Contact lens with filtering for outdoor sporting and recreational activities

A contact lens for filtering light transmitted through the pupil to the retina in an eye of a wearer of the lens during outdoor sporting and recreational activities comprising:

• a. a contact lens body with at least a portion of the contact lens body comprising a first optical filter region;
• b. the first optical filter region characterized by a first filter range of radiation wavelengths wherein a transmission percentage of light through the first optical filter region is substantially less than 100% but substantially greater than 0%;
• c. wherein the first filter range includes radiation having wavelengths within the range of approximately 400-500 nm;
• and
• d. wherein the first optical filter region is further characterized by a second filter range wherein radiation having wavelengths less than 300 nm is substantially attenuated as compared to radiation in the first filter range, and by a third filter range wherein the percentage of total radiation transmitted having wavelengths of approximately 550-575 nm is substantially less than the transmission percentage of total visible radiation having wavelengths above 680 nm and in the range of 400-450 nm.

A contact lens for outdoor sporting and recreational activities, comprising:

• a lens body for transmitting a high percentage of light through the pupil of an eye of a user over a spectrum of wavelengths within a visible light spectrum, to define at least one filter spectrum;
• an optical filter region integral to a central portion of the lens body for attenuating light at wavelengths outside the filter spectrum such that the filter spectrum is broader than a target spectrum and narrower than the visible spectrum, and whereby the filter spectrum has upper and lower edges defined by wavelengths where light in the visible spectrum outside the upper and lower edges is substantially attenuated as compared to a center portion of the filter spectrum, the optical filter region having a color tint visible to the user;
• the target spectrum comprising a spectrum of wavelengths of light which emanate from a target to define a true color of the target, the target spectrum corresponding to a relatively narrow portion of the visible light spectrum of wavelengths, and wherein the target spectrum is further defined by at least one target wavelength which corresponds to a point within the first target spectrum of peak light intensity, with light intensity within the target spectrum both above and below the first target wavelength being of decreasing intensity compared to the first target wavelength;
• the optical filter region further attenuating light such that the target wavelength is within the filter spectrum and proximate either the upper or lower edge of the filter spectrum whereby the target object is perceived by the user as having its substantially true color and background objects are perceived as having a contrasting color which is substantially the same as the color tint of the optical filter means;
• and
• the lens body further comprising a clear optical region surrounding the optical filter region, the clear optical region having an inner diameter corresponding to the diameter of a constricted pupil such that a greater percentage of the light transmitted through the pupil passes through the clear optical region as the pupil dilates in response to a decrease in ambient light intensity.

A contact lens for outdoor sporting and recreational activities, comprising:

• a contact lens body, at least a portion thereof comprising:
• first, second, and third adjacent optical filter regions extending radially outward from a central portion of the lens body, each optical filter region operative to transmit substantially more than 0% but substantially less than 100% of the total light within a first filter range of wavelengths, the first filter range including wavelengths of approximately 400-500 nm;
• and
• whereby a percentage of the total visible light transmitted by the optical filter regions in the first filter range increases in steps from the first to the second, and then from the second to the third, optical filter regions, such that a wearer of the lens will perceive a reduction in light attenuation by the lens as the pupil of the wearer's eye dilates in response to a decrease in intensity of ambient light.

A contact lens for outdoor sporting and recreational activities, comprising:

• a contact lens body, at least a portion thereof comprising
• a first optical filter region for substantially attenuating radiation having wavelengths approximately less than 400 nm and transmitting approximately 25% of visible radiation having wavelengths approximately greater than 400 nm;
• a second optical filter region adjacent to and surrounding the first optical filter region and operative to substantially attenuate radiation having wavelengths approximately less than 400 nm and to transmit approximately 50% of visible radiation having wavelengths approximately greater than 400 nm;
• and
• a third optical filter region adjacent to and surrounding the second optical filter region and operative to substantially attenuate radiation having wavelengths approximately less than 400 nm and to transmit approximately 75% of visible radiation having wavelengths approximately greater than 400 nm.

A contact lens comprising:

• a. a plurality of optical filter regions integral to a contact lens body and arranged concentrically outward from a central portion of the lens body;
• b. at least a first one of the optical filter regions substantially attenuating light outside a first range of wavelengths and transmitting substantially greater than 0% but substantially less than 100% of the total light within the first range of wavelengths;
• c. at least a second one of the optical filter regions substantially attenuating light outside a second range of wavelengths and transmitting substantially greater than 0% but substantially less than 100% of the total light within the second range of wavelengths;
• and
• d. wherein the first and second ranges of wavelengths do not completely overlap such that the color tint of light perceived by a wearer of the lens will change as the pupil of the eye of the wearer dilates.