Diagnostic or therapeutic contact lens

A diagnostic or therapeutic contact lens for use in examination or treatment of the eye of a patient, comprising,

• a lens body constructed of a rigid, transparent material and having a thickness, said lens body including a concave posterior surface having a curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the cornea of an average human eye and adapted to be selectively positioned on the cornea during examination or treatment of the eye, and an anterior surface being spaced from said posterior surface by the thickness of said lens body such that said anterior surface is positioned outside of the lid of the eye, wherein said thickness of said lens body will prevent closure of the lid when the contact lens is positioned on said cornea,
• said posterior surface having a diameter which is smaller than the cornea of an average human eye such that said posterior surface may be positioned on the cornea without contacting the limbal area or scleral portion of the average human eye, wherein said posterior surface may be positioned and translationally moved on the cornea while minimizing suction between the posterior surface of the lens body and said cornea, and eliminating the use of an ophthalmic solution in association with the diagnostic or therapeutic contact lens in the examination or treatment procedure.

A diagnostic or therapeutic contact lens for use in examination or treatment of the eye of a patient, comprising,

• a lens body constructed of a rigid, transparent material and having a thickness, said lens body having a concave posterior surface with a curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the cornea of said eye and adapted to be selectively positioned on said cornea during examination or treatment of the eye, and an anterior surface being spaced from said posterior surface by the thickness of said lens body, such that said anterior surface is positioned outside of the lid of the eye, wherein said thickness of said lens body will prevent closure of the eyelid when the contact lens is positioned on the cornea,
• said posterior surface including means associated with said posterior surface for permitting the egress of air from the region between the corneal surface and said posterior surface so as to allow tear fluid of said eye to interface between said posterior surface and the corneal surface in said optical region, wherein light transmission through said optical region will not be adversely affected by entrapped air between said lens body and said corneal surface.