CN104360495B - Photochromatic ophthalmic system that selectively filters specific blue light wavelengths - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the photochromic ophthalmic system of the specific blue light wavelength of a kind of selective filter.Providing ophthalmic system, it includes photochromic parts and blue light stop member.

Description

Photochromatic ophthalmic system that selectively filters specific blue light wavelengths

Divisional statement

This application is a divisional application of a Chinese invention patent application with an application date of March 25, 2010, an invention titled "Photochromic Ophthalmic System for Selectively Filtering Specific Blue Light Wavelengths", and application number: 201080022639.X.

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application 61/163,227, filed March 25, 2009. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application 11/933,069, filed October 31, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application 11/761,892, filed June 12, 2007, which US Patent Application 11/761,892 is a continuation-in-part of US Patent Application 11/378,317, filed March 20, 2006, and claims priority to US Provisional Application 60/812,628, filed June 12, 2006. U.S. Patent Application 11/933,069 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application 11/892,460, filed August 23, 2007, which claims U.S. Provisional Application 60/839,432, filed August 23, 2006, Priority of US Provisional Application 60/841,502, filed September 1, 2006, and US Provisional Application 60/861,247, filed November 28, 2006. US Patent Application 11/933,069 also claims priority to US Provisional Application 60/978,175, filed October 8, 2007. All of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Background technique

Electromagnetic radiation from the sun is constantly bombarding the Earth's atmosphere. Light consists of electromagnetic radiation that travels in waves. The electromagnetic spectrum includes radio waves, millimeter waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet (UVA and UVB), x-rays, and gamma rays. The visible spectrum includes a longest visible wavelength of about 700 nm and a shortest visible wavelength of about 400 nm (nanometers or 10 ⁻⁹ meters). Blue light wavelengths fall within the range of approximately 400nm to 500nm. For the ultraviolet band, UVB wavelengths are from 290nm to 320nm, and UVA wavelengths are from 320nm to 400nm. Gamma and X-rays make up the higher frequencies of this spectrum and are absorbed by the atmosphere. The wavelength spectrum of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is 100-400 nm. Most UVR wavelengths are absorbed by the atmosphere, except where there is a region of the stratospheric ozone hole. During the past 20 years, the hole in the ozone layer, mainly due to industrial pollution, has been documented. Increasing exposure to UVR has broad public health implications, as an increasing burden of UVR eye and skin disease is expected.

The ozone layer absorbs wavelengths up to 286nm, thus avoiding biological exposure to radiation with the highest energy. However, we are exposed to wavelengths greater than 286nm, most of which fall within the human visible spectrum (400-700nm). The human retina responds only to the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Shorter wavelengths pose the greatest danger because they contain more energy instead. Blue light has been shown to be the part of the visible spectrum that produces the greatest photochemical damage to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in animals. Exposure to these wavelengths has been referred to as a blue light hazard because these wavelengths are perceived as blue by the human eye.

Cataracts and macular degeneration are widely believed to result from photochemical damage to the intraocular lens and retina, respectively. Blue light exposure has been shown to accelerate the proliferation of uveal melanoma cells. The most energetic photons in the visible spectrum have wavelengths between 380 and 500 nm and are perceived as violet or blue. The wavelength dependence of phototoxicity (phototoxicity) aggregated over all mechanisms is often expressed as an action spectrum, such as described in: Mainster and Sparrow, Br. J. Ophthalmol 2003, Vol. 87, 1523-29. IOL How much blue light should be transmitted? (How Much Blue Light Shouldan IOL Transmit?)" and Figure 6. In eyes without an artificial lens (aphakic eyes), light with a wavelength shorter than 400 nm can cause damage. In phakic eyes, this light is absorbed by the intraocular lens and thus does not contribute to retinal phototoxicity; however, it can cause optical degeneration of the lens or cataracts.

The pupil of the eye responds to the photopic retinal illuminance measured in torland, which is the product of the incident flux with wavelength-dependent sensitivity of the retina and the projected area of the pupil. This sensitivity is described in Color Science: Concepts and Methods. Quantitative Data and Formulae, Wiley Corporation, New York, 1982 (Wyszecki and Stiles), pp. 102-107.

Current research strongly supports the premise that short-wavelength visible light (blue light) with a wavelength of approximately 400nm-500nm can be a contributing cause of AMD (age-related macular degeneration). The highest levels of blue light absorption are believed to occur in the region around 430nm, such as 400nm - 460nm. The study further showed that blue light exacerbated other causative factors in AMD, such as genetics, tobacco smoke and excessive alcohol consumption.

The human retina consists of multiple layers. Listed in order from earliest exposure to any light entering the eye to deepest, these layers include:

1) Nerve fiber layer

2) Ganglion cells

3) Inner Plexiform Layer

4) Bipolar and horizontal cells

5) Outer Plexiform Layer

6) Photoreceptors (Rod and Cone)

7) Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE)

8) Bruch's Membrane

9) Choroid (Choroid)

When light is absorbed by the eye's photoreceptor cells (rods and cones), the cells bleach and become unresponsive until they recover. This recovery process is a metabolic process and is known as the "visual cycle." Absorption of blue light has been shown to prematurely reverse this process. This premature reversal increases the risk of oxidative damage and is thought to result in the production of the pigment lipofuscin in the retina. This production occurs in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer. It is thought that accumulations of extracellular matrix called drusen form due to excess lipofuscin.

Current research indicates that over the course of a person's life beginning with the infantile process, metabolic waste byproducts accumulate within the pigment epithelium of the retina due to the interaction of light with the retina. This metabolic waste product is characterized by specific fluorophores, the most notable one being the lipofuscin component A2E. In vitro studies conducted by Sparrow indicate that the lipofuscin chromophore A2E found within the RPE is maximally stimulated by light at 430 nm. In theory, a tipping point is reached when the accumulation of this metabolic waste product (especially the lipofuscin fluorophore) has reached a specific accumulation level, when a person reaches a specific age threshold, the body's metabolism in the retina specific The physiological capacity of this waste has been weakened, and the stimulation of blue light of appropriate wavelength causes the formation of drusen in the RPE layer. It is thought that drusen then interfere with the normal physiological/metabolic behavior that allows proper nutrients to reach the photoreceptors, thus contributing to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of severe irreversible loss of visual acuity in the United States and the Western world. The burden of AMD is expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years due to projected population movements and an overall increase in the number of aging individuals.

The drusen impede or block the RPE layer from delivering proper nutrients to the photoreceptors, which leads to damage or even death of these cells. It appears that when lipofuscin absorbs blue light in large quantities, it becomes toxic, causing further damage or even death of RPE cells, further complicating this process. The lipofuscin component A2E is thought to be responsible, at least in part, for the short-wavelength sensitivity of RPE cells. A2E has been shown to be maximally stimulated by blue light; photochemical events resulting from such stimulation can lead to cell death. See, for example, "Blue light-absorbing intraocular lens and retinal pigment epithelium protection (Blue light-absorbing intraocular lens and retinal pigment epithelium protection) in vitro by Janet R, Sparrow et al., J. Cataract Refract. Surg, Vol. epithelium protection in vitro).

From a theoretical point of view, some of the following would appear to happen:

1) Beginning in infancy and throughout life, there is an accumulation of waste at the level of the pigment epithelium.

2) The metabolic behavior and capacity of the retina to process this waste generally diminishes with age.

3) Spot pigment usually shrinks as a person ages, thus filtering less blue light.

4) Blue light makes lipofuscin toxic. The resulting toxicity damages the pigment epithelium.

The lighting and vision care industries have standards for human vision exposure to UVA and UVB radiation. Surprisingly, no such standard exists for Blu-ray. For example, in common fluorescent tubes available today, the glass envelope blocks most ultraviolet light, but blue light is transmitted with little attenuation. In some cases, the housing is designed with enhanced transmission in the blue region of the spectrum. Such artificial light hazards may also cause eye damage.

Laboratory evidence obtained by Sparrow at Columbia University has shown that RPE cell death induced by blue light may be reduced by up to 80% if approximately 50% of blue light in the wavelength range of 430±30 nm is blocked. For example, external eyewear such as sunglasses, spectacles, goggles, and contact lenses that block blue light in an attempt to improve eye health are disclosed in US Patent No. 6,955,430 to Pratt. Other ophthalmic devices aimed at protecting the retina from this phototoxic light include intraocular lenses and contact lenses. These ophthalmic devices lie in the optical path between ambient light and the retina, and typically contain or are coated with dyes that selectively absorb blue and violet light.

Other lenses are known that attempt to reduce chromatic aberration by blocking blue light. Chromatic aberration is caused by the dispersion of light in ocular media including the cornea, intraocular lens, aqueous humor, and vitreous humor. This dispersion focuses blue light at a different image plane than light with longer wavelengths, resulting in a defocused panchromatic image. Conventional blue light blocking lenses are described in US Patent Nos. 6,158,862 to Patel et al., 5,662,707 to Jinkerson, 5,400,175 to Johansen, and 4,878,748 to Johansen.

Conventional methods for reducing blue light exposure of the ocular medium generally completely block light below a threshold wavelength, while also reducing light exposure at longer wavelengths. For example, the lens described in US Pat. No. 6,955,430 to Partt transmits less than 40% of incident light at wavelengths up to 650 nm, as shown in FIG. 6 of 430 to Partt. The blue-blocking lens disclosed by Johansen and Diffendaffer in US Patent No. 5,400,175 similarly attenuates light in the visible spectrum by more than 60%, as shown in Figure 3 of the '175 patent.

Balancing the extent and amount of blue light that is blocked can be difficult because blocking and/or suppressing blue light affects color balance, a person's color vision for viewing through an optical device, and perceived color in an optical device. For example, shooting glasses appear bright yellow and block blue light. Shooting glasses often make certain colors more pronounced when one looks at the blue sky, allowing the shooter to see more precisely what to aim for. While this works well for shooting glasses, it is unacceptable for many ophthalmic applications. In particular, such ophthalmic systems may be aesthetically unattractive due to the yellow or amber tint produced in the lens due to blue light blocking. More specifically, one common technique for blue blocking involves tinting or tinting the lens with a blue blocking tint such as BPI Filter Vision 450 or BPI Diamond Dye 500. This tinting can be accomplished, for example, by immersing the lens in a heated tint pot containing a blue-blocking dye solution for some predetermined period of time. Typically, the dye solution has a yellow or amber color, so the yellow or amber color is applied to the lens. For many people, this yellow or amber appearance may be aesthetically undesirable. Furthermore, this color may interfere with the normal color perception of the lens user, making it difficult to correctly perceive the color of, for example, a traffic light or sign.

Efforts have been made to compensate for the yellowing effect of conventional blue blocking filters. For example, blue blocking lenses have been treated with additional dyes, such as blue, red or green dyes, to counteract the yellowing effect. This treatment causes this additional dye to become mixed with the original blue blocking dye. However, while this technique may reduce yellow in blue-blocking lenses, the mixing of dyes may reduce the blue-blocking effect by allowing more of the blue spectrum to pass through. Also, these conventional techniques undesirably reduce the overall transmittance of light wavelengths other than blue light wavelengths. This undesirable reduction may in turn result in reduced visual acuity for the lens user.

It has been found that conventional blue light blocking reduces visible light transmission which in turn stimulates dilation of the pupil. Dilation of the pupil increases the flux of light to internal eye structures including the intraocular lens and retina. Because the radiant flux to these structures increases with the square of the pupil diameter, a lens that blocks half of blue light has reduced visible light transmission, and instead relaxes the pupil diameter from 2mm to 3mm, effectively increasing the dose of blue light photons to the retina up 12.5%. The protection of the retina from phototoxic light depends on the amount of this light impinging on the retina, which depends on the transmission properties of the ocular medium and also on the dynamic aperture of the pupil. Prior work to date has been inactive on the pupillary contribution to the prevention of phototoxic blue light.

Another problem with traditional blue light blocking is that it can reduce night vision. Blue light is more important for low light level or scotopic vision than for bright light or photopic vision as a result expressed quantitatively in the light sensitivity spectrum for scotopic or photopic vision. Photochemical and oxidative reactions cause the absorption of light at 400 to 450 nm by the lens tissue in the eye to increase naturally with age. Although the number of rod photoreceptors on the retina responsible for low-light vision also decreases with age, increased absorption by the intraocular lens is important in reducing night vision. For example, scotopic acuity decreased by 33 percent in the 53-year-old lens and by 75 percent in the 75-year-old lens. The conflict between retinal protection and scotopic sensitivity is further described in: How much blue light should an IOL transmit? Br. J. Ophthalmol, Vol. 87, pp. 1523-29, Mainster and Sparrow, 2003. (How MuchBlue Light Should an IOL Transmit?)".

Traditional means of blue light blocking may also include cutoff or high pass filters to reduce the transmission to zero for a given blue or violet wavelength. For example, all light below a threshold wavelength may be completely or nearly completely blocked. For example, "Intraocular Lenses Should Block UV Radiation and Violet Light" (Intraocular Lenses Should Block UV Radiation and Violet but not Blue Light)" describes blocking all light below a threshold wavelength between 400 and 450nm. Such blocking may be undesirable due to the pupillary dilation effect to increase the total flux as the edge of the longpass filter is moved to longer wavelengths. As noted above, this can degrade scotopic sensitivity and increase color distortion.

Recently, there has been discussion in the field of intraocular lenses (IOLs) regarding appropriate UV and blue light blocking while maintaining acceptable photopic, scotopic, color vision and circadian rhythms.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an ophthalmic system that can provide one or more of the following:

1) Blue light blocking with an acceptable level of blue light protection

2) Acceptable color aesthetics, ie, the ophthalmic system is perceived as substantially neutral in color by someone viewing the ophthalmic system when worn by the wearer.

3) Acceptable color perception for users. In particular, there is a need for an ophthalmic system that does not impair the wearer's color vision and further reflects from the rear surface of the system into the wearer's eye at a level that is not objectionable to the wearer.

4) Acceptable levels of light transmittance for wavelengths other than blue light wavelengths. Specifically, there is a need for an ophthalmic system that allows selective blocking of wavelengths of blue light, while simultaneously transmitting more than 80% of visible light.

5) Acceptable photopic, scotopic, color and/or circadian rhythms.

This need exists because more and more data are pointing to blue light as one of the possible causative factors in macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in the industrialized world) and other retinal diseases.

Contents of the invention

An ophthalmic system is provided that includes a photochromic component and a blue light blocking component.

In one embodiment, an ophthalmic system includes at least one blue-blocking component and at least one photochromic component, wherein the blue-blocking component continuously and selectively filters a blue light wavelength selection range of wavelengths, and wherein the photochromic component, when activated, filters visible light including wavelengths outside of the blue light wavelength selection range.

In one embodiment, the average transmission across the visible spectrum in said activated system is greater than the average transmission across the visible spectrum in an inactive system rate is at least 20% smaller.

In another embodiment, the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an activated system is less than the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an inactive system.

In another embodiment, the average transmission of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an activated system is within 20% or within 5% of the average transmission of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an inactive system.

In one embodiment, the blue blocking member is not photochromic.

In one embodiment, said blue light blocking member selectively filters at least 20% or at least 50% of light in said blue light wavelength selective range.

In one embodiment, the blue light wavelength selection range includes wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 440 nm, from about 410 nm to about 450 nm, or from about 400 nm to about 460 nm.

In another embodiment, the system further comprises at least an additional blue blocking component that selectively filters a wavelength selection range comprising chromophores other than A2E.

In yet another embodiment, the system increases contrast sensitivity by at least 1 point on a sine wave grating test (eg, FACT ^™ ).

In another embodiment, said inactive and/or active systems have a yellowness index of less than 8 or less than 5.

In one embodiment, white light has CIE(x,y) coordinates of (0.33±0.05, 0.33±0.05) when transmitted through an inactive and/or active system.

In one embodiment, the blue light blocking component includes perylene, porphyrin, coumarin, acridine, and derivatives thereof. In some embodiments, the blue light blocking component includes perylene or its derivatives, porphyrin or its derivatives, or tetra Magnesium tetramesitylporphyrin.

In another embodiment, the blue blocking member includes a blue blocking dye at a concentration of about 1 ppm to about 50 ppm or about 2 ppm to about 10 ppm.

In one embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by at least one of UVB, UVA, blue, visible and infrared wavelengths. In another embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by at least one of UVB, UVA and infrared wavelengths. In yet another embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by light having a wavelength of about 380 nm to about 410 nm.

In one embodiment, the system further includes a UV filter. In one embodiment, the UV filter is located after the photochromic component. In another embodiment, the UV filter does not filter the wavelengths that activate the photochromic component to the extent that activation is prevented.

In one embodiment, the system is an ophthalmic lens, spectacle lens, contact lens, intra-ocular lens, corneal inlay, corneal onlay ( corneal onlay, corneal graft, electro-active lens, windshield, or window. In one embodiment, the system is an eyeglass lens.

In one embodiment, at least one of said photochromic component and said blue blocking component is present throughout said system. In another embodiment, at least one of said photochromic component and said blue blocking component is located locally in said system.

In one embodiment, the blue light blocking component comprises a blue light blocking layer and/or the photochromic component comprises a photochromic layer.

In one embodiment, the blue blocking component precedes the photochromic component. In another embodiment, the blue blocking component follows the photochromic component. In one embodiment, the blue blocking component is not in physical contact with the photochromic component. In another embodiment, said blue blocking component and said photochromic component are mixed.

Description of drawings

Figures 1A and 1B show an example of an ophthalmic system including a blue blocking component at the rear and a color balancing component at the front.

Figure 2 shows an example of using a dye resist to form an ophthalmic system.

Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary system in which a blue blocking component and a color balancing component are integrated within a clear or substantially clear ophthalmic lens.

Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary ophthalmic system formed using in-mold coating.

Figure 5 illustrates the bonding of two ophthalmic components.

Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary ophthalmic system using an anti-reflective coating.

7A-7C illustrate various exemplary combinations of blue blocking components, color balancing components, and photochromic components.

8A and 8B illustrate an example of an ophthalmic system including multifunctional blue blocking and color balancing components.

Figure 9 shows a reference of observed colors corresponding to various CIE coordinates.

Figure 10 shows the transmittance of GENTEX E465 absorbing dye.

Figure 11 shows the absorbance of GENTEX E465 absorbing dye.

Figure 12 shows the transmittance of a polycarbonate substrate with a dye concentration suitable for absorption in the 430 nm range.

Figure 13 shows the transmittance as a function of wavelength for a polycarbonate substrate with an antireflection coating.

Figure 14 shows a color map of a polycarbonate substrate with an anti-reflective coating.

Figure 15 shows the transmittance as a function of wavelength for an uncoated polycarbonate substrate and a polycarbonate substrate with an anti-reflection coating on both surfaces.

Figure 16 shows the spectral transmittance of a 106 nm TiO2 layer on a polycarbonate substrate.

Figure 17 shows the color map of a 106 nm layer of TiO2 on a polycarbonate substrate.

Figure 18 shows the spectral transmittance of a 134 nm TiO2 layer on a polycarbonate substrate.

Figure 19 shows the color map of a 134 nm layer of TiO2 on a polycarbonate substrate.

Figure 20 shows the spectral transmittance of a modified AR coating suitable for color balancing a substrate with a blue absorbing dye.

Figure 21 shows a color diagram of a modified AR coating suitable for color balancing a substrate with a blue absorbing dye.

Figure 22 shows the spectral transmittance of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye.

Figure 23 shows a color map of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye.

Figure 24 shows the spectral transmittance of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and a rear AR coating.

Figure 25 shows a color map of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and a rear AR coating.

Figure 26 shows the spectral transmittance of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and an AR coating on the front and rear surfaces.

Figure 27 shows a color map of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and AR coatings on the front and back surfaces.

Figure 28 shows the spectral transmittance of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and a color balancing AR coating.

Figure 29 shows a color map of a substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and a color balancing AR coating.

Figure 30 illustrates an exemplary ophthalmic device including a membrane.

Figure 31 shows the optical transmittance characteristics of exemplary films.

Figure 32 illustrates an exemplary ophthalmic system including a membrane.

Figure 33 shows an exemplary system including a membrane.

Figures 34A and B show pupil diameter and pupil area, respectively, as a function of field illuminance.

Figure 35 shows the transmission spectrum of a film doped with a perylene dye, where the product of concentration and path length yields a transmission of about 33% at about 437 nm.

Figure 36 shows the transmission spectrum of a film according to the invention in which the concentration of perylene is approximately 2.27 times that illustrated in the previous figure.

Figure 37 shows exemplary transmission spectra for a six _- layer stack of _SiO2 and ZrO2.

Fig. 38 shows reference color coordinates corresponding to Munsell tiles illuminated by illuminants specified in the (L*, a*, b*) color space.

Figure 39A shows a histogram of the color shift of the Munsell color tiles for the associated filter. Figure 39B shows the color shift caused by the associated blue blocking filter.

Figure 40 shows a histogram of the color shift for a perylene dye substrate according to the present invention.

Figure 41 shows the transmission spectrum of a system according to the invention.

Figure 42 shows a histogram summarizing the color distortion of the device according to the invention for Munsell tiles in daylight.

Figures 43A and B show a representative series of skin reflectance spectra of subjects from different ethnicities.

Figure 44 shows an exemplary skin reflectance spectrum for a Caucasian subject.

Figure 45 shows transmission spectra for various lenses.

Figure 46 shows exemplary dyes.

Figure 47 shows an ophthalmic system with a hard coat.

Figure 48 shows the transmittance as a function of wavelength for a selective filter with a strong absorption band around 430 nm.

detailed description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ophthalmic system that performs effective blue light blocking while providing an aesthetically appealing product, normal or acceptable color perception for the user, and a high level of fluorescein for good visual acuity. Transmitted light. An ophthalmic system is provided that can provide an average transmission of 80% of visible light or better, with selective suppression of blue light wavelengths ("blue blocking"), allowing correct color vision performance for the wearer , and provide the most neutral color appearance to a viewer looking at a wearer wearing such a lens or lens system. As used herein, "average transmission" of a system refers to the average transmission at wavelengths in a range such as the visible spectrum. A system can also be characterized by its "luminous transmission," which refers to the average value over a range of wavelengths, weighted according to the sensitivity of the eye at each wavelength. The systems described herein can use a variety of optical coatings, films, materials, and absorbing dyes to produce the desired effect.

More specifically, embodiments of the present invention may provide effective blue light blocking in combination with color balancing. "Color balancing" or "colorbalanced" as used herein means reducing, shifting, neutralizing or compensating for yellow or amber or other unwanted effects of blue light blocking in order to produce Aesthetically acceptable results without compromising the blue light blocking effect. For example, wavelengths at or near 400nm–460nm may be blocked or reduced in intensity. In particular, for example, wavelengths at or near 420-440 nm may be blocked or reduced in intensity. Furthermore, the transmission of unblocked wavelengths can be maintained at a high level, for example at least 80%. Additionally, to an external viewer, the ophthalmic system may appear transparent or substantially transparent. For system users, color perception may be normal or acceptable.

"Ophthalmic system" as used herein includes, for example, lenses (or eyeglasses) for clear or tinting, sunglasses, contact lenses with or without visual and/or aesthetic tinting, intraocular lenses (IOLs), corneal Grafts, corneal inlays, corneal onlays, and electro-active ophthalmic devices prescription or non-prescription ophthalmic lenses, and can be fabricated or treated or combined with other components to provide the desired function as further detailed herein. The present invention can be formed to allow direct application into corneal tissue.

As used herein, "ophthalmic material" is a material commonly used in the manufacture of ophthalmic systems, such as corrective lenses. Exemplary ophthalmic materials include glass, plastics such as CR-39, Trivex, and polycarbonate materials, although other materials may be used and are known for various ophthalmic systems.

The ophthalmic system can include one or more blue light blocking components. In one embodiment, the blue blocking component follows the color balancing component. The blue blocking component or color balancing component may be or form part of an ophthalmic component such as a lens. The posterior blue-blocking component and the anterior color-balancing component may be distinct layers on or adjacent to or near one or more surfaces of the ophthalmic lens. One or more color balancing components are provided to reduce or neutralize the yellow or amber tint of the rear blue blocking component to produce an aesthetically acceptable appearance. For example, to an external viewer, the ophthalmic system may appear transparent or substantially transparent. For system users, color perception may be normal or acceptable. Also, because blue blocking and color balancing tinting do not mix, wavelengths in the blue spectrum can be blocked or reduced in intensity, and the transmitted intensity of incident light in the ophthalmic system can be at least 80% for unblocked wavelengths.

As mentioned above, techniques for blue light blocking are well known. Known techniques for blocking blue wavelengths include absorption, reflection, interference, or any combination thereof. As mentioned above, according to one technique, a blue light blocking color such as BPI Filter Vision 450 or BPI Diamond Dye 500 can be used to tint/tint the lens in the appropriate ratio or concentration. This tinting can be accomplished, for example, by immersing the lens in a heated tint tank containing a blue-blocking dye solution for some predetermined period of time. According to another technique, filters are used for blue light blocking. The filter may comprise, for example, organic or inorganic compounds which exhibit absorption and/or reflection and/or interference of blue light wavelengths. Filters may comprise multiple thin layers or coatings of organic and/or inorganic substances. Each layer may have the property of absorbing, reflecting or interfering with light having blue wavelengths, alone or in combination with other layers. A Rugate notch filter is an example of a blue light blocking filter. A comb filter is a single thin film of an inorganic dielectric in which the index of refraction oscillates continuously between high and low values. Fabricated by the co-deposition of two materials of different refractive indices (e.g., _SiO2 and _TiO2 ), comb filters are known to have a well-defined stopband for wavelength blocking with a small attenuation. The filter's construction parameters (oscillation period, refractive index modulation, number of refractive index oscillations) determine the filter's performance parameters (center of stop band, width of stop band, transmission within the band). Comb filters are disclosed in more detail, for example, in US Patent Nos. 6,984,038 and 7,066,596, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another technique for blue light blocking is the use of multilayer dielectric stacks. Multilayer dielectric stacks are fabricated by depositing alternating layers of high and low index materials. Similar to a comb filter, design parameters such as the thickness of the individual layers, the refractive index of the individual layers, and the number of layer repetitions determine the performance parameters of the multilayer dielectric stack.

Color balancing may include applying, for example, an appropriate ratio or concentration of blue coloring/dye or an appropriate combination of red and green coloring/dyes to the color balancing component such that the ophthalmic system as a whole has an aesthetically acceptable appearance when viewed by an external observer. Exterior. For example, the ophthalmic system as a whole can appear transparent or substantially transparent.

FIG. 1A shows an ophthalmic system comprising a blue blocking component 101 at the rear and a color balancing component 102 at the front. Each component includes a concave rear side or surface 110 , 115 and a convex front side or surface 120 , 125 . In the system 100, the subsequent blue blocking component 101 may be or include an ophthalmic component, such as a single vision lens, a wafer, or an optical preform. The single vision lens, wafer or optical preform can be tinted or tinted to perform blue light blocking. The preceding color balancing component 102 may comprise a surface cast layer, which is applied to a single vision lens, wafer or optical preform according to known techniques. For example, the surface casting layer can be pasted or bonded to a single vision lens, wafer or optical preform using visible light or UV light or a combination of both.

The surface cast layer can be formed on the convex side of a single vision lens, wafer or optical preform. Because the single vision lens, wafer or optical preform has been tinted or dyed to perform blue light blocking, it may have an aesthetically undesirable yellow or amber color. Thus, for example, a suitable ratio of blue coloring/tinting or a suitable combination of red and green coloring/tinting may be used to color the surface casting layer.

The surface casting layer may be treated with a color balancing additive after it has been applied to the single vision lens, wafer or optical preform treated to block blue light. For example, a blue-light blocking single vision lens, wafer, or optical preform with a surface cast layer on its convex surface can be submerged in a heated tint tank with the appropriate ratio and concentration of color balancing dyes in solution middle. The surface casting layer absorbs the color balancing dye from solution. To prevent the blue blocking single vision lens, wafer or optical preform from absorbing any of the color balancing dyes, its concave surface may be masked or sealed with a dye resist material such as tape or wax or other coating. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 , which shows an ophthalmic system 100 with a stain resist material 201 on the concave surface of a single vision lens, wafer or optical preform 101 . The edges of single vision lenses, wafers or optical preforms can be left uncoated to allow them to become aesthetically adjustable in color. This may be important for negative focal lenses with thick rims.

Figure IB illustrates another ophthalmic system 150 in which the preceding color balancing component 104 may be or include an ophthalmic component such as a single vision lens or a multi-focal lens, a wafer or an optical preform. The subsequent blue light blocking member 103 may be a surface casting layer. To create this combination, the convex surface of a color-balanced single vision lens, wafer, or optical preform can be masked using a dye resist material as described above to prevent it from being submerged in the combination in a heated color pot containing a blue-blocking dye solution. Medium-time absorbing blue light blocking dye. At the same time, the exposed surface cast layer will absorb the blue light blocking dye.

It should be understood that surface cast layers may be used in combination with multifocal lenses (rather than single vision lenses), wafers or optical preforms. In addition, the surface cast layer can be used to add power to single vision lenses, wafers or optical preforms, including multifocal power, thus converting single vision lenses, wafers or optical preforms to have linear or progressive Additive multifocal lens. Of course, the surface cast layer can also be designed to add little or no power to the single vision lens, wafer or optical preform.

Figure 3 shows that blue light blocking and color balancing are functionally integrated in an ophthalmic component. More specifically, in ophthalmic lens 300, portion 303 corresponding to the depth at which the color penetrates into transparent or substantially transparent ophthalmic component 301 at the rear region thereof may be blue-blocking. Also, portion 302 may be color balanced corresponding to the depth at which the color penetrates into transparent or substantially transparent ophthalmic component 301 at an anterior or posterior region thereof. The system shown in Figure 3 can be produced as follows. Ophthalmic component 301 may, for example, be initially a clear or substantially clear single vision or multifocal lens, wafer, or optical preform. A transparent or substantially transparent single vision or multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform may be tinted with a blue-blocking color while its front convex surface is rendered non-absorbing, for example by masking or coating with a dye resist material as described above . As a result, a portion 303 starting at a thick concave surface of a transparent or substantially transparent single vision or multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform 301 and extending inward and having a blue light blocking function can be created by color bleeding. Then, the anti-absorption coating on the lordotic surface can be removed. An anti-absorption coating can then be applied to the concave surface, and the front convex surface and perimeter of the single vision or multifocal lens, wafer, or optical preform can be tinted (e.g., by immersion in a heated tinting pot) for color balance. The color balancing dye is absorbed by the perimeter and portion 302, which begins at the convex surface and extends inwardly, and remains unpigmented due to the initial coating. The order of the foregoing processing can be reversed, ie, the concave surface can be masked first, while the remainder is colored for color balancing. The coating can then be removed and the depth or thickness at the recessed areas left unpigmented by masking can be tinted for blue light blocking.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an ophthalmic system 400 may be formed using an in-mold coating. More specifically, tinted in-mold coatings 403 can be used to color balance via surface casting such as single vision or multifocal lenses, wafers, or optical preforms that have been tinted/tinted with an appropriate blue-blocking color, dye, or other additive. Ophthalmic components 401 . An in-mold coating 403 comprising an appropriate level and/or mixture of color balancing dyes may be applied to a convex surface mold (ie, the mold (not shown) used to apply coating 403 to the convex surface of ophthalmic component 401). A colorless monomer 402 may be filled and cured between the coating 403 and the ophthalmic component 401 . Treatment of the curing monomer 402 causes the color-balanced in-mold coating to transfer itself to the convex surface of the ophthalmic component 401 . The result is a blue light blocking ophthalmic system with a color balancing surface coating. The in-mold coating can be, for example, an anti-reflective coating or a conventional hard coating.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an ophthalmic system 500 may include two ophthalmic components, a blue blocking component and a color balancing component. For example, the first ophthalmic component 501 may be a rear single vision or concave surface multifocal lens, wafer, or optical preform dyed/tinted with an appropriate blue blocking color to achieve the desired level of blue blocking. The second ophthalmic component 503 may be a front single vision or convex surface multifocal lens bonded or bonded to a rear single vision or concave surface multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform, for example using a UV or visible light curable adhesive 502 , wafers or optical preforms. The front single vision lens or convex surface multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform may exhibit color balance before or after it is combined with the rear single vision lens or concave surface multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform. If later, the front single vision lens or convex surface multifocal lens, wafer or optical preform can be made color balanced, for example by techniques as described above. For example, a dye resist material can be used to mask or coat rear single vision or concave surface multifocal lenses, wafers or optical preforms to prevent them from absorbing color balancing dyes. The combined back and front parts can then be placed together in a heated tint tank containing an appropriate solution of the color balancing dye to allow the front part to absorb the color balancing dye.

Any of the above-described embodiment systems may be combined with one or more anti-reflection (AR) components. This is shown, for example, in FIG. 6 for the ophthalmic lenses 100 and 150 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B . In FIG. 6 , a first AR component 601 , such as a coating, is applied to the concave surface of the rear blue blocking element 101 and a second AR component 602 is applied to the convex surface of the color balancing component 102 . Similarly, a first AR component 601 is applied to the concave surface of the rear blue light blocking component 103 and a second AR component 602 is applied to the convex surface of the color balancing component 104 .

7A-7C illustrate further exemplary systems including blue blocking components and color balancing components. In FIG. 7A , ophthalmic system 700 includes blue light blocking component 703 and color balancing component 704 formed as adjacent but distinct coatings or layers on or near the front surface of clear or substantially clear ophthalmic lens 702 . The blue blocking component 703 follows the color balancing component 704 . On or near the rear surface of the clear or substantially clear ophthalmic lens, an AR coating or other layer 701 can be formed. Another AR coating or layer 705 may be formed on or near the front surface of color balancing layer 704 .

In FIG. 7B , blue blocking component 703 and color balancing component 704 are disposed on or near the rear surface of transparent or substantially transparent ophthalmic lens 702 . Again, the blue blocking component 703 follows the color balancing component 704 . The AR part 701 may be formed on or near the rear surface of the blue light blocking part 703 . Another AR component 705 can be formed on or near the front surface of the transparent or substantially transparent ophthalmic lens 702 .

In FIG. 7C , blue blocking component 703 and color balancing component 704 are disposed on or near the rear and front surfaces of transparent ophthalmic lens 702 , respectively. Again, the blue blocking component 703 follows the color balancing component 704 . An AR part 701 may be formed on or near a rear surface of the blue light blocking part 703 , and another AR part 705 may be formed on or near a front surface of the color balancing part 704 .

8A and 8B illustrate an ophthalmic system 800 in which the functions for blocking blue light wavelengths and performing color balancing may be combined in a single component 803 . For example, the combination feature blocks blue wavelengths and also reflects back some green and red wavelengths, thus neutralizing blue and eliminating the presence of dominant colors in the lens. The combination feature 803 may be disposed on or near the front or back surface of the transparent ophthalmic lens 802 . The ophthalmic lens 800 may further include an AR component 801 on or near a front or back surface of the transparent ophthalmic lens 802 .

While Figures 7 and 8 depict the construction of a particular embodiment, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the positioning of the blue blocking and color balancing features may vary with materials, manufacturing processes, and applications. For example, a blue light blocking component may be before, behind, integral with, or sandwiched by one or more ophthalmic components, such as an ophthalmic lens or a photochromic component. Similarly, a color balancing component may precede, follow, be integral with, or be sandwiched between one or more ophthalmic components. Also, the blue blocking component may be variably positioned relative to the color balancing component (although some embodiments specify that the blue blocking component follows the color balancing component).

In order to quantify the effect of the color balancing component, it may be useful to observe the light reflected and/or transmitted by the substrate of the ophthalmic material. The observed light can be characterized by its CIE(x,y) coordinates to indicate the color of the observed light; by comparing these coordinates with the CIE coordinates of the incident light, it is possible to determine how much the light is shifted due to reflection/transmission color. White light is defined as having CIE coordinates (0.33,0.33). Thus, the closer the CIE coordinates of the observed light are to (0.33,0.33), the "whiter" it appears to the observer. To characterize the color shift or balance performed by the lens, white light of (0.33,0.33) can be directed towards the lens and the CIE of the reflected and transmitted light observed. If the transmitted light has a CIE of approximately (0.33,0.33), there will be no color shift and the object viewed through the lens will have a natural appearance, i.e. the color will not shift relative to the object viewed without the lens . Similarly, if the reflected light has a CIE of approximately (0.33,0.33), the lens will have a natural aesthetic appearance, ie, it will appear untinted to an observer looking at the lens or user of the ophthalmic system. Therefore, it is desirable for the transmitted and reflected light to have a CIE as close as possible to (0.33,0.33).

FIG. 9 shows a CIE diagram indicating observed colors corresponding to various CIE coordinates. Reference point 900 indicates coordinates (0.33,0.33). Although the central region of the figure is designated as "white", some lights with CIE coordinates in this region will appear slightly tinted to the viewer. For example, light with CIE coordinates (0.4,0.4) will appear yellow to an observer. Therefore, to achieve a neutral color appearance in an ophthalmic system, it is desirable that (0.33,0.33) light transmitted and/or reflected by the system (i.e., white light) have a CIE after transmission/reflection as close as possible to (0.33,0.33) coordinate. The CIE diagram shown in Figure 9 will be used here as a reference to show the color shifts observed using the various systems, but labeled regions were omitted for clarity.

Absorbing dyes can be included in the base material of an ophthalmic lens by injection molding the dye into the base material to produce lenses with specific light transmission and absorption properties. Due to the Soret band usually found in porphyrinic materials, these dye materials can absorb either the fundamental peak wavelength or the shorter resonance wavelength of the dye. Exemplary ophthalmic materials include various glasses and polymers such as Polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, silicone and fluoropolymers, but other materials may also be used and are known for various ophthalmic systems.

By way of example only, GENTEX Day Material E465 transmission and absorption are shown in Figures 10-11. Absorbance (A) is related to transmittance (T) by the equation A=logio(l/T). In this case, the transmittance is between 0 and 1 (0<T<1). Transmittance is often expressed as a percentage, ie 0%<T<100%. E465 dyes block those wavelengths less than 465 and are generally offered to block these wavelengths at high optical densities (OD>4). Similar products are available to block other wavelengths. For example, E420 from GENTEX blocks wavelengths lower than 420nm. Other exemplary dyes include porphyrins, perylenes, and similar dyes that absorb blue wavelengths of light.

Absorption at shorter wavelengths can be reduced by reducing the dye concentration. This and other dye materials can achieve -50% transmission in the 430nm region. Figure 12 shows the transmittance of a polycarbonate substrate with a dye concentration suitable for absorption in the 430nm region and with some absorption in the range of 420nm-440nm. This is achieved by reducing the concentration of the dye and including the effect of the polycarbonate substrate. The rear surface is not anti-reflective coated at this point.

The concentration of the dye can affect the appearance and color shift of the ophthalmic system. By reducing the concentration, systems with varying degrees of color shift can be obtained. As used herein, "color shift" refers to the amount by which the CIE coordinates of a reference light change upon transmission and/or reflection by an ophthalmic system. It may also be beneficial to characterize a system by the color shift it induces due to differences in various types of light that are generally perceived as white (eg, sunlight, incandescent light, and fluorescent light). Accordingly, it may be beneficial to characterize a system based on the amount by which the CIE coordinates of incident light are shifted as the system transmits and/or reflects light. For example, a system in which light with a CIE coordinate of (0.33,0.33) becomes light with a CIE of (0.30,0.30) after transmission can be described as causing a color shift of (-.03,-.03), or More generally, a color shift of (±0.03,±0.03) is caused. Thus, the color shift caused by the system indicates how "natural" the light and the object being viewed appear to the wearer of the system. As described further below, systems have been realized that induce color shifts of less than (±0.05,±0.05) to (±0.02,±0.02).

Reduction of short wavelength transmission in ophthalmic systems can be beneficial in reducing cell death due to photoelectric effect in the eye due to excitation such as A2E. It has been shown that reducing incident light at 430±30 nm by about 50% can reduce cell death by about 80%. For example, "Bluelight-absorbing intraocular lens and retinal pigment epithelium protection (Bluelight-absorbing intraocular lens and retinal pigment epithelium protection) by Janet R, Sparrow et al. epithelium protection in vitro), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. It is further believed that reducing the amount of blue light (such as light in the 430-460nm range) by as much as 5% can similarly reduce cell death and/or degeneration, thus preventing or reducing the adverse effects of conditions such as atrophic age-related macular degeneration.

While absorbing dyes can be used to block unwanted wavelengths of light, the dyes can, as a side effect, produce tinting in the lens. For example, many blue-blocking ophthalmic lenses have a yellow color, which is often undesirable and/or aesthetically unpleasing. To compensate for this color, a color balancing coating can be applied to one or both surfaces of the substrate in which the absorbing dye is included.

Antireflection (AR) coatings, which are interference filters, are well established in the commercial ophthalmic coating industry. This coating is usually several layers, often fewer than 10, and is typically used to reduce reflection from the polycarbonate surface to less than 1%. An example of such a coating on a polycarbonate surface is shown in FIG. 13 . The color map of this coating is shown in Figure 14 and it was observed that the color is very neutral. An overall reflectance of 0.21% was observed. The reflected light was observed to have CIE coordinates (0.234, 0.075); the transmitted light had CIE coordinates (0.334, 0.336).

AR coatings can be applied to both surfaces of lenses or other ophthalmic devices for higher transmission. Such a construction is shown in Figure 15, where the thicker wire 1510 is AR coated polycarbonate and the thinner wire 1520 is an uncoated polycarbonate substrate. This AR coating provides a 10% improvement in total transmitted light. There is some natural loss of light due to absorption in the polycarbonate substrate. The particular polycarbonate substrate used for this example has a transmission loss of approximately 3%. In the ophthalmic industry, AR coatings are often applied to both surfaces to increase the transmittance of the lens.

In systems according to the invention, AR coatings or other color balancing films can be combined with absorbing dyes to allow simultaneous absorption of blue wavelength light, typically in the 430nm region, and increased transmission. As mentioned above, light cancellation only in the 430nm region usually results in a lens with some residual color cast. In order to spectrally tailor the light to achieve color-neutral transmission, at least one of the AR coatings can be modified to tune the overall transmitted color of the light. In an ophthalmic system according to the invention, this adjustment can be performed on the front surface of the lens to create the following lens structure:

Air (furthest from user's eye)/forward convex lens coating/absorbing ophthalmic lens substrate/retractive anti-reflective coating/air (closest to user's eye).

In such configurations, in addition to the antireflection function typically performed in conventional lenses, the front coating can further provide spectral tailoring to compensate for absorption-induced color casts in the substrate. Therefore, the lens can provide the proper color balance for transmitted and reflected light. In the case of transmitted light, color balance allows for correct color vision; in the case of reflected light, color balance provides proper lens aesthetics.

In some cases, a color balancing film may be disposed between two layers of other ophthalmic materials. For example, optical filters, AR films, or other films may be disposed within the ophthalmic material. For example, the following configuration can be used:

Air (furthest from user's eye) / Ophthalmic Material / Film / Ophthalmic Material / Air (closest to user's eye).

A color balancing film may also be a coating, such as a hard coat, applied to the exterior and/or interior surfaces of the lens. Other configurations are also possible. For example, referring to FIG. 3 , an ophthalmic system may include an ophthalmic material 301 doped with a blue light absorbing dye and one or more color balancing layers 302 , 303 . In another configuration, the inner layer 301 may be a color balancing layer surrounded by an ophthalmic material 302, 303 doped with a blue light absorbing dye. Additional layers and/or coatings, such as AR coatings, may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the system. It will be appreciated how similar materials and constructions may be used in systems such as those described with reference to Figures 4-8B.

Thus, optical films and/or coatings such as AR coatings can be used to fine tune the overall spectral response of lenses with absorbing dyes. Transmittance variations across the visible spectrum are well known and vary as a function of the thickness and number of layers in an optical coating. In the present invention, one or more layers may be used to provide the desired adjustment of the spectral properties.

In an exemplary system, the color change is produced by a single layer of _Ti02 , a common AR coating material. Figure 16 shows the spectral transmittance of a 106 nm thick monolayer _TiO2 . A color map of this same layer is shown in FIG. 17 . The CIE color coordinates (x,y) 1710 shown for transmitted light are (0.331, 0.345). The reflected light has CIE coordinates (0.353,0.251) 1720, resulting in a purple-pink color.

Varying the thickness of the _TiO2 layer changed the color of the transmitted light, as shown in the transmission spectrum and color maps for the 134 nm layer shown in Figures 18 and 19, respectively. In this system, the transmitted light exhibits CIE coordinates (0.362,0.368) 1910 and the reflected light has CIE coordinates (0.209,0.229) 1920 . The transmission properties of various AR coatings and their prediction or estimation are known in the art. For example, various computer programs can be used to calculate and predict the transmission effect of an AR coating formed from a known thickness of AR material. Exemplary, non-limiting programs include Essential Macleod Thin Films Software available from Thin FilmCenter Corporation, TFCaIc available from SoftwareSpectra Corporation, and FilmStar Optical Thin Film Software available from FTG Software Associates. Other methods can be used to predict the performance of AR coatings or other similar coatings or films.

In systems according to the invention, blue light absorbing dyes may be combined with coatings or other films to provide a color balanced blue light blocking system. The coating may be an AR coating on the front surface that is modified to correct the color of transmitted and/or reflected light. The transmittance and color maps of exemplary AR coatings are shown in Figures 20 and 21, respectively. Figures 22 and 23 show the transmittance and color plots, respectively, for a polycarbonate substrate with a blue light absorbing dye and no AR coating. The dyed substrate absorbs most strongly in the 430nm region, including some absorption in the 420-440nm region. Dyed substrates can be combined with appropriate AR coatings as shown in Figures 20-21 to increase the overall transmittance of the system. The transmission and color plots for dyed substrates with rear AR coatings are shown in Figures 24 and 25, respectively.

AR coatings can also be applied to the front of the ophthalmic system (ie, the surface furthest from the wearer's eyes of the system), resulting in the transmittance and color maps shown in Figures 26 and 27, respectively. Although the system exhibits high transmission and the transmitted light is relatively neutral, the reflected light has a CIE of (0.249,0.090). Therefore, to more thoroughly color balance the effect of the blue-blocking dye, the front AR coating can be modified to achieve the necessary color balance to produce a neutral color build. The transmittance and color plots for this configuration are shown in Figures 28 and 29, respectively. In this configuration, transmitted and reflected light can be optimized to achieve a neutral color. It may be preferred that the internally reflected light is about 6%. If the level of reflection is annoying to the wearer of the system, the reflectance can be further reduced by adding to the lens substrate another different absorbing dye which will absorb different wavelengths of visible light. However, the design of this configuration achieves remarkable performance and meets the needs of a color-balanced blue-blocking ophthalmic system as described herein. The total transmission is over 90%, and the transmitted and reflected colors are very close to the neutral white point. As shown in Figure 27, the reflected light has a CIE of (0.334, 0.334) and the transmitted light has a CIE of (0.341, 0.345), indicating little or no color shift.

In some configurations, the pre-modified anti-reflective coating can be designed to block 100% of the blue light wavelengths to be suppressed. However, this may result in approximately 9% to 10% back reflections for the wearer. This level of reflection can be annoying to the wearer. Thus, by incorporating absorbing dyes into the lens substrate, this reflection using pre-modified anti-reflective coatings can achieve the desired effect while reducing the reflectance to levels that are acceptable to the wearer. Reflected light observed by a wearer of a system including one or more AR coatings may be reduced to 8% or less, or more preferably to 3% or less.

The combination of front and rear AR coatings can be referred to as a dielectric stack, and various materials and thicknesses can be used to further alter the transmission and reflection characteristics of the ophthalmic system. For example, the front AR coating and/or the rear AR coating can be made of different thicknesses and/or materials to achieve a particular color balance effect. In some cases, the materials used to create the dielectric stack may not be the materials traditionally used to create anti-reflective coatings. That is, the color balancing coating can correct the color shift caused by the blue absorbing dye in the substrate without performing an anti-reflection function.

As mentioned above, filters are another technology used for blue light blocking. Thus, any of the blue blocking components described may be or include, or be combined with, a blue blocking filter. Such filters may include rugate filters, interference filters, bandpass filters, bandstop filters, notch filters or dichroic Dichroic filter.

In embodiments of the present invention, one or more of the above blue light blocking techniques may be used in combination with other blue light blocking techniques. By way of example only, a lens or lens component can utilize dyes/tinting and comb notch filters to effectively block blue light.

Any of the structures and techniques disclosed above may be employed in an ophthalmic system according to the present invention to perform blocking of blue light wavelengths at or near 400-460 nm. For example, in an embodiment, the wavelengths of blocked blue light may be within a predetermined range. In an embodiment, the range may be 430nm±30nm. In other embodiments, the range may be 430nm±20nm. In other embodiments, the range may be 430nm ± 10nm. In an embodiment, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the aforementioned range to substantially 90% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 80% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 70% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 60% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 50% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 40% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 30% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 20% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 10% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 5% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 1% of the incident wavelength. In other embodiments, the ophthalmic system may limit the transmission of blue light wavelengths within the above range to substantially 0% of the incident wavelength. In other words, the ophthalmic system may have an attenuation of the electromagnetic spectrum for wavelengths within the above ranges of at least 10%, or at least 20%, or at least 30%, or at least 40%, or at least 50%, or at least 60%, or at least 70% or at least 80% or at least 90% or at least 95% or at least 99% or substantially 100%

In some cases, it may be particularly desirable to filter a relatively small portion of the blue spectrum, such as the 400nm-460nm region. For example, blocking too much of the blue spectrum has been found to interfere with scotopic vision and circadian rhythms. Conventional blue-blocking ophthalmic lenses typically block a much greater amount of the broad blue spectrum, which can adversely affect the wearer's "biological clock" among other adverse effects. Therefore, it may be desirable to block a narrower range of the blue spectrum as described herein. Exemplary systems that can filter relatively small amounts of light in relatively small ranges include blocking or absorbing 5-50%, 5-20%, and 5- 10%.

While selectively blocking blue wavelengths as described above, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the rest of the visible electromagnetic spectrum can be transmitted by the ophthalmic system. In other words, the attenuation of the ophthalmic system for the electromagnetic spectrum at wavelengths outside the blue spectrum (e.g., wavelengths other than those in the range around 430 nm) may be 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, and in other embodiments 5% or less.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention may further block ultraviolet radiation UVA and UVB bands and infrared radiation having wavelengths greater than 700 nm.

Any of the ophthalmic systems disclosed above may be incorporated into eyewear, including externally worn eyewear such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, goggles, or contact lenses. In such eyewear, because the blue blocking component of the system follows the color balancing component, the blue blocking component is always closer to the eye than the color balancing component when the eyewear is worn. Ophthalmic systems may also be used in articles such as surgically implantable intraocular lenses.

As used herein, a component "selectively inhibits" or "selectively inhibits" if the component inhibits at least some transmission in a wavelength range with little effect on the transmission of visible wavelengths outside that range. filter" this wavelength range. For example, if a selective filter filters wavelengths of 400-460nm, it only attenuates these wavelengths and does not attenuate other visible wavelengths. Even if a selective filter does not attenuate wavelengths outside of said selected range, the filter can be used in a system with, for example, a UV filter, an IR filter, or a filter directed to a different (though possibly overlapping) selected range. Another selective filter combined with one or more other filters. One embodiment of a dual filter system is provided in US 2008/0291392, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The attenuation over the selected wavelength range may be substantially uniform over the range (as in a comb filter), or may vary in attenuation level over the range (as in a dye with an absorption peak). ). Similarly, "selected range" indicates the range of wavelengths attenuated by the selective filter. "Selected range of blue light wavelength" refers to the range of blue light wavelengths within 400-500 nm, which does not encompass the entire range of 400-500 nm. Thus, the selective filter attenuates less than the entire spectrum of visible light, and preferably less than the entire spectrum of blue wavelengths (400-500nm).

Some embodiments use films to block blue light. Films in ophthalmic or other systems can selectively suppress at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, and/or at least 50% of blue light in the range of 400nm-460nm. The film and/or the system comprising the film may be color balanced such that a viewer and/or user perceives it as colorless. Systems comprising films according to the present invention may have a scotopic luminous transmission of 85% or better of visible light and further allow a human viewing through the film or system to have substantially normal color vision.

Figure 30 shows an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The film 3002 may be disposed between two layers or regions of one or more base materials 3001 , 3003 . As further described herein, the film may contain dyes that selectively inhibit specific wavelengths of light. The substrate material may be any material suitable for lenses, ophthalmic systems, windows, or other systems in which films may be placed.

The optical transmittance characteristics of an exemplary film according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 31 , wherein approximately 50% of blue light in the 430nm ± 10nm range is blocked with minimal loss to other wavelengths within the visible spectrum. The transmittances shown in FIG. 31 are exemplary and it will be appreciated that for many applications it may be desirable to selectively suppress less than 50% of blue light and/or the particular wavelengths suppressed may vary. It is believed that, in many applications, cell death could be reduced or prevented by blocking less than 50 percent of blue light. For example, it may be preferable to selectively suppress light in the 400-460 nm range by about 40%, more preferably about 30%, more preferably about 20%, more preferably about 10%, and more preferably about 5%. Selectively suppressing small amounts of light may allow preventing damage due to high energy light, while being small enough that the suppression does not adversely affect the system user's scotopic and/or circadian rhythms.

Figure 32 shows a film 3201 incorporated into an ophthalmic lens 3200 according to the present invention, wherein the film 3201 is sandwiched between layers of ophthalmic material 3202,3203. By way of example only, the thickness of the front layer of ophthalmic material is in the range of 200 microns to 1,000 microns.

Similarly, Figure 33 illustrates an exemplary system 3300, such as an automobile windshield, in accordance with the present invention. A membrane 3301 may be incorporated into the system 3300 where it is sandwiched between layers of base material 3302,3303. For example, where the system 3300 is a car windshield, the base material 3302, 3303 may be commonly used windshield glass. It will be appreciated that in various other systems including vision, display, ophthalmic and other systems, different base materials may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the system according to the invention can be operated in environments where the associated emitted visible light has a very specific spectrum. In such states, it may be desirable to tailor the filtering effect of the membrane to optimize the light transmitted, reflected or emitted by the object. This may be the case, for example, where the color of transmitted, reflected or emitted light is a major concern. For example, when films according to the invention are used in or with camera flashes or flash filters, it may be desirable that the perceived color of an image or print be as close as possible to true color. As another example, the film according to the invention can be used in an apparatus for observing back diseases of a patient's spectacles. In such systems it may be important that the film does not interfere with the true and observed color of the retina. As another example, certain forms of artificial light sources may benefit from wavelength tailored filters using the films of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the films of the present invention may be used in optochromic, electrochromic, or changeably tinted ophthalmic lenses, windows, or automotive windshields. Such a system may allow protection from UV light wavelengths, direct sunlight intensities and blue light wavelengths in an environment where tinting is not activated. In this embodiment, the blue wavelength protective properties of the film can function regardless of whether the tint is activated or not.

In one embodiment, the film may allow selective suppression of blue light while being color balanced, and will have a scotopic luminescence transmission of 85% or greater of visible light. Such films may be useful for lower light transmission uses such as driving or sports eyewear, and may provide enhanced visual performance due to increased contrast sensitivity.

For some applications, it may be desirable for a system according to the invention to selectively suppress blue light as described herein, and have a luminous transmission of less than about 85%, typically about 80-85%, across the visible spectrum. This may be the case, for example, if the base material used in the system suppresses more light across the entire visible wavelength due to its higher refractive index. As a specific example, a high index (eg, 1.7) lens can reflect more light at a wavelength, resulting in less than 85% luminous transmission.

In order to avoid, reduce or eliminate the problems present in conventional blue light blocking systems, it may be desirable to reduce but not eliminate the transmission of phototoxic blue light. The pupil of the eye responds to the photopic retinal illuminance measured in troland, which is the product of the incident flux with wavelength-dependent sensitivity of the retina and the projected area of the pupil. A filter located in front of the retina, whether within the eye as in an intraocular lens, affixed to the eye as in a contact lens or corneal replacement, or in the eye's light path as in an ophthalmic lens, reduces Total luminous flux to the retina, and stimulates pupillary dilation, thereby compensating for the reduction in field illuminance. When exposed to a steady luminance in the field, the pupil diameter typically fluctuates around a value that increases with decreasing luminance.

The functional relationship between pupil area and field illuminance described by Moon and Spencer, J. Opt. Soc. Am., Vol. 33, p. 260, 1944, using the following equation for pupil diameter:

d=4.9-3tanh(Log(L)+1) (0.1)

where d is measured in millimeters and L is the illuminance measured in ^cd /m2. Figure 34A shows pupil diameter (mm) as a function of field illuminance (cd/ ^m2 ). Figure 34B shows pupil area ( ^mm2 ) as a function of field illuminance.

Illuminance is defined by the international CIE standard as the spectrally weighted integral of visual sensitivity for wavelength:

Among them, for dark (night) vision, K _m ′ is equal to 1700.06lm/W, for bright (day) vision, K _m =683.2lm/W and the spectral luminous efficiency functions V _λ and V _λ ′ define standard photopic and dark Watch the observer. In, for example, Michael Kalloniatis and Charles Luu, Psychophysics of Vision (Psychophysics of Vision), available from http://webvision.med.utah.edu/Phychl.html last accessed on August 8, 2007 The luminous efficacy functions _Vλ and _Vλ ′ are illustrated graphically in Figure 9, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The intervention of absorbing ophthalmic elements in the form of intraocular lenses, contact lenses or spectacles reduces the illuminance according to the following formula:

where T _λ is the wavelength-dependent transmittance of the optical element. The value of the integral in Equation 1.3 normalized to the unfiltered illuminance value calculated from Equation 1.2 is shown in Table I for each of the prior art blue blocking lenses.

Table I

Referring to Table I, according to Pratt's ophthalmic filter reduces scotopic sensitivity by 83.6% of its unfiltered value, this attenuation would make night vision worse and stimulate pupillary dilation according to Equation 1.1. The device described by Mainster reduced the scotopic flux by 22.5%, which is not as severe as the Pratt device, but still significant.

In contrast, films according to the invention use absorptive or reflective ophthalmic elements to partially attenuate violet and blue light while reducing scotopic illuminance by no more than 15% of its unfiltered value. Surprisingly, it was found that the system according to the invention selectively suppresses the desired blue light region while having little or no effect on photopic and scotopic vision.

In one embodiment, perylene (C20H12, CAS #198-55-0) is included in the ophthalmic device at a concentration and thickness sufficient to absorb approximately two-thirds of the light at its absorption maximum at 437 nm. The transmission spectrum of this device is shown in FIG. 35 . The change in illuminance caused by this filter is only about 3.2% for scotopic viewing conditions and about 0.4% for photopic viewing conditions, as shown in Table I. According to Beer's law, increasing the concentration or thickness of perylene in the device reduces the transmittance at each wavelength. FIG. 36 shows the transmission spectrum of a device having a perylene concentration 2.27 times that of FIG. 6 . Although this device selectively blocked more phototoxic blue light than the device in Figure 6, it reduced scotopic illuminance by less than 6% and reduced scotopic illuminance by less than 0.7%. Note that reflections have been removed from the spectra of Figures 35 and 36 to show only the absorption effect of the dye.

Dyes other than perylene may have strong absorbance in the blue or approximately blue wavelength range and little or no absorbance in other regions of the visible spectrum. Examples of such dyes shown in Figure 46 include porphyrin, coumarin and acridine based molecules which can be used alone or in combination to provide reduced but not eliminated transmission at 400nm - 460nm. Thus the methods and systems described herein can use similar dyes based on other molecular structures, with mimic perylene, porphyrin, tetra The concentrations of the transmission spectra of magnesium porphyrin (MgTMP), coumarin and acridine or their derivatives.

In one embodiment, the selective filter mimics the transmission spectrum of one or more of the exemplary dyes provided herein. The dyes presented here were therefore used as reference filters to design similar filters using alternative materials. A filter can mimic the transmission spectrum of a reference filter by filtering approximately the same wavelengths. For example, a mimic filter can filter roughly the same wavelength range as the reference filter, ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 wavelengths. In another embodiment, the filter may mimic the transmission spectrum of a reference filter by filtering selected wavelengths to approximately the same level of rejection. For example, the maximum rejection (or minimum transmission) of the reference filter and the maximum rejection (or minimum transmission) of the mimic filter may be within about 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30% of each other Inside. In another embodiment, the mimic filter mimics the wavelength range and rejection level of the reference filter.

Insertion of dyes according to embodiments of the present invention into the optical path can be accomplished by different methods familiar to those practicing in the field of optical fabrication. The dye can be contained directly in the substrate, added to a polymer coating, absorbed into a lens, incorporated into a laminate structure including a dye-impregnated layer or as a composite material with dye-impregnated microparticles.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a dielectric coating can be applied that is partially reflective in the violet and blue spectral region and anti-reflective at longer wavelengths. Methods for designing suitable dielectric optical filters are summarized, for example, in the textbook "Thin Film Optical Filters" (Angus McLeod), McGraw-Hill, New York, 1989. An exemplary transmission spectrum for a six-layer stack of SiO ₂ and ZrO ₂ according to the invention is shown in FIG. 37 . Referring again to Table I, it can be seen that this optical filter blocks phototoxic blue and violet light while reducing scotopic illuminance by less than 5% and photopic illuminance by less than 3%.

While many traditional blue light blocking technologies attempt to suppress as much blue light as possible, the current research shows that in many applications it may be desirable to suppress relatively small amounts of blue light. For example, to prevent undesired effects on scotopic vision, it may be desirable for an ophthalmic system according to the present invention to suppress only about 30% of blue light (i.e., 380-500nm) wavelength light, or more preferably only about 20% of blue light, more preferably only about 20% of blue light. Preferably about 10%, and more preferably about 5%. It is believed that by suppressing as much as 5% of blue light, cell death can be reduced, while this degree of blue light reduction has little or no effect on scotopic and/or circadian behavior in those using the system.

As used herein, a film that selectively inhibits blue light according to the present invention is described as inhibiting the amount of light measured relative to the base system comprising the film. For example, ophthalmic systems may use polycarbonate or other similar substrates for lenses. Materials commonly used for such substrates can reject varying amounts of light at visible wavelengths. If a blue light blocking film according to the invention is added to the system, it can selectively suppress 5%, 10%, 20% of all blue light wavelengths measured relative to the amount of light transmitted at the same wavelength without the film. %, 30%, 40% and/or 50%.

The methods and apparatus disclosed herein minimize and preferably eliminate the shift in color perception caused by blue light blocking. Color perception by the human visual system arises from the neural processing of light signals falling on retinal pigments with distinct spectral response properties. To describe color perception mathematically, a color space is constructed by integrating the product of three wavelength-dependent color matching functions with spectral irradiance. The result is three numbers representing the perceived color. The uniform (L*,a*,b*) color space that has been established by the International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale de L'eclairage) (CIE) can be used to characterize perceived color, although similar calculations based on alternative color standards are Those skilled in the art of color science are familiar with, and can also be used. The (L*,a*,b*) color space defines the brightness on the L* axis and the color in the plane defined by the a* and b* axes. A uniform color space such as defined by this CIE standard may be preferred for computational and comparative applications because the Cartesian distance of this space is proportional to the magnitude of the perceived color difference between two objects. The use of uniform color spaces is generally recognized in the art, such as described in "Color Science: Concepts and Methods. Quantitative Data and Formulae" (Wyszecki and Stiles), Wiley Corporation, New York, 1982.

An optical design according to the methods and systems described herein may use a color palette that describes the spectrum of the visual environment. A non-limiting example of this is the Munsell matte palette, which consists of 1,269 colored tiles that happen to differ significantly from each other, having been established through psychophysical experiments. The spectral irradiance of these tiles was measured under standard lighting conditions. The array of color coordinates corresponding to each of these tiles illuminated by a D65 daylight illuminant in (L*,a*,b*) color space is the reference for color distortion and is shown in Figure 38 . The spectral irradiance of the color tiles is then modulated by the blue blocking filter and a new set of color coordinates is calculated. Each tile has a perceived color shifted by an amount corresponding to the geometric shift of the (L*, a*, b*) coordinates. This calculation has been applied to Pratt's blue-blocking filter, where the average color distortion is 41 just noticeable difference (JND) units in (L*, a*, b*) space. The minimum distortion caused by the Pratt filter is 19 JNDs, the maximum is 66, and the standard deviation is 7 JNDs. A histogram of the color shift for all 1,269 color tiles is shown in Figure 39A (top).

Referring now to FIG. 39B , the color shift caused by the Mainster blue blocking filter has a minimum of 6 JNDs, an average of 19 JNDs, a maximum of 34 JNDs, and a standard deviation of 6 JNDs.

Embodiments of the invention described above using perylene dyes or reflective filters with two concentrations can have much smaller color shifts than conventional devices, whether measured as average, minimum or maximum distortion, as shown in Table II. FIG. 40 shows a histogram of the color shift for a perylene dye substrate according to the invention, the transmission spectrum of which is shown in FIG. 35 . Notably, the offsets observed across all colored tiles are much lower and narrower than those for the conventional setup described by Mainster and Pratt et al. For example, simulation results show that (L*,a*,b*) is shifted as low as 12 and 20 JNDs, with an average shift of as low as 7-12 across all tiles for films according to the invention JND.

Table II

In one embodiment, a combination of reflective and absorbing elements can filter harmful blue light photons while maintaining relatively high luminous transmission. This may allow a system according to the invention to avoid or reduce pupil dilation, preserve or prevent impairment of night vision, and reduce color distortion. An example of this approach combines the dielectric stack shown in FIG. 37 with the perylene dye of FIG. 35 , resulting in the transmission spectrum shown in FIG. 41 . The device was observed to have a photopic transmission of 97.5%, a scotopic transmission of 93.2%, and an average color shift of 11 JNDs. A histogram summarizing the color distortion of this setup in daylight for a Munsell tile is shown in FIG. 42 .

In another embodiment, the ophthalmic filter is external to the eye, such as a spectacle lens, goggle, or visor. When using conventional filters, the color of the wearer's face may be tinted by the lens when viewed by an external observer, i.e. the face color or skin tone is often shifted by the blue light blocking lens when viewed by another person . Yellow discoloration with blue light absorption is often not aesthetically desirable. The process for minimizing this color shift is the same as described above for the Munsell tiles, substituting the reflectance of the wearer's skin for those of the Munsell colored tiles. Skin color is a function of pigments, blood flow and lighting conditions. A representative series of skin reflectance spectra from subjects of different ethnicities is shown in Figures 43A-B. An exemplary skin reflectance spectrum for a Caucasian subject is shown in FIG. 44 . The (L*, a*, b*) color coordinates of this skin in daylight (D65) lighting are (67.1, 18.9, 13.7). Insertion of the Pratt blue blocking filter changes these color coordinates to (38.9, 17.2, 44.0), an offset of 69 JND units. The Mainster blue blocking filter shifts the color coordinates by 17 JND units to (62.9, 13.1, 29.3). In contrast, the perylene filter as described herein induces a color shift of only 6 JNDs or one third of the Mainster filter. A summary of the aesthetic color shift of exemplary Caucasian skin under daylight illumination using various blue-blocking filters is shown in Table III. The data shown in Table I were normalized to remove any effect caused by the base material.

Table III

In one embodiment, the illuminants may be filtered to reduce but not eliminate the flux of blue light to the retina. This can be achieved using absorptive or reflective elements between the field of view and the illumination source using the principles described herein. For example, an architectural window can be covered with a perylene-containing film such that the transmission spectrum of the window matches that shown in FIG. 35 . Such a filter generally does not cause pupil dilation compared to an uncoated window, nor does it cause a perceivable color shift when external daylight passes through it. The blue light filter according to the present invention can be used on artificial illuminants such as fluorescent lamps, incandescent lamps, arc lamps, flash lamps and diode lamps as well as displays and the like.

Various materials can be used to manufacture membranes according to the invention. Two such exemplary materials are Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) and PolyVinyl Butyral (PVB). In the case of PVA film, it can be prepared by partially or completely hydrolyzing polyvinyl acetate to remove acetate groups. PVA films may be desirable because of beneficial film forming, emulsifying, and adhesive properties. Additionally, PVA films have high tensile strength, elasticity, high temperature stability, and provide a good oxygen barrier.

PVB films can be prepared by the reaction of polyvinyl alcohol in n-butyraldehyde. PVB may be suitable for applications requiring high strength, optical clarity, elasticity and toughness. PVB also has good film forming and bonding properties.

PVA, PVB, and other suitable films can be extruded, cast from solution, spin-coated and then cured, or dip-coated and then cured. Other manufacturing methods known in the art can also be used. There are various ways of integrating the dyes required to establish the desired spectral properties of the film. Exemplary dye integration methods include vapor deposition, chemical crosslinking within the film, dissolution within small polymer microspheres followed by integration within the film. Suitable dyes are commercially available from companies including Keystone, BPI & Phantom.

The tinting of most eyeglass lenses is done after the lenses are shipped from the manufacturer. Therefore, it may be desirable to incorporate blue light absorbing dyes during the manufacture of the lenses themselves. In doing so, light filtering and color balancing dyes can be incorporated into the hard coat and/or an associated primer coating that facilitates adhesion of the hard coat to the lens material. Knot. For example, primer coatings and associated hardcoats are often added to the top of eyeglass lenses or other ophthalmic systems at the end of the manufacturing process to provide additional durability and scratch resistance to the final product. The hard coat is usually the outermost layer of the system and can be placed on the front surface, the rear surface, or both the front and rear surfaces of the system.

FIG. 47 shows an exemplary system with a hard coat 4703 and its associated adhesion promoting primer coat 4702. Exemplary hard coats and adhesion promoting primer coats can be obtained from manufacturers such as Tokuyama, UltraOptics, SDC, PPG, and LTI.

In systems according to the invention, blue blocking dyes and color balancing dyes may be included in primer coat 1802 . Blue blocking and color balancing dyes may also be included in the hard coat 1803. The dye does not have to be included in the same coating. For example, a blue blocking dye may be included in hard coat 1803 and a color balancing dye may be included in primer coat 1802 . A color balancing dye may be included in the hard coat 1803 and a blue blocking dye may be included in the primer coat 1802 .

Primers and hardcoats according to the invention may be deposited using methods known in the art, including spin coating, dip coating, spray coating, evaporation, sputtering and chemical vapor deposition. The blue blocking and/or color balancing dye to be included in each layer may be deposited simultaneously with that layer, such as the dye being dissolved in the liquid coating material, and the resulting mixture applied to the system. The dye may also be deposited in a separate process or sub-process, such as spraying the dye on the surface prior to curing or drying or applying the coating.

The hard coat and/or primer coat can perform the function and achieve the benefits described herein with respect to the film. Specifically, the coating can selectively suppress blue light while maintaining desired levels of photopic, scotopic, circadian, and phototoxicity. Hard coats and/or primer coats as described herein may also be used in any and various combinations in an ophthalmic system comprising a film as described herein. As a specific example, an ophthalmic system may include a film that selectively inhibits blue light and a hard coat that provides color correction.

The selective filters of the present invention can also provide enhanced contrast sensitivity. Such systems are used to selectively filter harmful invisible and visible light with minimal impact on photopic, scotopic, color vision and/or circadian rhythms while maintaining acceptable or even improved contrast sensitivity. The invention can be constructed such that in certain embodiments the final residual color of the device to which the selective filter is applied is substantially colorless, and in other embodiments where a substantially transparent residual color is not required, the residual color May be yellowish. Preferably, the yellow color of the selective filter is not objectionable to the subjective individual wearer. Yellowness can be quantitatively measured using a yellowness index such as ASTM E313-05. Preferably, the selective filter has a yellowness index of no greater than 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 23, 20, 15, 10, 9, 7 or 5.

The present invention may include selective light wavelength filtering embodiments such as: windows, car windshields, light bulbs, flash bulbs, fluorescent lights, LED lighting, televisions, computer monitors, and the like. Any light that hits the retina can be selectively filtered by the present invention. By way of example only, the invention may be practiced by a film comprising: a selective filter dye or pigment; a dye or pigment component added after fabrication of the substrate; a dye component integrated with the fabrication or formation of the substrate material; Synthetic and non-synthetic pigments, such as melanin, lutein, or zeaxanthin; selective filters provided as visible tinting (having one or more colors) as in contact lenses Optical dyes or pigments; Selective filter dyes or pigments provided in ophthalmic anti-scratch coatings (hard coats); Selective filter dyes or pigments provided in ophthalmic anti-reflective coatings; In hydrophobic coatings wavelength-selective filter dyes or pigments provided; interference filters; wavelength-selective filters; wavelength-selective filter dyes or pigments provided in photochromic lenses; or, in light bulbs or tubes Selective wavelength filter dyes or pigments provided in a matrix. It should be noted that the present invention contemplates optically selective wavelength filters for selectively filtering a specific range of wavelengths or multiple specific ranges of wavelengths without filtering the wavelengths uniformly across the visible spectrum.

A person skilled in the art will readily know how to provide a substrate material with a selective optical wavelength filter. By way of example only, the selective filter can: be imbibed, injected, impregnated, added to the raw material of the substrate; added to the resin prior to polymerization; Inner layering.

The present invention may utilize appropriate concentrations of dyes and/or pigments such as perylene, porphyrin or their derivatives, by way of example only. Refer to FIG. 48 to observe the different concentrations of perylene and the ability to block the function of the wavelength of light around 430nm. The level of transmission can be controlled by the dye concentration. Other dye chemistries allow tuning of the absorption peak position.

Perylene at appropriate concentration levels provides a balance in photopic, scotopic, circadian and phototoxicity ratios while maintaining a substantially colorless appearance.

Table IV

For appropriate concentrations of perylene, an increase in contrast sensitivity was observed. See Example 2, Table VI. It should be pointed out that perylene based dyes or pigment families are used only as examples for the practice of the invention. When such a dye is used, depending on the embodiment or application, the dye may be formed such that it is molecularly or chemically bound to the substrate or to a coating applied to the substrate such that the dye does not leach out. By way of example only, applications would be for contact lenses, IOLs, corneal inlays, corneal onlays, and the like.

Selective filters can be combined to block other wavelengths of interest when science has found other wavelengths of visible light to be harmful. For example, selective filters can be combined to block more than one wavelength range of interest while identifying additional hazards. In one embodiment, the system includes: 1) a selective filter that reduces hazards associated with the A2E chromophore; and, 2) one or more additional filters that reduce another identified hazards, for example, visible light wavelength hazards.

In one embodiment of the invention, the contact lens is constructed of a perylene dye formulated such that it does not leach from the contact lens material. The dye is further formulated such that it provides coloration with a yellow cast. This yellow cast allows contact lenses to have what is known as a wearer's treatment tint. Perylene dyes or pigments further provide selective filtering, as shown in Figure 48. This filtering provides retinal protection and enhanced contrast sensitivity without compromising a person's photopic, scotopic, color vision, or circadian rhythms in any effective way.

In the case of an embodiment of the present invention of a contact lens, by way of example only, the dye or pigment may be applied by blotting into the contact lens so that it is located within a circle of 10 mm diameter or less in the center of the contact lens, preferably within Within 6–8 mm diameter of the center of the contact lens that coincides with the wearer's pupil. In this embodiment, the concentration of dyes or pigments that provide selective optical wavelength filtering is increased to provide the wearer with increased contrast sensitivity (compared to not wearing contact lenses) without compromising the wearer's sensitivity in any effective way. Level of (one or more or all of) photopic, scotopic, color vision, or circadian rhythm.

Preferably, by at least about a 0.1, 0.25, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 1.25, 1.4, or 1.5 increase in the user's Contrast Sensitivity Test (Functional AcuityContrast Test) (FACT ^™ Sine Wave Grating Test) score Demonstrates an increase in contrast sensitivity. Relative to the wearer's photopic, scotopic, color vision and/or circadian rhythm, the ophthalmic system preferably maintains one or all of these properties at 15%, 10%, 5% of the level of the property without the ophthalmic system or within 1%.

In another embodiment of the invention utilizing a contact lens, there is provided a dye or pigment that causes a yellowish tint, located on a diameter of 5 - 7 mm in the center of the contact lens, and wherein the tinting adds a second color at the periphery to the center coloring. In this embodiment the concentration of dyes providing selective optical wavelength filtering is increased to provide very good contrast sensitivity to the wearer and again without compromising the wearer's photopic, scotopic, color vision in any effective way or the level of (one or more or all of) circadian rhythms.

In yet another embodiment of the invention utilizing a contact lens, the dye or pigment is provided such that it is located over substantially the full diameter of the contact lens from side to side. In this embodiment the concentration of dyes providing selective optical wavelength filtering is increased to provide very good contrast sensitivity to the wearer and again without compromising the wearer's photopic, scotopic, color vision in any effective way or the level of (one or more or all of) circadian rhythms.

When using various embodiments of the invention in or on human or animal tissue, the dye is formulated in such a way as to chemically bind to the embedded substrate material, thus ensuring that it does not leach out in the surrounding corneal tissue. Methods for providing chemical hooks that allow such incorporation are well known in the chemical and polymer industries.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the intraocular lens includes a selective optical wavelength filter having a yellow tint and further provides the wearer with improved contrast sensitivity without compromising the wearer's Photopic, scotopic, color vision, or circadian rhythm (one or more or all of them). When selective filters are used on or within the intraocular lens, the level of dye or pigment can be increased beyond spectacle lenses because the aesthetics of the intraocular lens are invisible to the person looking at the wearer. This allows the ability to increase the concentration of dyes or pigments and provides even higher levels of improved contrast sensitivity without compromising the wearer's photopic, scotopic, color vision or circadian rhythms (of one or more or all).

In another embodiment of the invention, an eyeglass lens includes a selective optical wavelength filter including a dye having a perylene, wherein the dye is formulated to provide a substantially colorless appearance glasses lenses. Furthermore, it provides the wearer with improved contrast sensitivity without compromising (one or more or all of) the wearer's photopic, scotopic, color vision or circadian rhythms in any effective manner. In this particular embodiment of the invention, the dye or pigment is applied within a film located within or on the surface of the spectacle lens.

In one embodiment, a system includes a blue blocking component and a photochromic component. More specifically, the ophthalmic system can include: a blue light blocking component that selectively filters a selected range of blue light wavelengths including wavelengths at about 430 nm; and a photochromic component that, when activated, filters light wavelengths including the blue light Visible light at wavelengths outside the range is selected.

The component descriptors "photochromic" and "blue-blocking" are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, photochromic dyes can, but need not, block at least some blue light wavelengths. Likewise, the blue blocking component can be photochromic or non-photochromic. In one embodiment, the blue blocking member is non-photochromatic so as to provide a continuous blue blocking function, ie, blue blocking under all or substantially all lighting conditions. Even in embodiments where the blue-blocking component may be photochromic, it is still preferred that the blue-blocking function continuously under all or substantially all lighting conditions. Thus, blue light blocking works independently of the photochromic component.

A photochromic blue light blocking system can be, for example, an ophthalmic lens (including prescription or non-prescription lenses), spectacle lenses, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, corneal inlays, corneal onlays, corneal grafts, electro-active lenses, windshields, or windows.

The blue blocking member can be any of the blue blocking embodiments described herein. Thus, in one embodiment, the blue light blocking component is at least one of perylene, porphyrin, coumarin, acridine, and derivatives thereof. In one embodiment, the blue light blocking member includes perylene or a derivative thereof. In another embodiment, the blue light blocking component comprises porphyrin or its derivatives, such as tetra Magnesium porphyrin (MgTMP). The blue blocking component may also include a mixture of dyes.

In one embodiment, the blue light blocking component selectively filters at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% of light in said blue light wavelength selection range. %, 95%, 99%, or approximately 100%. The blue light wavelength selection range may include wavelengths at about 430nm, eg 430nm ± 10, 20 or 30nm. In another embodiment, the blue light wavelength selection range includes wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 440 nm, from about 410 nm to about 450 nm, or from about 400 nm to about 460 nm.

Photochromic lenses such as those manufactured by Transitions Optical are well known in the art. The photochromic component is activated by an activation stimulus of light having a specific wavelength. Activated photochromic components reduce transmission through the system. In other words, activated photochromic components darken the system. When the activating stimulus (eg, the activating wavelength) is removed, the photochromic component can return to an inactive state, characterized by increased transmissivity.

In one embodiment, the average transmission over the visible spectrum in the activated system is at least 20% less than the average transmission over the visible spectrum in the inactive system. In other embodiments, the activation reduces the average transmission over the visible spectrum by at least about 10%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70%.

In one embodiment, the photochromic component responds rapidly to changes in external lighting conditions, typically a change in the activation stimulus. Thus, in one embodiment, after the inactive photochromic component is activated by an activation stimulus, the photochromic component will switch to an active state in less than 10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 minute. Similarly, in another embodiment, an activated photochromic component will transition to an inactive state in less than 10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minute following removal of the activating stimulus.

Exemplary photochromic dyes include, but are not limited to: triarylmethanes, stilbenes, azastilbenes, nitrogenes, fulgides, spiropyrans , naphthopyrans, spiro-oxazines and quinones.

The choice of photochromic components may depend in part on the desired activation stimulus. In one embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by at least one of UVB, UVA, blue, visible and infrared wavelengths. In another embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by UVB, UVA or infrared wavelengths. By choosing UVB or UVA wavelengths as the activation stimulus, the photochromic component is advantageously activated outdoors and inhibited indoors. While the activating stimulus could be blue light or other visible wavelengths, these embodiments may be dark in indoor environments, which is undesirable for some applications. Alternatively, if the blue light blocking component was also photochromic, it would be desirable to have an activation stimulus that would keep this component activated and thus maintain retinal protection both indoors and outdoors.

In yet another embodiment, the photochromic component is activated by light having a wavelength of about 380 nm to about 410 nm. As described in US 7,166,357, this activation stimulus allows photochromic components to be activated behind UV filters such as car windshields. This advantageously provides an ophthalmic lens that can remain photoresponsive when worn by a user in an automobile.

The system may further include UV filters, such as UVA and/or UVB filters. In one embodiment, the UV filter does not prevent activation of any photochromic components. This can be achieved, for example, by positioning the UV filter behind (behind) the photochromic part, so that the UV light is first incident on the photochromic part, but is then filtered by the UV filter before reaching the wearer. Light. In another example, the UV filter does not filter the wavelengths that activate the photochromic components, or at least does not filter them to the extent that activation is prevented.

By including a photochromic component and a blue light blocking component, the system ideally always provides retinal protection at blue wavelengths, while also adjusting visible light transmittance according to external lighting conditions.

In one embodiment, the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an activated system is less than the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an inactive system. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that when the system is activated, the average transmittance of the selected range of blue wavelengths decreases as the blue blocking and photochromic components filter the selected range of blue wavelengths, creating an additive effect. This embodiment features enhanced retinal protection, especially in the activated state. Bright light conditions may dilate the pupils, increasing the chance of retinal damage. For such embodiments, bright light conditions may also activate the system to provide increased blue light protection, thus protecting the wearer from increased exposure.

Other environmental conditions such as temperature changes, especially lower temperatures, may impair the photochromic lens' ability to filter blue light wavelengths. Thus, a photochromic system that also includes a blue light blocking component can compensate for a decrease in retinal protection under certain environmental conditions.

In another embodiment, the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an activated system is substantially the same as the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in the same system in an inactive state. In one embodiment, the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an activated system is 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20% of the average transmittance of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in an inactive system %, 15%, 10%, 5%, 3% or 1%. In yet another embodiment, the average transmission of said selected range of blue light wavelengths in the activated system is 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20% of the average transmission over the visible spectrum in the activated system , 15%, 10%, 5%, 3% or 1%, such that the activated system provides substantially uniform filtering across the visible spectrum. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the color balance (eg, white light transmission and/or CIE of yellowness index) of a photochromic lens may be significantly disturbed by filtering extra blue light. By keeping the average transmittance of the blue wavelength selection range substantially constant, it is believed that color balance can be substantially maintained. This embodiment features enhanced color balance while still providing retinal protection regardless of external lighting conditions.

In one embodiment, to provide a photochromic blue blocking system with excellent color balance, the photochromic and blue blocking components are selected to achieve an essentially non-additive effect over the selected range of blue wavelengths. This may for example be achieved by selecting the photochromic component such that when activated mainly filters wavelengths outside said blue wavelength selection range. In this way, the activated photochromic component does not significantly affect the average transmission of the selected range of blue light wavelengths. Exemplary photochromic dyes suitable for this purpose include those that block beyond about 400 nm, 410 nm, 420 nm, 430 nm, 440 nm, 450 nm, or 460 nm when activated. In another embodiment, the photochromic dye selectively blocks wavelengths greater than about 430 nm, 440 nm, 450 nm, or 460 nm.

Photochromatic blue light blocking systems can also be used to achieve the beneficial properties described above, including contrast sensitivity, color balance, color vision, photopic, scotopic, and circadian rhythms. Thus, in one embodiment, the photochromatic blue light blocking system increases contrast sensitivity in a contrast sensitivity test (FACT ^™ Sine Wave Grating Test) by at least about 0.1, 0.25, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 1.25, 1.4, or 1. 5 o'clock. In another embodiment, the photochromatic blue light blocking system has no more than 50, 40, 35, 30, 25, 23, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 the yellowness index. In yet another embodiment, the photochromic blue blocking system has (0.33±0.05, 0.33±0.05) or (0.33±0.02, 0.33±0.02) when transmitted through the inactive system, the activated system, or both the inactive and activated systems The CIE.

The blue blocking and photochromic components can be prepared according to any method known in the art, including, for example, coating or impregnating a dye into a polymeric substrate. Each of the blue blocking component and the photochromic component can be present independently throughout the system or locally in the system, for example, in an annular or peripheral portion. Each component can exist as an independent layer. The blue light blocking component may be in physical contact with or isolated from the photochromic layer (eg, separated by a barrier layer or other intervening ophthalmic component). The blue blocking component can follow the photochromic component or vice versa. In another embodiment, the blue blocking component and the photochromic component are mixed and incorporated into a single substrate or coating.

The blue blocking component may be present at a concentration of about 1 ppm to about 50 ppm, about 1 ppm to about 20 ppm, about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm, about 1 ppm to about 5 ppm, about 2 ppm to about 10 ppm, or about 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 3 ppm, 4 ppm, 5 ppm, Concentrations of 6ppm, 7ppm, 8ppm, 9ppm, 10ppm, 12ppm, 15ppm, 17ppm, 20ppm, 25ppm, 30ppm, 35ppm or 50ppm. These concentrations are particularly effective for perylene and its derivatives, but one of ordinary skill in the art can adapt appropriate concentrations to different blue blocking dyes.

All references and published disclosures mentioned above are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each were individually incorporated by reference.

Various modifications and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. Certain embodiments are further described by the following non-limiting examples.

example

Example 1: Polycarbonate lenses were fabricated with integrated films with varying blue blocking dye concentrations and the transmission spectrum of each lens was measured, as shown in FIG. 45 . Perylene concentrations of 35, 15, 7.6 and 3.8 ppm (by weight) at a lens thickness of 2.2 mm were used. The various metrics calculated for each lens are shown in Table IV, where the references correspond to the reference numerals in FIG. 45 . Since the selective absorption of light depends primarily on the product of dye concentration and coating thickness according to Beer's law, it is believed that it can be achieved using a hardcoat and/or primer coating in combination with or instead of a membrane. quite the result.

Table V

Except for the 35 ppm dyed lenses, all lenses described in Table IV and Figure 45 included UV dyes commonly used in ophthalmic lens systems to limit UV wavelengths below 380 nm. The photopic ratio describes normal vision and is calculated as the integral of the filter transmission spectrum and Vλ (photopic sensitivity) divided by the integral of unfiltered light and this same sensitivity curve. The scotopic ratio describes vision under dark lighting conditions and is calculated as the integral of the filter transmission spectrum and V'λ (scotopic sensitivity) divided by the integral of unfiltered light and this same sensitivity curve. The circadian rhythm ratio describes the effect of light on the circadian rhythm and is calculated as the integral of the filter transmission spectrum and M'λ (melatonin suppression sensitivity) divided by the integral of unfiltered light and this same sensitivity curve. The phototoxicity ratio describes the damage to eyeglasses caused by exposure to high-energy light and is calculated as the integral of the filter transmission spectrum and Bλ (phakic UV blue light toxicity) divided by unfiltered light and this same sensitivity curve integral. The response functions used to calculate these values correspond to those disclosed in: How much blue light should an IOL transmit? Br. J. Ophthalmol, Vol. 87, pp. 1523-29, Mainster and Sparrow, 2003. (How Much Blue Light Should an IOL Transmit?)"; Mainster's "Intraocular Lenses Should Block UV Radiationand Violet but not Blue Light); and Violet and Blue Light Blocking Intraocular Lenses: Photoprotection vs. .Photoreception). For some applications, different phototoxicity curves are appropriate, but the calculation method is the same. For example, for intraocular lens (IOL) applications, an aphakic phototoxicity curve should be used. Also, new phototoxicity curves can be applied as the understanding of the phototoxicity mechanism improves.

As shown by the exemplary data described above, systems according to the present invention can selectively suppress blue light, specifically light in the 400nm-460nm region, while still providing a photopic luminous transmittance of at least about 85%. luminous transmission) and a phototoxicity ratio of less than about 80%, more preferably less than about 70%, more preferably less than about 60%, and more preferably less than about 50%. As noted above, photopic luminous transmittances as high as 95% or greater can also be achieved using the techniques described herein.

The principles described here can be applied to different illuminants, filters, and skin tones, with the goal of filtering a certain portion of phototoxic blue light while reducing pupil dilation, scotopic sensitivity, color distortion by ophthalmic devices, and The aesthetic color of the external ophthalmic device from the perspective of an observer looking at a person wearing the device on their face.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated and/or described in detail herein. It will be appreciated, however, that the above teaching covers modifications and variations of this invention within the purview of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention. For example, although the methods and systems described herein have been described using examples of specific dyes, dielectric optical filters, skin tones, and luminaries, it will be appreciated that alternative dyes, filters, skin colors, and luminescences may be used. body. Also, the term "a" or "an" as used herein means one or more, unless specifically specified as singular.

Example 2: Contrast sensitivity was tested on 9 patients using dye concentrations of 1X and 2X relative to a clear filter as a control. According to the contrast sensitivity test (FACT ^™ sine wave grating test), 7 out of 9 patients showed overall improved contrast sensitivity. See Table VI:

Claims (24)

1. An ophthalmic system comprising: at least one blue light blocking component and at least one photochromic component having an active state and an inactive state, Wherein, the ophthalmic system comprises an ophthalmic lens; wherein, when the photochromic component is in an inactive state, the blue light blocking component continuously and selectively filters 5% to 50% of light in the wavelength range of 420nm to 440nm, and The ophthalmic system has an average visible light transmission of at least 80%; Wherein, the photochromic component is activated by at least one of visible light and infrared wavelengths; wherein said photochromic component, when activated, filters visible light including wavelengths outside said 420nm to 440nm wavelength range; and Wherein the blue light blocking component and the photochromic component are configured to achieve a non-additive effect on the selection range when the photochromic component is in an activated state. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking component is one of: a comb filter, an interference filter, a bandpass filter, a bandstop filter, a notch filter Light mirrors, or dichroic filters, or dielectric stacks. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking component is an organic or inorganic compound exhibiting absorption and/or reflection and/or interference of blue light wavelengths. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking component is an anti-reflection (AR) coating. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking component is one or more porphyrin dyes or porphyrin derivatives. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking member is integrated into a PVA or PVB film. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a yellowness index of no greater than 10 in an inactive state. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a yellowness index of no greater than 7 in an inactive state. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a yellowness index of no greater than 5 in an inactive state. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the average transmission over the visible spectrum in the activated system is at least 20% less than the average transmission over the visible spectrum in the inactive system. 11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a UV filter. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an ophthalmic lens, spectacle lens, contact lens, intraocular lens, corneal inlay, corneal onlay, or electro-active lens. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the photochromic component and the blue blocking is present throughout the system. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue blocking member is not in physical contact with the photochromic member. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue blocking component and the photochromic component are mixed. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a yellow index of no greater than 15 in an inactive state. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue light blocking component selectively filters at least 10% of light in the 420nm to 440nm wavelength range. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the photochromic component is activated by blue light. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the photochromic component is activated by visible light. 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the photochromic component is activated by infrared light. 21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the average transmittance of light in the 420nm to 440nm wavelength range in the active state is less than the light in the 420nm to 440nm wavelength range in the inactive state average transmittance. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the blue blocking component precedes the photochromic component. 23. The system of claim 15, wherein the ophthalmic system includes a coating, and wherein the blue blocking component and the photochromic component are mixed in the coating. 24. The system of claim 15, wherein the ophthalmic system includes a substrate, and wherein the blue blocking component and the photochromic component are mixed in the substrate.