WO2014176651A1

WO2014176651A1 - Continuous multifocal flexible lenses, their control mechanisms and processes for obtaining products

Info

Publication number: WO2014176651A1
Application number: PCT/BR2014/000131
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto MASSARU AMEMIYA
Original assignee: Massaru Amemiya Roberto
Priority date: 2013-04-29
Filing date: 2014-04-23
Publication date: 2014-11-06
Also published as: BR102013010396A2

Abstract

Continuous multifocal flexible lenses are optical instruments having a variable and controllable focal point characterized by having lenses components with flexible and translucent material surfaces with formation of deformable curvatures that are controlled by several types of mechanisms. The lens is made of flexible translucent or mirror-like material, has a flexible consistence, is synthetically or biologically originated, has single focal point lenses flexible or rigid material compounds, has lenses flexibility due to gaseous, liquid and solid compounds aiming at forming a focal point to be controlled. Said lens may be used jointly with all currently existing lenses independently from their compositions or dimensions. Control mechanisms for continuous multifocal flexible lenses may be made by instruments that use mechanics, electricity, magnetism, pressure or temperature in a way to provide deformation in the lenses surfaces and alteration in the focus point. Processes to obtain flexible lenses bring forth flexible material handling innovation and internal or external incorporation of mechanical and electrical elements in the flexible lenses.

Description

CONTINUOUS MULTIFOCAL FLEXIBLE LENSES, THEIR CONTROL MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING PRODUCTS

1. The present invention relates to lenses with flexible components in which control mechanisms for their variable focuses are provided in a continuous way and its processes for obtaining products.

2. Currently, optical lenses are rigid having a single unchangeable focal point (lenses grade). Several sizes lenses are available (with metric or millimeter-sized dimensions) and they are convergent or divergent, transparent or mirror-like. Lenses are differently treated for light filtration (as for colors and for determined ranges of waves as ultraviolet and polarized light). Currently a few of ophthalmological correction lenses do combine lenses properties with fixed focal points as for cases involving presbyopia (when the eyes are no longer able to accommodate lenses and a difficulty to see closer or farthest arises) for what generally two different focuses lenses are used intending to see closer or farthest.

3. In the current prior art to focus an object optical lenses are adjusted closer or farthest from a plane where an image is intended to be formed. This movement of lenses is done by means of telescopes (a tubular portion used as a support for lenses).

4. A physical space is required to move lenses with a single focal point so as to focus an object. Several mechanical components are required to secure and to move said lenses, sometimes somewhat complex and motorized apparatuses.

5. This present invention enables to achieve a solution to avoid rigid lenses approaching and removing movements relative to a focal point with the use of a telescope. The continuous flexible multifocal lens does not require the lens position to be moved. Continuous flexible multifocal lenses provide deformations in the lenses surfaces thus modifying the focal point and enable continuously to change the lenses grade. In the particular case of presbyopia, continuous flexible multifocal lenses do not require the use of two lenses but rather the use of just one to provide a transition control from one grade to another grade.

6. In accordance with the Patents International Classification, section G, Physics - instruments, continuous multifocal flexible lenses are classified as G02 optics and its control mechanisms as section G05 control, regulation.

7. Continuous multifocal flexible lenses can be manufactured in production lines by refractive lenses manufactures with existing technologies (as, for example, ultraviolet light filters, big-sized or reduced- sized lenses and so on) and by technological and mechanical apparatuses manufactures with the purpose of large scale production having in mind a possibility to manufacture devices in several surface controlled deforming ways in said lenses. This instant invention may be used, for example, in optical equipment of image capture and projection and as well in the medical area specially in ophthalmology; yet, in mobile phones, computers, watches and so on.

8. The novelty is found in a lens grade variation in accordance with its surface deformation and in the lacking of need to fix up the lens relative to an image focal point in order to obtain a focus point.

9. The novelty in the control mechanism to obtain a lens focal point is found in the lens surface deformation mechanisms by mechanical, electrical or thermal means thus not requiring the lens telescope to move.

10. The processes to obtain flexible lenses have novelty in relation to materials that are used since they are flexible.

11. Economic advantages exist in the products final costs when savings are provided to reach an object focal point because no telescope is required to said lenses, also due to a decrease in the size of equipment used and space required thus having as a result material savings. 12. Descriptions with figures allow an understanding of this present invention.

13. Figures 1 and 2 represent an arranged multifocal flexible lens scheme and its control mechanism with its variations.

14. Figure 1 longitudinally cut illustrates and figure 2 transversally cut illustrates the continuous multifocal flexible lens components and its control mechanisms.

15. Number 1 represents a ring used as a lens frame (an example of material: a non-deformable plastic)

16. Number 2 represents a lens transparent flexible surface which is, in such case, a bi-convex lens (an example of material : a flexible transparent plastic)

17. Number 3 represents a continuous multifocal flexible lens control mechanism (as an example a syringe.

18. Number 4 represents a connecting tube between said continuous multifocal flexible lens and said continuous multifocal flexible lens control mechanism having communication between its cavities thus allowing fluids to move therebetween (as an example a plastic tube)

19. Number five represents a translucent liquid (water as an example) inside said continuous multifocal flexible lens (in a space between two transparent flexible plastics) inside a continuous multifocal flexible lens control mechanism ( inside said syringe and inside said connecting tube between said lens and said control mechanism.

20. Said liquid (5) is introduced inside said continuous multifocal flexible lens or drawn out from said lens by using said syringe. This enables the lens surface to deform and, as a consequence, alteration in the focal distance. This said focal distance can be gradually controlled until a desired result is achieved. 21. Continuous multifocal flexible lenses variations can be obtained by replacing the lenses materials and control mechanisms. Flexible lenses materials are synthetic (for example transparent silicones, translucent rubbers, transparent flexible plastics), malleable biological translucent materials (for example retina), diversified liquids or gaseous ones (for example the air).

22. Continuous flexible multifocal lenses control mechanisms to deform lenses surfaces are: electrical devices, magnetism movements (moving magnetic parts), pressure alteration devices (by air or fluid compression) and temperature (raising or lowering a temperature), twisting a longitudinal axis or angulations in the lenses edges (either narrowing or broadening).

Claims

Claims CONTINUOUS MULTIFOCAL FLEXIBLE LENSES, THEIR CONTROL MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING PRODUCTS

1. Continuous multifocal flexible lenses are optical instruments with variable and controllable focal point characterized in that they have lenses components having flexible translucent materials surfaces with formation of deformable curvature controlled by mechanical, electrical or thermal means to alter lenses volume and format.

2. A flexible lens with a gelatinous contents, fluid or air, characterized in that said lens has a flexible surface in the form of a lens having said described materials (figure 1).

3. A flexible lens having varied thicknesses in the surface characterized in that said lens of claim 2 has a wrapping in the lens surface with varied thicknesses in order to correct undesired distortions in the surface when said distortions exist, for example, deformation of a non-circular lens.

4. A flexible lens over a rigid surface (flat, convex or concave) characterized in that said lens incorporates a flexible lens over the surface of a rigid lens.

5. A flexible lens incorporating another flexible or rigid lens characterized in that said lens is described in claim 2 having an additional lens (with a material refraction index different from that of wrapping material), said additional lens a rigid or flexible lens with an irregular surface component to correct, for example, astigmatism in ophthalmology (a visual deficiency caused by an irregular shape in the cornea or in the crystalline thus forming an image from various focuses, said focuses meeting at different axis). Said flexible lens may be adapted to all lenses that currently exist independently from material made or light filtration technology.

6. A flexible lens with multiple combinations of flexible and/or rigid lenses characterized in that flexible or rigid lenses are disposed over one another in order to join desired features of each lens as, for example, a resistant lens so as to provide support, another lens to provide angular correction, another lens with a specific deformation and different from all others having a desired optical effect in a way to include as many as required lenses.

7. A flexible mirror-like lens characterized in that said lens have a mirrorlike material face (light reflector) in one of its faces or in its interior when made of additional lenses as claimed in claims 1 to 6.

8. A flexible lens having multiple concentric layers having elastic different textures characterized in that said flexible lens have flexible materials with different elastic textures concentrically and perpendicularly disposed relative to the lens longitudinal cut with a purpose to control an irregular deformation of a lens concentric portion.

9. A flexible lens having multiple parallel layers in its longitudinal axis, said lens symmetrically or asymmetrically disposed from the interior of its greater diameter, having different elastic textures characterized in that said lens is provided with flexible materials with different elastic textures disposed in sheets that are parallel to the lens longitudinal axis aiming at controlling an irregular deformation of a concentric section in the lens.

10. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of alteration in the volume characterized in that a device to communicate with the lens interior with entrance or exit of fluids or air in the lens interior thus modifying the lens curvature with an alteration of volume inside the lens (figure 1).

11. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of a compression or drawing movement in lens edges characterized in that said lens is finished in its edges by an expanding or retracting material so as to increase or decrease said lens side dimensions and thickness as well by changing pressure or temperature inside said lens interior.

12. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of compression against a little flexible translucent membrane characterized in that a little flexible membrane becomes compressed against one of the flexible lens surfaces which is fixed on said lens edges so as to deform said flexible lens surfaces.

13. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of compression or drawing of a little bit flexible translucent membrane by angulation relative to the other edge characterized in that said mechanism is a little bit flexible membrane which actuates with an asymmetric compression and deforms said surfaces so as to allow an edge to become thinner or thicker.

14. Mechanism to control a flexible lens deforming said lens in its longitudinal axis by means of a twisting movement characterized in that said mechanism is provided with flexible material in said lens edges to become twisted in its longitudinal axis so as to deform said flexible lens into a twisted shape.

15. Mechanism to control a flexible lens deforming said lens by means of a compartment close to the flexible lens characterized in that said flexible lens is secured by its edges to a wrapped compartment thus allowing fluids or gases injected into or drawn out from said compartment to deform said lens towards outside or inside said compartment.

16. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of magnets located in said lens edge to allow stronger compression or drawing by means of magnetic fields disposed for such purpose characterized in that said mechanism have magnets in said lens edge to provide compression or drawing and deformation in said lens surface by means of adjusting a nearby magnetic field.

17. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of micro magnets characterized in that micro magnets are disposed and aligned in said flexible material structure.

18. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of plastic or metallic coils to allow electricity flow into said flexible lens characterized in that said coils generate a magnetic field when disposed such to approach or move apart from one another when electricity runs through thus deforming said flexible lens surface.

19. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of a two lenses surface with materials having different dilations indexes characterized in that said mechanism has two flexible lenses opposing surfaces having different dilation indexes, said lenses dilating or contracting by a change in temperature thus provoking said flexible lens deformation.

20. Mechanism to control a flexible lens made of two different united lenses having each lens different dilation indexes material characterized in that said flexible lens is made of two flexible lenses having different dilation indexes united differently in their longitudinal axis and by changing temperatures a full deformation in said lens is provoked.

21. Mechanism to control a flexible lens by means of a lens wrapped by a muscle in said lens edges characterized in that said mechanism has muscular fibers that suffer contraction by electrical or nerve stimulation.

22. Process to obtain a product as defined in claim 1 characterized to comprise manufacture of a convergent or a divergent lens from a matrix made of flexible, deformable and translucent material. Said materials used to manufacture flexible lenses are synthetic materials such as transparent silicone, translucent biological malleable materials as retina, for example, several liquids such as water, or gaseous materials such as air, having several compositions in continuous multifocal flexible lenses in accordance with claim 1.

23. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises the manufacture of a flexible lens by using a rigid ring as base for said lens which is covered by a laminate flexible material and its interior is filled with a fluid.

24. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises the manufacture of a lens in the form of claim 2 having said lens material surface with varied thicknesses made of different compression in the flexible lens surface material in order to obtain thinner locations and thicker locations in the lens with the purpose of achieving a greater deformation in the thinner locations of the lens surface material.

25. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises the manufacture of a lens by means of disposing flexible lenses over rigid lenses.

26. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises the manufacture of a lens by means of introducing rigid or flexible lenses having different refraction indexes into the interior of flexible lenses.

27. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises the manufacture of a lens by means of disposing flexible and rigid lenses over one another as many as required lenses.

28. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises manufacture of a lens by means of a mirroring treatment to a lens surface or to introduce/to dispose over a flexible lens a mirror-like surface of another flexible or rigid material.

29. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises disposing several millimeter-sized sheets with chemical components to impart rigidity to said material when gradually aggregated to said different elastic textures material. Said several sheet layers are concentrically ordered and said layers are obtained during the lenses manufacture phase and carried out by baths into a material translucent flexible stem in a sequence until a desired lens diameter and thickness is achieved. Longitudinal axis lens manufacture should be perpendicular in relation to the obtained lenses axis.

30. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises disposition of several millimeter-sized sheets with chemical components that supply rigidity to the material when said components are gradually added to said material. Said several sheet layers are ordered in parallel disposition and are obtained during manufacture of the lens carried out by baths of different elastic textures material in a sequential manner until a lens desired thickness is achieved. The longitudinal axis lens should be made parallel to the axis of obtained sheets.

There are several mechanisms that control continuous multifocal flexible lenses to deform lenses surface (concave and convex lenses) with focal point alteration. Control mechanisms are made by electrical devices that create movement by means of magnetism (by means of magnetic parts movements), pressure (by means of air compression or fluid) and temperature (increasing or decreasing the temperature), twisting in the longitudinal axis or angulations in the lenses edges (either narrowing or widening). It is followed in accordance with claim 1.

31. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises delivering the contents of a lens described in claim 2 to a compartment with liquid or air communication in the lens interior to outside. The lengthy in the lens content is compressed or expanded thus provoking a movement to inside or outside the lens and deforming the flexible lens surfaces.

32. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises disposition on said lens edges of a material able to expand or retract by an increase or decrease in the volume and temperature such that the lens becomes deformed.

33. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises a little bit flexible translucent lens that becomes shaped as said lens surface either stretched or compressed against one of lens surfaces so as to deform said flexible lens surfaces.

34. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises a little bit flexible translucent lens which becomes shaped as said lens surface is either stretched or compressed against said surfaces so as to deform said flexible lens surfaces thus more intensively compressing a certain portion in the edge.

35. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises adapting a flexible ring in the edges of said flexible lens and twisting said ring so as to originate distortions in said flexible lens surface.

36. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises securing said continuous multifocal flexible lens in its edges to a cavity having a mechanism allowing fluids or gases to flow into or out.

37. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises radially positioning magnets in the edges of lens in both faces disposed such that the magnetic field provides said magnets to approach. The compression force exerted by said magnets may be controlled by creating a magnetic field which does not come to contact said lens by means of electric coils to provide said magnetic fields and position such to weaken or to strengthen magnetics attraction relative to said lens.

38. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises mixing during a manufacture process said micro magnets to said flexible material in the molding phase under effect of a magnetic field and by fixing micro magnets position after having the lens ready, thus receiving or giving away magnetic power when having a remote controllable magnetic field provoking a deformation in said material and a change in said flexible lens surface.

39. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises during the manufacture process positioning plastic or metallic coils to flow electricity into the material in a molding phase and fixing said coils in a position after said lens is ready.

40. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises manufacturing a membrane of said flexible lens surface using different dilation indexes materials in said two surfaces.

41. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises disposing two flexible lenses having different dilation indexes material over one another and united by their longitudinal axis.

42. The process to obtain said product defined in the present claim comprises muscles disposition by means of surgical proceedings and circularly or radially securing said disposed fibers in said flexible lenses edges in such manner to maintain a nervous vascular bundle. In the crystalline replacement cataract surgery other types of flexible or foldable lenses may be used and yet ciliary muscles may or may not be used to assist in a procedure since they have nervous stimulus and contractions that are read by apparatuses to aid said lens to move in the way described in claims 16, 17 and 18.