Contact lens and method and systems for constructing a contact lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221498-B2
Application number	US-201916355436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

Contact lenses, methods and systems for accomplishing the requirement for biocompatibility of oxygen delivery to the eye, and the cornea in particular, when elements and components are used which reduce the transmissibility of oxygen and which require coverage of a significant area of the non-vascularized cornea. A contact lens assembly is provided, comprising: an anterior surface, a posterior surface and at least one element or component having a substantially low oxygen permeability disposed within the lens. The contact lens also includes a layer having an oxygen permeability greater than the aforementioned element or component. The thickness of this layer is such that the layer provides an equivalent oxygen percentage to the cornea beneath the aforementioned element or component.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A contact lens comprising
an anterior surface;
an opposing posterior surface;
a low or non-gas permeable component residing between the anterior surface and the posterior surface; and
a polymer layer between the component and the posterior surface, where the polymer layer has a thickness and an oxygen permeability of 100×10 −11 (cm 2 /sec) (mL O 2 )/(mL×mm Hg) or greater;
where the component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer;
where the thickness of the polymer layer is sufficient to deliver an equivalent oxygen percentage of nine percent or greater to a location on a corneal surface.

2. The contact lens of claim 1 , where the thickness of the polymer layer is proportional to the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer, an area of the corneal surface covered by the component, and the equivalent oxygen percentage required at the location on the corneal surface.

3. The contact lens of claim 1 , where the polymer layer consists of a single polymer material.

4. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen permeability of the component is zero.

5. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the component has a surface area greater than 38.48 mm 2 .

6. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the component has a surface area greater than 7.1 mm 2 .

7. The contact lens of claim 1 , further comprising a second component, where the second component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer.

8. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the polymer layer is 0.7 mm.

9. A method of determining a thickness of a polymer layer of a contact lens, where the lens comprises an anterior surface; an opposing posterior surface; a low or non-gas permeable component residing between the anterior surface and the posterior surface; and a polymer layer between the component and the posterior surface; where the polymer layer has a thickness and an oxygen permeability, where the component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of:
estimating a first thickness of the polymer layer;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the first thickness to determine a first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface;
comparing the first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to a targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
estimating a second thickness that is larger than the first thickness if the first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface is below the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the second thickness to determine a second resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface;
comparing the second resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
estimating a third thickness that is smaller than the first thickness if the first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface is above the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the third thickness to determine a third resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface; and
comparing the third resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer layer of the contact lens consists of a single polymer material.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the oxygen permeability of the component is zero.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the component has a surface area greater than 38.48 mm 2 .

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the component has a surface area greater than 7.1 mm 2 .

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising a second component, where the second component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer.

15. A method of determining a thickness of a polymer layer of a contact lens, where the lens comprises an anterior surface; an opposing posterior surface; a low or non-gas permeable component residing between the anterior surface and the posterior surface; and a polymer layer between the component and the posterior surface; where the polymer layer has a thickness and an oxygen permeability, where the component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of:
estimating a first thickness of the polymer layer;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the first thickness to determine a first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface;
comparing the first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to a targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
estimating a second thickness that is larger than the first thickness if the first resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface is below the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the second thickness to determine a second resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface;
comparing the second resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
estimating a third thickness that is smaller than the second thickness if the second resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface is above the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the third thickness to determine a third resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface; and
comparing the third resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to the targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages.

16. A method of determining a thickness of a polymer layer of a contact lens, where the lens comprises an anterior surface; an opposing posterior surface; a low or non-gas permeable component residing between the anterior surface and the posterior surface; and a polymer layer between the component and the posterior surface; where the polymer layer has a thickness and an oxygen permeability, where the component has an oxygen permeability lower than the oxygen permeability of the polymer layer, the method comprising the steps of:
estimating a thickness of the polymer layer;
iterating through the following process:
performing a mathematical calculation or numerical simulation using the thickness to determine a resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface;
comparing the resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface to a targeted range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages;
if the resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surface is within the range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages, exiting the iterative process;
if the resulting equivalent oxygen percentage across the posterior surfaces is below the range of acceptable equivalent oxygen percentages, increasing the thickness of the polymer layer and restarting the iterative process; and
if the resulting equivalent oxygen

Assignees

• Innovega Inc

Inventors

• Legerton Jerome A
• Marsh Jay P
• Meyers William E
• Zhang Arthur Yasheng

Classifications

• G02C7/049 Primary

  Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures · CPC title

• G01B21/08

  for measuring thickness · CPC title

• G02C7/04 Primary

  Contact lenses for the eyes (disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00) · CPC title