Variable focus lens

A passive stable variable focus lens apparatus comprising:

• a transparent, generally circular envelope;
• a transparent gel having a relatively high resistance to flow encased in said envelope;
• a plurality of light refractive particles suspended in a predetermined orientation in said gel;
• and
• means for generating an electromagnetic field, said particles being responsive to an external force applied by the electromagnetic field for changing to a new orientation of said particles with respect to said envelope for selectively adjusting characteristics of said lens apparatus including the characteristics of power and astigmatism correction, whereby upon removal of the external force, said particles remain in said new orientation within said gel.

A passive stable variable focus lens apparatus comprising:

• a transparent, generally circular envelope;
• a transparent gel having a relatively high resistance to flow encased in said envelope;
• a plurality of light refractive particles suspended in a predetermined orientation in said gel;
• means for generating a force field;
• and
• a control system for controlling at least one of the strength and duration of the force field applied to said particles connected to said means for generating a force field, said particles being responsive to an external force applied by the force field for changing to a new orientation of said particles with respect to said envelope for selectively adjusting characteristics of said lens apparatus including at least one of the characteristics of power and astigmatism correction, whereby upon removal of the external force, said particles remain in said new orientation within said gel.