Contact lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12197047-B2
Application number	US-202017440616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a contact lens. Some disclosed embodiments comprise a lenticular aspect. In some instances the lenticular aspect varies in at least one of thickness, distance from the edge of the contact lens, or lenticular height along its length. In one aspect, a superior portion of the lenticular aspect attaches to an upper eyelid of a wearer by at least a portion of the lenticular aspect interacting with an upper tarsal plate of the upper eyelid of a wearer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact lens comprising:
a superior portion of the contact lens;
an inferior portion of the contact lens;
a lens portion;
an edge extending a circumference of the contact lens; and
a lenticular aspect having a length and extending the circumference of the contact lens, wherein the lenticular aspect has dimensions of a thickness, a distance from the edge, and a lenticular height, wherein each of the dimensions of the lenticular aspect vary along the length of the lenticular aspect; and
wherein at least a portion of the lenticular aspect is shaped to interact with an upper tarsal plate of an upper eyelid of a wearer, said interaction translating the contact lens upwards in a downgaze of the wearer or holding the contact lens in an upwards position as a wearer's eye moves downwards behind the contact lens.

2. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the lens portion is an optical zone and wherein the portion of the lenticular aspect that is shaped to interact with the upper tarsal plate of the upper eyelid of the wearer translates the contact lens upwards in the downgaze of the wearer such that at least a portion of the optical zone is maintained over a pupil of the wearer's eye, said optical zone comprising one of single-vision, bifocal, trifocal, progressive addition bifocal, multifocal, and/or toric.

3. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the contact lens is a soft contact lens.

4. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the contact lens is a rigid gas permeable contact lens or a hybrid contact lens.

5. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the contact lens further comprises one or more ballast zones.

6. The contact lens of claim 5 , wherein each of the one or more ballast zones have a mass and the mass of each of the one or more ballast zones is selected to locate a center of mass or a center of gravity of the contact lens.

7. The contact lens of claim 5 , wherein the contact lens further comprises a base down prism located at least partially in an inferior portion of the contact lens.

8. The contact lens of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the lenticular aspect, the one or more ballast zones, or the base down prism includes one or more compartments.

9. The contact lens of claim 8 , wherein the one or more compartments are comprised of at least a portion of the lenticular aspect, prism, and/or ballast zones having a hollow pocket in which various materials, substances, or devices can be carried onboard the contact lens.

10. The contact lens of claim 9 , wherein the materials, substances, or devices placed in the one or more compartments are sealed in at least one of the one or more compartments with no opening for entering or leaving the sealed compartment.

11. The contact lens of claim 9 , wherein one or more openings exist in at least one of the one or more compartments so that the materials, substances, or devices placed in the compartment having the one or more openings have access to either a front (outer) side of the contact lens or an inner (eye) side of the contact lens.

12. The contact lens of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more compartments is used to hold a liquid and/or viscous substance such as a medicine or wetting-agent for the eye.

13. The contact lens of claim 12 , wherein the one or more openings from the at least one compartment is dimensioned such that the medicine or wetting-agent is gradually dispersed into an eye of the wearer over time.

14. The contact lens of claim 12 , wherein the one or more openings from the at least one compartment include a membrane that controls a flow of the liquid or viscous substance into the eye.

15. The contact lens of claim 12 , wherein the one or more compartments is used to hold Cyclosporin A, which is gradually released into the eye to treat chronic dry-eye.

16. The contact lens of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more compartments holds a solid and/or powdery substance.

17. The contact lens of claim 16 , wherein the solid or powdery substance is exposed to natural moisture of a wearer's eye through the one or more opening or through a membrane that allows moisture entry into the at least one compartment such that the solid or powdery material is dissolved by the moisture of the eye and dispersed into the eye.

18. The contact lens of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more compartments is used to house electronics, antenna, or cooling mechanisms for using the contact lens for displaying electronically-generated and/or virtual optically displayed images or for sensing biological information about the eye.

19. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the edge extending the circumference of the contact lens forms a contact lens having a shape, said shape forming a contact lens that is round or a contact lens that is not round, said shape selected to provide a cosmetic effect or to provide one or more of an enhanced tear exchange, a greater tear layer thickness, or increased oxygen uptake of a cornea of a wearer.

20. The contact lens of claim 19 , wherein the shape of the contact lens is an oval or elliptical shape.

21. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the edge extending the circumference of the contact lens is shaped comprising a scalloped, jagged, or a zig-zag shape, said shape selected to provide a cosmetic effect or to provide one or more of an enhanced tear exchange, a greater tear layer thickness, or increased oxygen uptake of a cornea of a wearer.

22. The contact lens of claim 1 , wherein the lenticular aspect interacts with a palpebral conjunctiva and an upper tarsal plate that lies below the palpebral conjunctiva to provide centration of the contact lens on a wearer's eye and rotational stability of the contact lens on the wearer's eye.

23. A contact lens comprising:
an edge extending a circumference of the contact lens; and
a lenticular aspect having a length and extending the circumference of the contact lens, wherein the lenticular aspect has dimensions of a thickness, a distance from the edge, and a lenticular height,
wherein each of the dimensions of the lenticular aspect vary along the length of the lenticular aspect, and
wherein the lenticular aspect interacts with a palpebral conjunctiva and an upper tarsal plate that lies below the palpebral conjunctiva to provide centration of the contact lens on a wearer's eye and rotational stability of the contact lens on the wearer's eye.

24. A contact lens comprising:
an edge extending a circumference of the contact lens;
a lenticular aspect having a length and extending the circumference of the contact lens, wherein the lenticular aspect has dimensions of a thickness, a distance from the edge, and a lenticular height, wherein each of the dimensions of the lenticular aspect vary along the length of the lenticular aspect;
one or more ballast zones; and
a base down prism located at least partially in an inferior portion of the contact lens, wherein at least one of the lenticular aspect, the one or more ballast zones, or the base down prism includes one or more compartments.

Assignees

• Ohio State Innovation Foundation

Inventors

• Bailey Melissa D
• Barr Joseph T
• Sears Robin G

Classifications

• G02C7/049

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

• G02C7/041

  bifocal; multifocal · CPC title

• G02C7/04

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

• A61K38/13

  Cyclosporins · CPC title

• A61K9/0051

  Ocular inserts or implants · CPC title