms a lower boundary of an interior space (10) of the inspection cuvette (1),
• wherein the inspection cuvette (1) further comprises a flat top viewing glass (13) forming an upper boundary of the interior space (10) of the cuvette (1), the flat top viewing glass (13) being arranged such that an optical axis (OA) running normal to the flat top viewing glass (13) runs through the center of the concave inner surface (140) of the bottom glass (13),
• wherein the inspection cuvette (1) is pivotally arranged between an inspection position for inspecting the lens, and a handling position in which the lens may be inserted into and removed from the interior space (10) of the inspection cuvette (1),
• and wherein the inspection cuvette (1) further comprises a handling channel (11) which is connected at a first end thereof with the interior space (10) and at a second end thereof comprises a handling opening (12) allowing a transfer gripper (2) to be inserted through the handling channel (11) to a predetermined lens pick-up position above a predetermined set transfer position of the lens when the inspection cuvette (1) is in the handling position,
• the apparatus comprising:
• a camera (4) arranged along the optical axis (OA) for recording, through the viewing glass (13), an image of the lens at the actual position relative to the concave inner surface (140) of the bottom glass (14) of the inspection cuvette (1) when the inspection cuvette (1) is in the handling position and is subsequently not pivoted anymore;
• a processor (40) configured to
• from the image of the lens at the actual position determine a deviation of the actual position of the lens from the predetermined set transfer position of the lens;
• compare the deviation of the actual position of the lens from the set transfer position with a predetermined maximum deviation;
• determine that the lens is arranged at a proper transfer position when the deviation is less than the predetermined maximum deviation,
• otherwise determine that the lens is not arranged at the proper transfer position, and
• in case the lens is determined to be arranged at the proper transfer position, generate a signal triggering the transfer of the lens from the inspection cuvette (1) to the primary packaging container,
• in case the lens is determined not to be arranged at the proper transfer position, generate a signal preventing the transfer of the lens from the inspection cuvette (1) to the primary packaging container.