Patent Grant
12105362
Prior approaches to treating refractive error such as myopia can be less than ideal in at least some respects. Spectacle lenses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery can be used to treat refractive errors of the eye. However, lenses must be worn in order to correct the errors, and uncorrected refractive error can impact a person's ability to achieve and fully participate in school, sports, and other activities. Although surgery can be performed to decrease refractive error, and surgery comes with risks, such as infection and degraded vision in at least some instances. Also, these approaches do not address the underlying changes in the length of the eye that is related to refractive error such as myopia.
Work in relation to the present disclosure suggests that the retina of many species, including human beings, responds to defocused images and is repositioned through scleral remodeling, in order to decrease the blur caused by the defocus. The mechanism of the generation of the growth signal is still under study, but one observable phenomenon is an increase in thickness of the choroid. A defocused image can cause the choroid thickness to change, which is related to the axial length of the eye. Changes to the axial length of the eye can alter the refractive error by changing the position of the retina in relation to the cornea. For example, an increase axial length increase myopia of an eye by increasing the distance between the cornea and lens.
While the defocus of images can play a role in choroidal thickness and changes in the axial length of the eye, the prior approaches are less than ideally suited to address to refractive error of the eye related to axial length. Although pharmaceutical treatments have been proposed to treat myopia associated with axial length growth, these treatments can have less than ideal results and have not been shown to safely treat refractive error at least some instances. Although light has been proposed as a stimulus to alter the growth of the eye, at least some of the prior devices can provide less than ideal results. Also, the time of treatment can be longer than would be ideal, and at least some of the prior approaches may be more complex than would be ideal.
Therefore, new approaches are needed to treat refractive error of the eye that ameliorate at least some of the above limitations of the prior approaches.
An apparatus to treat refractive error of an eye comprises an optic comprising an optical zone and a peripheral defocus optical structure to form images of a plurality of stimuli anterior or posterior to a peripheral portion of a retina of the eye. In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure located outside the optical zone. In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure comprises optical power to focus light to a different depth of the eye than the optical zone. In some embodiments, the optic comprises one or more of a lens, an optically transparent substrate, a beam splitter, a prism, or an optically transmissive support.
All patents, applications, and publications referred to and identified herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and shall be considered fully incorporated by reference even though referred to elsewhere in the application.
A better understanding of the features, advantages and principles of the present disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, and the accompanying drawings of which:
The following detailed description and provides a better understanding of the features and advantages of the inventions described in the present disclosure in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein. Although the detailed description includes many specific embodiments, these are provided by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the inventions disclosed herein.
The presently disclosed methods and apparatus can be configured in many ways to provide retinal stimulation as described herein. The presently disclosed methods and apparatus are well suited for combination with many prior devices such as, one or more of an ophthalmic device, a TV screen, a computer screen, a virtual reality (“VR”) display, an augmented reality (“AR”) display, a handheld, a mobile computing device, a tablet computing device, a smart phone, a wearable device, a spectacle lens frame, a spectacle lens, a near eye display, a head-mounted display, a goggle, a contact lens, an implantable device, a corneal onlay, a corneal inlay, a corneal prosthesis, or an intraocular lens. Although specific reference is made to spectacles and contact lenses, the presently disclosed methods and apparatus are well suited for use with any of the aforementioned devices, and a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate how one or more of the presently disclosed components can be interchanged among devices, based on the teachings provided herein.
Although the presently disclosed methods and apparatus can be used to treat many types of refractive error, the presently disclosed methods and apparatus are well suited to treat the progression of myopia, for example.
A defocus treatment device 124 may be attached or part of a surface of the optic 112. For example, in
The dimensions of the optical zone 118 and peripheral defocus optical structure 120 zone can be configured in many ways. In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 is sized and shaped to transmit light at an angle within a range from 12 degrees to 40 degrees with reference to an entrance pupil of the eye or within a range from 15 to 35 degrees, for example. In some embodiments, the angle comprises a half-angle, such as an angle between the boundary of the optical zone and a line formed through the center of the optical zone and the center of the entrance pupil. In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 is sized to be at an angle within range from 15 degrees to 50 degrees with reference to an entrance pupil of the eye, for example. In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 comprises an inner boundary and an outer boundary. The inner boundary corresponding to an inner boundary angle 125 within a range from 15 degrees to 20 degrees with reference to the entrance pupil 116 of the eye and the outer boundary corresponding to an outer boundary angle 126 within a range from 25 degrees to 70 degrees with reference to the entrance pupil of the eye. In some embodiments, the lens is a distance from the eye. The distance, the inner boundary, and the outer boundary may be dimensioned to provide the inner angle and the outer angle with reference to the entrance pupil of the eye.
The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be annular in shape, having an inner diameter and an outer diameter selected such that the peripheral defocus is applied to a portion of the retina of the patient's eye that is eccentric to the fovea. For example, the inner diameter may be at an angle of about 7.5 degrees with respect to an optical axis of the optic 112 and pupil, this angle may be referred to as an inner boundary angle 125. The outer diameter of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be at an outer boundary angle 126 with respect to the optical axis of the primary eye and the people, for example at 17.5 degrees. Such an arrangement, results in the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 being located in a peripheral field of view of the user with a corresponding defocus of the projected light in a peripheral region of the user's retina eccentric to the fovea.
Although reference is made to an annular shape, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 can be configured with other shapes, such as polygons, squares, triangles, and may comprise a plurality of discrete optical structures located around the optical zone at appropriate locations.
In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may include optics or optical structures that change the focus of the projected light in the patient's eye. Peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may comprise one or more of diffractive optics, lenslets, gradient index (“GRIN”) lenslets, crossed cylindrical rods, masks, or echelettes that alter the focus of light passing through the defocus optical structure 120.
In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 is dimensioned to provide defocused images to a peripheral portion of the retina. In some embodiments, the defocus optical structure 120 is configured to provide a stimulus to a peripheral portion of the retina that comprises a region of the retina outside the fovea or the macula, so as to provide clear vision to the fovea and the macula when the user looks ahead and the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 provides a defocused image onto the peripheral retina. The image may be defocused in a range between 2.0 to 6.0 Diopters (“D”) myopically or hyperopically with respect to the retina. For example, the defocus may be 3.5 to 5 D anterior to the retina, e.g. myopic defocus, or posterior to the retina, e.g. hyperopic defocus. The defocus is preferably between 2.5 to 5.0 D, and more preferably between 3.0 to 5.0 D.
In some embodiments, a defocus treatment device may be used in combination with localized stimuli projected by a display into the peripheral zone to treat refractive errors of the eye. In the defocus treatment device 124, the stimuli along with the video content projected by a display, are projected through the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 and accordingly both the image of the video content and the stimuli are defocused by the peripheral defocus optical structure.
For the treatment of spherical refractive errors of the eye, such as myopia, the stimulation projected to the retina may be uniform about the periphery of the central optical zone 118. For the treatment of cylindrical refractive errors of the eye, such as astigmatism, the stimulation projected to the retina may be non-uniform about the periphery of the central optical zone 118. For example, the stimulation may be greater along a meridian corresponding to or aligned with an astigmatic first axis of the eye and symmetrically mirrored about a second astigmatic axis of the eye.
In some embodiments, the neutral density filter is provided in order to increase the intensity of the stimuli in relation to the central clear vision zone, so as to provide increased stimulation to the outer portions of the retina, e.g. the peripheral retina. In some embodiments, a neutral density filter comprises a filter that substantially equally reduces or modifies the intensity of light in the visible wavelengths without inducing changes in the hue or color of the light passing through the filter. The neutral density filter may reduce the illumination of the light by 80% to 99%, preferably between 90 and 95%, more preferably about 97%. The neutral density filter 130 may provide a difference in illumination between the central optical zone 118 or other filtered areas and the outer zone or other non-filtered areas of at least a factor of 5, preferably at least a factor of 10, 20, or 30. In some embodiments, the illumination difference provided by the neutral density filter and non-filtered areas of the defocus treatment device 124 may be a factor of about 5, 10, 20, or 30. In some embodiments the illumination difference may be between a factor of 5 and 30, more preferably between a factor of 10 and 20. Although reference is made to a neutral density filter, in some embodiments the filter 130 comprises a tinted filter.
In some embodiments, the outer area of the defocus treatment device 124 includes a peripheral defocus optical structure 120. The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be provided by a Fresnel lens as shown in
The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be annular in shape having an inner diameter and an outer diameter selected such that the peripheral defocus is applied to a portion of the retina of the patient's eye that is eccentric to the fovea. For example, the inner diameter may be selected such that it is at an angle of about 7.5 degrees with respect to an optical axis of the optic 112 and pupil. The outer diameter of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be at an outer boundary angle with respect to the optical axis of the primary eye and the people, for example at 17.5 degrees. Such an arrangement results in the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 being located in a peripheral field of view of the user with a corresponding defocus of the projected light in a peripheral region of the user's retina eccentric to the fovea.
In some embodiments, a defocus treatment device may be used in combination with localized stimuli in the peripheral zone to treat refractive errors of the eye. The localized stimuli may be part of a projected image, for example from a display, or may be provided by structure within or a part of the defocus treatment device.
For example,
In the embodiments shown in
The stimuli may be located in fixed locations or within a range from the center of the display 110. In some embodiments, such a spatial arrangement of stimuli within the display may provide stimulation in substantially fixed locations on the retina of a user because the display, the defocus treatment device, in the user's eyes are maintained in a substantially fixed arrangement by the mounting of the headset to the patient's head, e.g. with a VR or AR headset. In some embodiments, the headset may include an eye tracker that tracks the location and/or the orientation of the user's eye. The location of the stimuli on the display may be updated based on the location and/or the orientation of the user's eye. In some embodiments, the peripheral stimuli may be turned on or off based on the position of the user's eye. For example, in some embodiments, the user's eye may be at a point of regard such that the stimuli might appear within the user's central vision. In such embodiments, stimuli that would otherwise appear within the user's central vision may be deactivated when the eye tracker detects that the stimulation might be within the user's central vision.
The stimuli may be sized such that they are about 0.5 to 5 degrees in apparent diameter in the field of view of a user, more preferably about 2 to 3 degrees, and most preferably about 2.3 degrees.
The one or more stimuli may include images configured in many ways and may include an image structure corresponding to information or content associated with spatial frequencies. In some embodiments, the one or more images projected in the stimuli comprises a spatial frequency within a range from 1 cycle per degree to 180 cycles per degree, and a contrast within a range 99.9% to 2.5%, for example. In some embodiments, the projected image comprises image structure content configured to provide a range of spatial frequencies, for example within a range from 2 cycles per degree to about 60 cycles per degree. In some embodiments, the image is projected onto the retina with a modulus of an optical transfer function that is equal to or better than 0.3 at a spatial frequency of 50 lp/mm or greater.
In some embodiments, the stimuli may include a darker area within a brighter area or a brighter area within a darker area. For example, as shown in
In the defocus treatment device 124, the stimuli 136 along with the video content projected by the display 110 are projected through the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 and accordingly both the image of the video content and the stimuli 136 are defocused by the peripheral defocus optical structure 120.
As further shown in
In some embodiments, neutral density filter 130 may extend beyond the central plano region of the defocus treatment device 124. For example, the neutral density filter 130 may extend to encompass the peripheral defocus optical structure 120. In some embodiments, the region of the defocus treatment device 124 that includes the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may include portions masked by the neutral density filter 130 and portions not masked by the neutral density filter 130. The unmasked or clear portions of the outer area may be clear and optically aligned with stimuli provided in the image or video content of the display 110. When optically aligned, the unmasked portions of the outer area and the stimuli appear superimposed over each other from the perspective of the user. By combining increased luminosity from the stimuli in the projected image with the difference in luminosity of masked and unmasked regions of the defocus treatment device, a greater difference between the luminosity of the stimuli as compared to non-stimulated regions may be provided.
With reference to
The defocus treatment device 124 may also include a neutral density filter 130. The neutral density filter 130 filters light passing through the plano regions of the defocus treatment device 124. In some embodiments, the neutral density filter 130 filters light passing through the defocus treatment device 124 in non-stimulated regions of the defocus treatment device 124.
The outer area of the defocus treatment device 124 includes a peripheral defocus optical structure 120. The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may include one or more lenses in the outer region of the device 124. For example, the peripheral defocus optical structure 124 may include an array of lenslets 146, as shown in
The lenslets 146 of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be arranged in one or more circular arrays centered about the central optical zone 118 of the defocus treatment device 124. The one or more circular arrays may form an annular shape having an inner diameter and an outer diameter selected such that the peripheral defocus is applied to a portion of the retina of the patient's eye that is eccentric to the fovea. For example, the inner diameter may be selected such that it is at an angle of about 7.5 degrees with respect to an optical axis of the optic 112 and pupil. The outer diameter of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be at an outer boundary angle with respect to the optical axis of the primary eye and the people, for example at 17.5 degrees.
In some embodiments, the location of the lenslets 146 and the unfiltered areas of the defocus treatment device 124 may be positioned with respect to each other such that the light passing through the unfiltered areas of the device 124 also pass through the lenslets 146 such that the unfiltered light is defocused with respect to the patient's retina. A defocus treatment device may be used in combination with localized stimuli in the peripheral zone to treat refractive errors of the eye. The localized stimuli may be part of a projected image, for example from a display, or may be provided by structure within or a part of the defocus treatment device.
For example,
The stimuli may be located in fixed locations or within a range of the center of the display 110. Such a fixed arrangement of stimuli within the display of a VR headset may provide stimulation in substantially fixed locations on the retina of a user because the display, the defocus treatment device, in the user's eyes are maintained in a substantially fixed arrangement by the mounting of the VR headset to the patient's head. In some embodiments, the VR headset may include an eye tracker that tracks the location and/or the orientation of the user's eye. The stimuli and associated lenslets may be sized such that they are about 0.5 to 5 degrees in apparent diameter in the field of view of a user, more preferably about 2 to 3 degrees, and most preferably about 2.3 degrees.
The one or more stimuli may include images configured in many ways and may include an image structure corresponding to information or content associated with spatial frequencies. In some embodiments, the stimuli may include a darker area within a brighter area or a brighter area within a darker area. For example, as shown in
In the defocus treatment device 124, the stimuli 136 along with the video content projected by the display 110 are projected through the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 and accordingly both the image of the video content and the stimuli 136 may be defocused by the peripheral defocus optical structure 120.
The defocus treatment device 124 may include filter 130 such as a neutral density filter or mask layer 142. The layer 142 may include a neutral density filter in the areas of the lens that are desired to be darker and have lower illumination. The neutral density filter may be located on a posterior surface of the defocus treatment device 124 opposite an anterior surface on which the peripheral defocus optical structure 120, such as the lenslets 146, is located. In some embodiments, the neutral density filter layer 142 may extend from the plano center 118 and to plano regions of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 such that a portion of the light passing through the plano regions of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 is filtered by the neutral density filter layer 142. In some embodiments, the neutral density filter layer 142 may not cover locations of the defocus treatment device 124 corresponding to the locations of lenslets 146. The peripheral stimuli 136 may be provided, at least in part, by one or more locations on the defocus treatment device 124 not subject to filtering by the neutral density filter layer 142. Structures such as apertures or transparent material may be formed in or through the neutral density filter layer 142 to allow unfiltered light to pass through. For example, as shown in the cross-section of
The outer perimeter of the aperture formed though the filter 130 may include a light barrier or baffle 152 that aids in preventing light passing through one aperture towards the associated lenslet from entering or scattering through the filter into a different lenslet not associated with the aperture. In some embodiments, the baffle or barrier may extend into or through the optical layer 142 to the lenslet on the anterior surface of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120.
With reference to
The peripheral area of the defocus treatment device 124 includes a peripheral defocus optical structure 120. The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may include one or more lenses in the outer region of the device 124. For example, the peripheral defocus optical structure 124 may include an array of lenslets 146 as shown in
The lenslets 146 of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be arranged in one or more circular arrays centered about the central optical zone 118 of the defocus treatment device 124. The one or more circular arrays may form an annular shape having an inner diameter and an outer diameter selected such that the peripheral defocus is applied to a portion of the retina of the patient's eye that is eccentric to the fovea. For example, the inner diameter may be selected such that it is at an angle of about 7.5 degrees with respect to an optical axis of the optic 112 and pupil. The outer diameter of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be at an outer boundary angle with respect to the optical axis of the patient's eye and the pupil, for example at 17.5 degrees. Such an arrangement results in the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 being located in a peripheral field of view of the user with a corresponding defocus of the projected light in a peripheral region of the user's retina eccentric to the fovea.
In some embodiments, the location of the lenslets 146 and the unfiltered areas of the defocus treatment device 124 may be positioned with respect to each other such that the light passing through the unfiltered areas of the device 124 also pass through the lenslets 146 such that the unfiltered light is defocused with respect to the patient's retina.
The defocus treatment device may be used in combination with localized stimuli in the peripheral zone to treat refractive errors of the eye. The localized stimuli may be part of a projected image, for example from a display, or may be provided by structure within or a part of the defocus treatment device.
Stimuli 136, shown in
In some embodiments, the shaped mask 150 may provide the stimuli. For example, the stimuli of the mask 150 may include images configured in many ways and may include an image structure corresponding to information or content associated with spatial frequencies. In some embodiments, the one or more images projected in the stimuli comprises a spatial frequency within a range from 0.1 cycle per degree to 180 cycles per degree, and optionally a contrast within a range 99.9% to 2.5%, for example. In some embodiments, the one or more images projected in the stimuli comprises a spatial frequency within a range from 1 cycle per degree to 180 cycles per degree, and a contrast within a range 99.9% to 2.5%, for example. In some embodiments, the projected image comprises image structure content configured to provide a range of spatial frequencies, for example within a range from 2 cycles per degree to about 60 cycles per degree. In some embodiments, the image is projected onto the retina with a modulus of an optical transfer function that is equal to or better than 0.3 at a spatial frequency of 50 lp/mm or greater. In some embodiments, the image projected onto the retina comprises spatial frequencies of at least 1 line pair per mm (“lp/mm”) on the retina, or greater.
Referring again to
In some embodiments, the stimuli and associated lenslets are sized such that they are about 0.5 to 5 degrees in apparent diameter in the field of view of a user, more preferably about 2 to 3 degrees, and most preferably about 2.3 degrees. In the embodiment shown in
In the defocus treatment device 124, the video content provided by the display 110 is projected through the lenslets 146 and the stimuli 136 of the mask 150 in the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 and accordingly both the image of the video content and the stimuli 136 are defocused by the peripheral defocus optical structure 120. In some embodiments, the display may include bright locations that align with the stimuli 136 and the lenslets 146 of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 to provide additional brightness and contrast to the stimuli as compared to the other regions of the defocus treatment device 124.
The defocus treatment device 124 may include a neutral density filter 130 or mask layer 148. The mask layer 148 may include a neutral density filter 130 in the areas of the lens that are desired to be darker and have lower illumination. The neutral density filter may be located on a posterior surface of the defocus treatment device 124 opposite an anterior surface on which the peripheral defocus optical structure 120, such as the lenslets 146, is located. In some embodiments, the neutral density filter 130 may extend from the plano center 128 and plano regions to the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 such that a portion of the light passing through the plano regions of the peripheral defocus optical structure 120 is filtered by the neutral density mass 130. In some embodiments, the neutral density filter 130 may not cover locations of the defocus treatment device 124 corresponding to the locations of lenslets 146. The peripheral stimuli 136 may be provided, at least in part, by one or more locations on the defocus treatment device 124 not subject to filtering by the neutral density filter 130. Structures may be formed in or through the neutral density filter 130 to allow unfiltered light to pass through. For example, as shown in the cross-section of
The mask 150 that includes the stimuli may be an image or structure formed on the clear base 140 or within the wedge-shaped areas in the neutral density filter 130 at the location of corresponding lenslets 146.
With reference to
The peripheral defocus optical structure 120 may be implemented in many ways, such as any of the structures discussed herein, including a Fresnel lens, lenslets, diffractive optics, or echelettes. The central optical zone 118 and non-stimulated regions of the peripheral defocus optical structure may also include a neutral density filter or mask, as discussed herein. The defocus structure device may be incorporate into the lens 112 of the spectacles or may be a separate structure that is couplable to the lenses 120 or another portion of the spectacles, such as the spectacle frame.
In some embodiments, the base 140 and the layer 142 each comprises a thickness dimensioned to place the plurality of lenslets 146 at the distance 1710 from the pixel layer 1730. In some embodiments, the defocus treatment device 124 comprises the clear base 140 to couple to the display with the adhesive. The layer 142 may comprise a filter. Alternatively, the layer 142 may comprise a substantially clear layer and the display configured to provide a dark background around the stimuli, for example. In some embodiments, the layer 142 comprises a thickness to place the lenslet array at an appropriate distance 1710 from the pixel layer 1730. Alternatively or in combination, the clear base 140 comprises a thickness to place the lenslet array at the appropriate distance 1710. Although base 140 and layer 142 are shown, in some embodiments, the lenslet array comprises a thickness dimensioned to position the lenslets 146 at the distance 1710 from the pixels 1730 without the base 140 and layer 142. For example, adhesive layer 1740 can couple the lenses of the lenslet array 146 directly to the protective layer 1720 of the display 138 with the lenslets positioned at distance 1710 from the pixel layer 1730.
In some embodiments, the device 124 is coupled to the display with an adhesive layer 1740. Alternatively, the device 124 can be placed in a support such as a holder to place the lenslet array at distance 1710 from the display. In some embodiments, the device 124 is provided to the user with a peelable cover on the adhesive layer for the user to peel the cover and place the device 124 on the display. Although reference is made to layer 1740 comprising an adhesive layer, in some embodiments the layer 1740 comprises a weak adhesive that allows the user to remove the device 124 from the display.
In some embodiments, the lenslets comprise an optical power and the distance 1710 is dimensioned to provide appropriate magnification to the stimulus, so as to provide a suitable distance across each of the plurality of stimuli.
In some embodiments, a processor comprises instructions to provide the plurality of stimuli 136 on the display with appropriate sizes and locations to provide retinal stimulation as described herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art of optics can determine the focal lengths of the lenslets 146 and the distance 1710 between the lenslets and the pixel layer to provide appropriate angular sizing of the stimuli 136 on the display as described herein, for example with reference to
In some embodiments, each of the plurality of lenslets is separated from an adjacent lenslet by a gap to decrease optical interference among stimuli, such that each stimulus can be provided to a region of the retina substantially without light from neighboring stimuli. For example, the plurality of stimuli on the display can be separated from each other similarly to the spacing of the lenses of the lenslet array. The display may comprise a substantially dark background with gaps between the stimuli as shown in
In some embodiments, the peripheral defocus structure comprises a first electrode 1710 and a second electrode 1720, which are spaced apart with the liquid crystal material 1730 and the lenslets 1740 between the plurality of substantially transparent electrodes. The liquid crystal material and the plurality of lenslets are positioned between the plurality of electrodes to activate and deactivate optical power of the plurality of lenslets.
In some embodiments, the plurality of lenslets between the electrodes can be optically coupled to a display, and the processor of the mobile device is operatively coupled to the display. The processor comprises instructions to provide the plurality of stimuli on the display at a plurality of locations to form the images at a plurality of locations anterior or posterior to the retina. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of stimuli on the display is aligned with a corresponding lenslet to form an image at a location anterior or posterior to a peripheral portion of the retina.
The electrodes, liquid crystal (“LC”) material and lenslets can be configured in many ways. In some embodiments, the lenslets comprise one or more of diffractive optics, refractive optics, holographic optics, or echelettes. In some embodiments a potential difference (Voltage) is delivered by a transparent electrode, e.g., Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). The electrode may comprise a thickness within a range from 20 nm to 200 nm. The metal may be deposited on an aligned layer of a substrate, such as an SiO2 layer, that has a thickness within a range from 5 nm to 30 nm. In some embodiments, alignment of the SiO2 layer is achieved by oblique deposition. In some embodiments, the alignment of the SiO2 layer drives alignment of the LC molecules at a lower voltage.
While the coating thickness can be configured in many ways, in some embodiments the thickness is determined with optimization. For example, simulations can be performed to optimize the transmission with ITO-SiO2 coatings. For ITO-SiO2 layers on glass substrate, work in relation to the present disclosure suggests that a thicknesses of 20 nm and 230 nm, respectively, can provide maximum transmission for light at 550 nm at normal incidence. While the transmission can be any suitable amount, e.g. 80% or more, the calculated transmission can be approximately 93.35% at normal incidence for an air/ITO interface, for example. Although reference is made to SiO2 (glass) as a substrate material having an index of refraction of 1.67, the substrate material may comprise any suitable material, such as glass or plastic, for example.
In some embodiments, the liquid crystal material comprises a substantially transparent material with a glass transition temperature below −10 degrees C. and a melting point above 100 degrees C. The liquid crystal material may comprise one or more of a nematic phase, a cholesteric phase or smectic phase. The liquid crystal material may comprise a cholesteric liquid crystal with a dichroic dye. The dichroic dye may have an orientation dependent absorption of light or it may have an orientation dependent average refractive index. Both such properties of dichroic dyes may be used in construction of the electroactive element disclosed herein.
In some embodiments, the liquid crystal material comprises a substantially transparent material with a glass transition temperature below −10 degrees C. and a melting point above 100 degrees C. The liquid crystal material may comprise one or more of a nematic phase, a cholesteric phase or smectic phase. The liquid crystal material may comprise a cholesteric liquid crystal with a dichroic dye. The dichroic dye may have an orientation dependent absorption of light or it may have an orientation dependent average refractive index. Both such properties of dichroic dyes may be used in construction of the electroactive element disclosed herein.
The electroactive component can be configured in many ways. For example, the electroactive component may comprise an assembly configured for placement on the lens at a suitable time during manufacture of the lens. For example, the component may comprise a stand-alone component configured for placement on the lens, either before or after the curved refractive surface has been ground on the lens. The circuitry can be coupled to the electroactive component with suitable connectors and mounted on the support such as an eyeglass frame at a suitable location as described herein.
Table 1 shows liquid crystal formulations commercially available from Merck and their material properties such as refractive indices.
Although reference is made to specific liquid crystal materials, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many adaptations and variations can be made.
A person of ordinary skill in the art can identify lenslet materials suitable for use with the LC material provide appropriate switching of the optical power of the lenslet array. While many materials can be used, examples of lenslet materials include one or more of ion doped glasses, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyaromatics, polysulfones, polyimides, polyamides, polyethers, polyether ketones, or polycyclic olefins.
In some embodiments, the liquid crystal material is switchable from a first refractive index in the first configuration to substantially refract light with the lenslet array to a second refractive index in a second configuration to substantially transparently transmit light without substantial optical power from the lenslet array. The second refractive index is closer to a refractive index of the lenslet array to decrease optical power from the lenslet array in the second configuration.
In some embodiments, the first refractive index differs from the refractive index of the lenslet array by at least 0.05 to provide substantial optical power to the lenslet array and the second refractive index differs from the refractive index of the lenslet array by no more than 0.02 to provide substantially decrease optical power and substantially transparently transmit light through the lenslet array, such that the presence of the lenslet array is not perceptible to the user.
In some embodiments, the liquid crystal material is configured to provide a change in refractive index within a range from 0.10 to 0.25.
As described herein, the computing devices and systems described and/or illustrated herein broadly represent any type or form of computing device or system capable of executing computer-readable instructions, such as those contained within the modules described herein. In their most basic configuration, these computing device(s) may each comprise at least one memory device and at least one physical processor.
The term “memory” or “memory device,” as used herein, generally represents any type or form of volatile or non-volatile storage device or medium capable of storing data and/or computer-readable instructions. In one example, a memory device may store, load, and/or maintain one or more of the modules described herein. Examples of memory devices comprise, without limitation, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), Solid-State Drives (SSDs), optical disk drives, caches, variations or combinations of one or more of the same, or any other suitable storage memory.
In addition, the term “processor” or “physical processor,” as used herein, generally refers to any type or form of hardware-implemented processing unit capable of interpreting and/or executing computer-readable instructions. In one example, a physical processor may access and/or modify one or more modules stored in the above-described memory device. Examples of physical processors comprise, without limitation, microprocessors, microcontrollers, Central Processing Units (CPUs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) that implement softcore processors, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), portions of one or more of the same, variations or combinations of one or more of the same, or any other suitable physical processor. The processor may comprise a distributed processor system, e.g. running parallel processors, or a remote processor such as a server, and combinations thereof.
Although illustrated as separate elements, the method steps described and/or illustrated herein may represent portions of a single application. In addition, in some embodiments one or more of these steps may represent or correspond to one or more software applications or programs that, when executed by a computing device, may cause the computing device to perform one or more tasks, such as the method step.
In addition, one or more of the devices described herein may transform data, physical devices, and/or representations of physical devices from one form to another. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the modules recited herein may transform a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and/or any other portion of a physical computing device from one form of computing device to another form of computing device by executing on the computing device, storing data on the computing device, and/or otherwise interacting with the computing device.
The term “computer-readable medium,” as used herein, generally refers to any form of device, carrier, or medium capable of storing or carrying computer-readable instructions. Examples of computer-readable media comprise, without limitation, transmission-type media, such as carrier waves, and non-transitory-type media, such as magnetic-storage media (e.g., hard disk drives, tape drives, and floppy disks), optical-storage media (e.g., Compact Disks (CDs), Digital Video Disks (DVDs), and BLU-RAY disks), electronic-storage media (e.g., solid-state drives and flash media), and other distribution systems.
A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any process or method disclosed herein can be modified in many ways. The process parameters and sequence of the steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed.
The various exemplary methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or comprise additional steps in addition to those disclosed. Further, a step of any method as disclosed herein can be combined with any one or more steps of any other method as disclosed herein.
The processor as described herein can be configured to perform one or more steps of any method disclosed herein. Alternatively or in combination, the processor can be configured to combine one or more steps of one or more methods as disclosed herein.
Unless otherwise noted, the terms “connected to” and “coupled to” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as permitting both direct and indirect (i.e., via other elements or components) connection. In addition, the terms “a” or “an,” as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as meaning “at least one of” Finally, for ease of use, the terms “including” and “having” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are interchangeable with and shall have the same meaning as the word “comprising.
The processor as disclosed herein can be configured with instructions to perform any one or more steps of any method as disclosed herein.
It will be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” “third”, etc. may be used herein to describe various layers, elements, components, regions or sections without referring to any particular order or sequence of events. These terms are merely used to distinguish one layer, element, component, region or section from another layer, element, component, region or section. A first layer, element, component, region or section as described herein could be referred to as a second layer, element, component, region or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term “or” is used inclusively to refer items in the alternative and in combination.
As used herein, characters such as numerals refer to like elements.
A generally accepted unit of optical power is the Diopter (“D”), which is related to the inverse of the focal length of a lens in meters. In some embodiments, a defocus optical structure comprises optical power to alter the focus of light with respect to the retina. A defocus optical structure may comprise positive optical power to form an image of a stimulus anterior to the retina, or negative optical power to form the image of the stimulus posterior to the retina. In some embodiments, myopic defocus corresponds to positive optical power, which can be expressed with positive values in Diopters, and that hyperopic defocus corresponds to negative optical power, which can be expressed in negative values in Diopters.
The present disclosure includes the following numbered clauses.
Clause 1. An apparatus to treat refractive error of an eye, the apparatus comprising: an optic comprising an optical zone; and a peripheral defocus optical structure to form images of a plurality of stimuli anterior or posterior to a peripheral portion of a retina of the eye, the peripheral defocus optical structure located outside the optical zone.
Clause 2. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the peripheral defocus optical structure comprises optical power to focus light to a different depth of the eye than the optical zone.
Clause 3. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the optic comprises one or more of a lens, an optically transparent substrate, a beam splitter, a prism, or an optically transmissive support.
Clause 4. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein peripheral defocus optical structure comprises a Fresnel lens.
Clause 5. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein peripheral defocus optical structure comprises a plurality of lenslets.
Clause 6. The apparatus of clause 5, wherein a plurality of lenslets is arranged in one or more circular arrays about the optical zone.
Clause 7. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein peripheral defocus optical structure comprises one or more of a diffractive optical structure or echelettes.
Clause 8. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising a filter within the optical zone to decrease light transmission therethrough.
Clause 9. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the filter is configured to decrease an intensity of a central image formed on a fovea of the eye and provide an increased intensity of the plurality of stimuli in relation to the intensity of the central image.
Clause 10. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the filter extends into the peripheral defocus optical structure.
Clause 11. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the filter comprises a neutral density filter.
Clause 12. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the filter reduces transmission of visible light by a factor of between 5 and 30.
Clause 13. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the filter reduces transmission of visible light by an amount within a range from 5 percent to 99 percent.
Clause 14. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising a display that is configured to provide light through the optical zone to form a central image on a macula and through the peripheral defocus optical structure to provide the plurality of stimuli with defocus on the peripheral portion of the retina.
Clause 15. The apparatus as in clause 14, wherein plurality of stimuli is formed with lenslets of the peripheral defocus optical structure.
Clause 16. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the peripheral defocus optical structure further comprises a plurality of stimuli generating structures.
Clause 17. The apparatus of clause 16, further comprising a filter aligned with one or more apertures of the peripheral defocus optical structure.
Clause 18. The apparatus of clause 17, wherein the plurality of stimuli generating structures are within the aperture.
Clause 19. The apparatus of clause 18, wherein each of the plurality of stimuli generating structures comprise a mask.
Clause 20. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the each of the plurality of stimuli comprises spatial frequencies.
Clause 21. The apparatus of clause 20, wherein the spatial frequencies comprise frequencies within a range from 0.1 cycles per degree to 180 cycles per degree and optionally within a range from 1 cycle per degree to 180 cycles per degree.
Clause 22. The apparatus of clause 20, wherein the spatial frequencies comprise frequencies of at least 1 line pair per mm (lp/mm) on the retina and optionally at least 50 lp/mm on the retina.
Clause 23. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the plurality of stimuli comprise contrast within a range 99.9% to 2.5%.
Clause 24. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the peripheral defocus optical structure comprises an optical power within a range from −2 D to −6 D or within a range from +2D to +6D.
Clause 25. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the peripheral defocus optical structure comprises an optical power within a range from −3 D to −5 D or within a range from +3 D to +5 D.
Clause 26. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising a base, wherein the peripheral defocus optical structure is coupled to the base.
Clause 27. The apparatus of clause 26, further comprising adhesive on a surface of the base.
Clause 28. The apparatus of clause 27, wherein the optic comprises a spectacle lens and a filter and peripheral defocus optical structure are coupled to the lens.
Clause 29. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the optic comprises an adhesive.
Clause 30. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the optic comprises a plurality of layers.
Clause 31. The apparatus of clause 1, further comprising: a display; and a processor operatively coupled to the display, wherein the processor comprises instructions to provide the plurality of stimuli on the display at a plurality of locations to form the images at a plurality of locations anterior or posterior to the retina.
Clause 32. The apparatus of clause 31, wherein the peripheral defocus structure comprises a plurality of lenslets, and wherein the each of the plurality of stimuli on the display is aligned with a corresponding lenslet to form an image at a location anterior or posterior to a peripheral portion of the retina.
Clause 33. The apparatus of clause 32, further comprising: a plurality of substantially transparent electrodes; and a liquid crystal material between the plurality of substantially transparent electrodes; wherein the liquid crystal material and the plurality of lenslets are positioned between the plurality of electrodes to activate and deactivate optical power of the plurality of lenslets.
Clause 34. The apparatus of clause 33, wherein the plurality of lenslets is substantially transparent in a deactivated configuration and wherein the plurality of lenslets is configured to provide the plurality of stimuli in a deactivated configuration.
Clause 35. The apparatus of clause 33, wherein the plurality of electrodes is configured to change an index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in response to a voltage between the electrodes.
Clause 36. The apparatus of clause 33, wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the plurality of electrodes to activate the plurality of lenslets to provide the plurality of stimuli.
Embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described as set forth herein and are provided by way of example only. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous adaptations, changes, variations and substitutions without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Several alternatives and combinations of the embodiments disclosed herein may be utilized without departing from the scope of the present disclosure and the inventions disclosed herein. Therefore, the scope of the presently disclosed inventions shall be defined solely by the scope of the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/823,208, filed Aug. 30, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,719,957, issued Aug. 8, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/655,496, filed Mar. 18, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,467,426, issued Oct. 11, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/304,630, filed Jun. 23, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,366,339, issued Jun. 21, 2022, which is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/036102, filed Jun. 7, 2021, published as WO 2021/252320 on Dec. 16, 2021, which application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/036,234, filed Jun. 8, 2020, which are incorporated, in their entirety, by this reference. The subject matter of the present application is related to PCT/US2019/043692, filed on Jul. 26, 2019, published as WO 2020/028177 on Feb. 6, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230324717 A1 | Oct 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63036234 | Jun 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17823208 | Aug 2022 | US |
| Child | 18330010 | US | |
| Parent | 17655496 | Mar 2022 | US |
| Child | 17823208 | US | |
| Parent | 17304630 | Jun 2021 | US |
| Child | 17655496 | US | |
| Parent | PCT/US2021/036102 | Jun 2021 | WO |
| Child | 17304630 | US |
