Electronic ophthalmic lens with multi-input voting scheme

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9052528-B2
Application number	US-201313780263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

An electronic or powered ophthalmic lens includes one or more systems having one or more batteries or other power sources, power management circuitry, one or more sensors, clock generation circuitry, control algorithms and circuitry, and lens driver circuitry. These systems may change the state of the powered ophthalmic lens. In systems having one or more sensors, a decision making process is required to substantially reduce the possibility of changing the state of the powered ophthalmic lens based upon inaccurate, incomplete or erroneous information supplied by the sensors, changing physiologic conditions , as well as noise and/or interference from internal and external sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling functions in a powered ophthalmic lens to be worn on the eyes of an individual, the method comprising the steps of:
sampling multiple sensors incorporated into the ophthalmic lens, the sensors measuring at least physiologic change, including pupil convergence, pupil position, pupil dilation, eye lid position and eye impedance, and environmental condition, including ambient light conditions;
determining the results from the multiple sensors, including making comparisons to thresholds and comparisons to predetermined patterns;
aggregating the results from the multiple sensors to generate a single decision signal; and
configuring an actuator based on the single decision signal to implement a change in function of or maintain a function of the powered ophthalmic lens, wherein the total time required to execute the method is equal to an individual's natural physiological response time.

2. The method for controlling functions in a powered ophthalmic lens according to claim 1 , wherein the step of aggregating the results further comprises weighting the inputs based upon a predetermined set of conditions.

3. The method for controlling functions in a powered ophthalmic lens according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of signal conditioning the sampled output data from the multiple sensors.

4. The method for controlling functions in a powered ophthalmic lens according to claim 3 , wherein the step of signal conditioning includes one or more of filtering and comparing the sampled signals to baseline results or reference results.

5. A powered ophthalmic lens to be worn on the eyes of an individual, the powered ophthalmic lens comprising:
a contact lens including an optic zone and a peripheral zone; and
at least one electronic system incorporated into the peripheral zone of the contact lens, the electronic system including multiple sensors, wherein a first group of sensors is configured to measure physiological changes, including pupil convergence, pupil position, pupil dilation, eye lid position and eye impedance, and a second group of sensors is configured to measure environmental conditions, including ambient light, a system controller and at least one actuator, the system controller configured to implement a process for controlling the functions of the powered ophthalmic lens, the process comprising the steps of sampling the multiple sensors, determining the results from the multiple sensors including making comparisons to thresholds and comparisons to predetermined patterns, aggregating the results from the multiple sensors to generate a single decision signal and configuring the actuator based upon the single decision signal to implement a change in function of or maintain a function of the powered ophthalmic lens, wherein the total time required to execute the method is equal to an individual's natural physiological response time.

6. A powered ophthalmic lens to be worn on the eyes of an individual, the powered ophthalmic lens comprising:
a contact lens; and
at least one electronic system incorporated into the contact lens, the electronic system including multiple sensors, wherein a first group of sensors is configured to measure physiological changes, including pupil convergence, pupil position, pupil dilation, eye lid position and eye impedance, and a second group of sensors is configured to measure environmental conditions, including ambient light, a system controller and at least one actuator, the system controller configured to implement a process for controlling the functions of the powered ophthalmic lens, the process comprising the steps of sampling the multiple sensors, determining the results from the multiple sensors including making comparisons to thresholds and comparisons to predetermined patterns, aggregating the results from the multiple sensors to generate a single decision signal and configuring the actuator based upon the single decision signal to implement a change in function of or maintain a function of the powered ophthalmic lens, wherein the total time required to execute the method is equal to an individual's natural physiological response time.

7. A powered ophthalmic lens to be worn on the eyes of an individual, the powered ophthalmic lens comprising:
an intraocular contact lens; and
at least one electronic system incorporated into the intraocular lens, the electronic system including multiple sensors, wherein a first group of sensors is configured to measure physiological changes, including pupil convergence, pupil position, pupil dilation, eye lid position and eye impedance, and a second group of sensors is configured to measure environmental conditions, including ambient light, a system controller and at least one actuator, the system controller configured to implement a process for controlling the functions of the powered ophthalmic lens, the process comprising the steps of sampling the multiple sensors, determining the results from the multiple sensors including making comparisons to thresholds and comparisons to predetermined patterns, aggregating the results from the multiple sensors to generate a single decision signal and configuring the actuator based upon the single decision signal to implement a change in function of or maintain a function of the powered ophthalmic lens, wherein the total time required to execute the method is equal to an individual's natural physiological response time.

Assignees

• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care

Inventors

• Pugh Randall Braxton
• Toner Adam
• Otts Daniel B

Classifications

• G02C7/02 Primary

  Lenses; Lens systems {; Methods of designing lenses} · CPC title

• A61B3/10 Primary

  Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions · CPC title

• A61F2/16

  Intraocular lenses · CPC title

• G02C7/04 Primary

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

• G02C7/027 Primary

  considering wearer's parameters · CPC title