Methods, systems, and apparatus for modulating or reducing photophobic responses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11672944-B2
Application number	US-202016800951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Jan 17, 2011
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

An optical filter may reduce the frequency and/or severity of photophobic responses or for modulating circadian cycles by controlling light exposure to cells in the human eye in certain wavelengths, such as 480 nm and 590 nm, and a visual spectral response of the human eye. The optical filter may disrupt the isomerization of melanopsin in the human eye reducing the availability of the active isoform, whereas the attenuation of light weighted across the action potential spectrum of the active isoform attenuates the phototransduction cascade leading to photophobic responses. Embodiments of an optical filter are described. In one embodiment an optical filter may be configured to transmit less than a first amount of light in certain wavelengths, and to transmit more than a second amount of light weighted across the visual spectral response. Methods of use and methods of manufacturing optical filters are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for reducing the frequency and/or severity of photophobic responses or for modulating circadian cycles by controlling exposure of cells in a retina, relative to a visible spectrum range of 400 nm to 700 nm, the apparatus comprising:
an optical filter configured to deliver:
at most a first dosage of light, averaged across wavelengths between about 565 nm and about 615 nm, said first dosage is D rec,590 ;
at most a second dosage of light, averaged across wavelengths between about 454 nm and about 506 nm, wherein said second dosage is D melan ; and
at least a third dosage of light, across wavelengths within a visible spectrum between about 506 nm and 565 nm, wherein said third dosage is D grn ;

wherein a ratio including said second dosage of light and said third dosage of light is defined as a figure of merit (FOM 1 ), the figure of merit being determined by:

FOM
1

=

1
-

D
melan

D
melan

(

T
=
1

)

1
-

D
grn

D
grn

(

T
=
1

)

where D melan (T=1) is said second dosage of light in the absence of an optical filter, and D grn (T=1) is said third dosage of light in the absence of an optical filter, wherein the figure of merit is at least 1.3,
wherein a ratio including said first dosage of light and said third dosage of light is defined as a figure of merit (FOM 2 ), the figure of merit being determined by:

FOM
2

=

1
-

D

rec
,

5
⁢
9
⁢
0

D

rec
,

5
⁢
9
⁢
0

(

T
=
1

)

1
-

D
grn

D
grn

(

T
=
1

)

where D rec,590 (T=1) is said first dosage of light in the absence of an optical filter, and D grn (T=1) is said third dosage of light in the absence of an optical filter, wherein the figure of merit is at least 1.3, and
wherein the filter has chromaticity coordinates of x=0.33±0.03 and y=0.33±0.03.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the figure of merits FOM 1 and FOM 2 are each at least 1.4.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the figure of merits FOM 1 and FOM 2 are each at least 1.5.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical filter includes at least one of a dielectric multi-layer coating, embedded nanoparticle coating, a color filter, tint, pigment, dye, resonant guided-mode filter, a rugate filter, or any combination thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value of T melan is 0.33, the value of Trec,590 is 0.33, and the value of T grn is 0.5.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the value of T melan is 0.25, the value of T rec,590 is 0.25, and the value of T grn is 0.5.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the filter has chromaticity coordinates of x=0.355 and y=0.348.

8. An apparatus for reducing the frequency and/or severity of photophobic responses or for modulating circadian cycles by controlling exposure of cells in a retina, relative to a visible spectrum range of 400 nm to 700 nm, the apparatus comprising:
an optical filter configured with:
a light transmission fraction, averaged across wavelengths between about 454 nm and about 506 nm, with a value less than an amount T melan ;
a light transmission fraction, averaged across wavelengths between about 565 nm and about 615 nm, with a value less than an amount T rec,590 ; and
a light transmission fraction, averaged across wavelengths within a visible spectrum between 506 nm and 565 nm, with a value greater than an amount T grn ;

wherein a first ratio including said light transmission fractions is defined as a first figure of merit (FOM 1 ), the first figure of merit being determined by:

FOM
1

=

1
-

T
melan

1
-

T
grn

wherein the first figure of merit of said optical filter is at least 1.3,
wherein a second ratio including said light transmission fractions is defined as a second figure of merit (FOM 2 ), the second figure of merit being determined by:

FOM
2

=

1
-

T

rec
,

5
⁢
9

Assignees

• Univ Utah Res Found

Inventors

• Blair Steven M
• Katz Bradley Jay

Classifications

• G02C7/104

  having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection · CPC title

• A61M2021/0044

  by the sight sense · CPC title

• A61N2005/0667

  Filters · CPC title

• A61M21/00

  Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis · CPC title

• G02B5/289

  Rugate filters · CPC title