Reprogrammable tuneable liquid crystal lens intraocular implant and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016106533-A1
Application number	US-201514924950-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A reprogrammable intraocular adaptive lens prosthesis apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a tunable liquid crystal lens (TLCL) encapsulated in the intraocular prosthesis with control electronics and a power source or in the intraocular prosthesis with a control signal receiver while an external control electronics package transmits the control signal. The TLCL is driven in response to a stimulus signal to provide accommodation. The TLCL corrects other visual shortcomings of the natural eye. The intraocular prosthesis has a remote programmable TLCL controller configured to recalibrate the TLCL to compensate for dynamic adaptation of the eye over time.

First claim

1 . A reprogrammable intraocular implant apparatus for replacing a natural lens of an eye, the apparatus comprising:
an encapsulated tunable liquid crystal optical device including:
a variable optical power tunable liquid crystal lens having at least one segmented hole patterned electrode, said tunable liquid crystal lens having an accommodation clear aperture;
a tunable liquid crystal lens drive signal generator configured to generate a plurality of drive signals components, each drive signal component being configured to drive a corresponding hole patterned electrode segment;
a tunable liquid crystal lens driver configured to control said drive signal generator to change a tunable liquid crystal lens optical power in response to one of a stimulus signal and an optical transfer function;
a remotely programmable tunable liquid crystal lens controller configured to recalibrate the tunable liquid crystal lens by adjusting at least one of: the optical transfer function, at least one hole patterned electrode segment's bias parameter and a drive signal phase to compensate for dynamic adaptation of the eye over time;
a power store configured to store electrical power to drive said tunable liquid crystal lens, said generator, said driver and said controller; and
a sensor component configured to provide said stimulus signal.

2 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said variable optical power tunable liquid crystal lens comprising at least one split liquid crystal cell, said split cell having a pair of liquid crystal layers, each liquid crystal layer being sandwiched between a pair of alignment layers, said pairs of alignment layers having opposite orientations.

3 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said encapsulated optical device being configured to fold for insertion into a region of said eye via an incision having at least one dimension smaller than a corresponding unfolded dimensions of said optical device.

4 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said encapsulated optical device being one of sized to fit into a capsular bag of said natural lens and having outer dimensions smaller than dimensions of said natural lens.

5 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said optical device comprising a lens substrate deposited onto said tunable liquid crystal lens configured to at least one of augment said optical power of said tunable liquid crystal lens and shift said optical power variability range of said tunable liquid crystal lens.

6 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said tunable liquid crystal lens comprising a unipolar tunable liquid crystal lens configured to focus an image at infinity onto a retina of said eye under unpowered drive conditions and further configured to focus a near image onto said retina under high power drive conditions.

7 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said tunable liquid crystal lens comprising a bipolar tunable liquid crystal lens.

8 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , said bipolar tunable liquid crystal lens being configured to focus one of a near image and an image at infinity onto a retina of said eye under a corresponding one of a negative optical power and a positive optical power high power drive conditions.

9 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , said bipolar tunable liquid crystal lens being configured to focus an image substantially at one of an arm's length, reading distance and working distance onto said retina under unpowered drive conditions at zero optical power.

10 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , in providing said stimulus signal said sensor component comprising an eye strain sensor configured to measure eye strain, and said tunable liquid crystal lens driver being configured to convert eye strain measurements into an optical power setting, preferably said eye strain sensor further comprising a muscle tension sensor configured to measure eye strain by measuring muscle tension in a muscle, and more preferably said muscle comprising at least one of a ciliary muscle, an external eye muscle of said eye, and a muscle of an eyelid of said eye.

11 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said sensor component comprising an eyelid activity sensor configured to detect, from within said optical device, a degree of closure of an eyelid of said eye in providing said stimulus signal, and said tunable liquid crystal lens driver being configured to convert said degree of lid closure into an optical power setting, preferably said eyelid activity sensor being configured to detect an eyelid shut condition of said eyelid, and said tunable liquid crystal lens controller being configured to shut down said tunable liquid crystal lens in response to said eyelid shut condition.

12 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , said eyelid activity sensor comprising at least one of:
at least one photosensor measuring light falling thereon, and comprising at least one sensor coil encapsulated into said optical device and at least one magnetic bead affixed to said eyelid, preferably said magnetic bead comprising a magnetic bead implant comprising a suitable bead composition.

13 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
a power coupler device configured to capture and store transmitted power into said power storage, preferably said power coupler device comprising a receiver element encapsulated into said optical device, said receiver element being configured to receive radiated power and further configured to convert said radiated power into at least one of: electrical power for storage into said power storage and a programming signal, or preferably said power coupler device comprising a resonant inductor encapsulated into said optical device, said inductor being configured to receive power by induction and configured to convert said induced power into electrical power for storage into said power storage, and more preferably said inductor comprising an induction coil driven externally; and
an external power source configured to transmit power, preferably said external power source comprising an external transmit element in one of an eye glass frame and an eye patch.

14 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said power storage comprises a rechargeable battery.

15 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said remotely programmable tunable liquid crystal lens controller comprises a programming antenna providing a physical programming interface to said tunable liquid crystal lens controller.

16 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said encapsulated tunable liquid crystal optical device comprises:
a substantially transparent encapsulating material configured to provide a fixed optical power element for augmenting said optical power of said tunable liquid crystal lens, said encapsulating material forming a pronounced lenticular shape at least over said accommodation clear aperture of the tunable liquid crystal lens, said encapsulating material encapsulating said drive signal generator, driver, controller, said power storage and said sensor component arranged about the periphery of said tunable liquid crystal lens, preferably said optical power of said tunable liquid crystal lens being variable within a range, and said fixed optical power element being configured to shift said optical power variability range of said tunable liquid crystal lens.

17 . A reprogrammable intraocular implant system comprising:
a reprogrammable intraocular implant apparatus for replacing a natural lens of an eye as defined in claim 1 ; a vision quality measurement apparatus configured to measure vision quality parameters of a patient having sa

Assignees

• Lensvector Inc

Inventors

• Galstian Tigran
• Earhart Howard

Classifications

• A61F2250/0001

  Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants · CPC title

• A61F2250/0002

  for data transfer · CPC title

• A61N1/36046

  of the eye · CPC title

• A61F2/1635

  for changing shape · CPC title

• A61F2/1624 Primary

  having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside · CPC title