Annular mask contact lenses
AssigneePilkington Barnes Hind, Inc.
InventorsDavid Miller, Leroy Meshel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An annular mask contact lens designed to operate with the normal functioning of the human pupil. An annular mask forms a small pinhole-like aperture on the contact lens enabling continual focus correction. The outer diameter of the annular mask allows the wearer to transmit more light energy through the pupil as brightness levels decrease. The contact lens may be structured with two separate and distinct optical corrections, both at the small aperture region and in the region beyond the annular mask. Functional imaging is thus achieved for both bright and dim lighting, and over a wide range of viewing distances. Cosmetic and peripheral vision enhancement is also provided by the contact lens constructed according to the invention.
Claims44
A contact lens which comprises:
- a lens body having a first surface substantially configured to conform to the eye curvature of the wearer,
- said lens body having a second surface optically configured, in conjunction with said first surface, to correct the vision of the wearer selectively at a focus between and including far and near objects, and
- said lens body having an annular mask region of selected optical transmissivity and arranged for
- (i) forming a substantially pinhole-like optical aperture which transmits light energy through the pupil of the wearer,
- (ii) centering said annular mask region over the pupil of the wearer, and
- (iii) permitting increasing light energy to pass through said lens body as the pupil of the wearer dilates during lower lighting conditions
- wherein optical transmissivity of the the annular mask region varies such that the annular mask region transmits less light energy toward the pinhole aperture and transmits more light energy toward the outer edge of the contact lens.
A method for manufacturing a contact lens, comprising the steps of
- (A) forming a contact lens body with a first surface configured to substantially conform to the eye curvature of a wearer and with a second surface configured, in conjunction with said first surface, to correct the vision of the wearer selectively at a focus between and including near and far objects,
- (B) providing on said lens body an annular mask region of selected optical transmissivity, wherein
- (i) said annular mask region forms a substantially pinhole-like optical aperture which transmits light energy through the pupil of the wearer,
- (ii) said annular mask region centers over the pupil of the wearer, and
- (iii) said annular mask region permits increasing light energy to pass through the pupil of the wearer during lower light conditions as the pupil dilates
- wherein optical transmissivity of the the annular mask region varies such that the annular mask region transmits less light energy toward the pinhole aperture and transmits more light energy toward the outer edge of the contact lens.
A non-surgical method for treating visual aberrations, said method comprising the steps of
- (A) fitting at least one eye of a wearer with a first contact lens configured to correct the vision of a wearer at a focus between and including near and far objects,
- (B) providing on said contact lens an annular mask region of selected optical transmissivity, wherein
- (i) said annular mask region forms a substantially pinhole-like optical aperture for the pupil of the wearer,
- (ii) said annular mask region centers over the pupil of the wearer, and
- (iii) said annular mask region permits increasing light energy to pass through the pupil of the wearer during lower lighting conditions as the pupil dilates
- wherein optical transmissivity of the the annular mask region varies such that the annular mask region transmits less light energy toward the pinhole aperture and transmits more light energy toward the outer edge of the contact lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.