IES86544B2

IES86544B2 - Diopter configured to restrict electromagnetic radiations damaging the visual system

Info

Publication number: IES86544B2
Application number: IES20140139A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Celia Sanchez Ramos
Original assignee: Univ Madrid Complutense
Priority date: 2013-06-03
Filing date: 2014-06-03
Publication date: 2015-06-03
Also published as: DE202013102610U1; CH708114A2; ITRM20130168U1; IES20140139A2; FR3006452A3; ES1094781U; PT10925T; ES1094781Y; FR3006452B3

Abstract

The invention relates to a diopter configured to restrict radiations damaging the visual system, said diopter having a substance on its surface or inside it modifying the transmission properties of the diopter.

Description

“Diopter Configured to Restrict Electromagnetic Radiations Damaging the Visual System” Field of the Invention The present invention is comprised in the general field of preventive medicine and public health, and it particularly relates to a diopter configured to restrict radiations damaging the visual system.

State of the Art Wavelengths in the range of 180 to 380 nm can cause photokeratitis and opacities 10 in the crystalline lens. Photochemical lesions of the retina (310 to 550 nm in aphakic eyes) can occur in the range of 380 to 550 nm of the visible spectrum (violet and blue light). Heating by absorption of visible radiation or IRA (400 nm to 1,200 nm) can contribute to the formation of opacities in the crystalline lens. Corneal erosions can also occur. Visible radiation and IRA (400 to 1,400 nm) can cause heat damage to the retina as a result of fhe transparency of ocular media. In the IR A and B range (800 to 3,000 nm), heat injuries of the crystalline lens are attributed to crystalline lens protein degradation. In the IR B and C region of the spectrum (1,400 to 3,000 nm and 3,000 to 10,000 nm, respectively), absorption primarily occurs in the cornea and aqueous humor. The cornea is the only absorbent medium above 1,900 nm, so heat injuries are usually limited to this structure. Such injury is almost exclusively due to laser radiation.

Patents ES2247946, ES2257976, ES2281301, ES2281303, ES2289957, ES2296552, ES2298089, ES2303484 and ES2312284 discuss the problems with short wavelengths in the spectrum of 380 to 500 nm, however none of these documents explains the damage caused by radiations comprised between 18010,000 nm.

Therefore, there is a need to provide an element that protects the visual system from harmful radiations.

Description of the Invention -2The present invention solves the problem raised in the state of the art. Therefore in a first aspect, the present invention relates to a diopter (hereinafter diopter of the present invention) configured to restrict radiations damaging the visual system, characterized in that it comprises a substance on its surface or inside it modifying the transmission properties of said diopter.

According to the Manual de Optica Geometrica (Felipe, 1998), the term diopter in the present invention is a refractive surface, i.e., a surface separating two media having different refractive indexes. in a particular aspect, radiations damaging the visual system are radiations from the infrared spectrum, ultraviolet spectrum and/or visible spectrum wavelengths with wavelengths comprised between 180 nm and 10,000 nm.

More particularly, the transmission properties modified by the diopter of the present invention are reflection, refraction, absorption, dispersion, polarization, and/or interference phenomenon.

More particularly, the diopter of the present invention has a planar parallel, planar concave, planar convex, biconcave or biconvex shape. More particularly, the substance comprised in the diopter of the present invention is selected from pigments, metallic substances, polymers, inorganic compounds, organic compounds or a mixture thereof.

More particularly, the diopter of the present invention has a curved shape. More particularly, the diopter of the present invention is an ophthalmic lens. More particularly, the diopter of the present invention is a contact lens.

In another embodiment, the diopter is a crystal, glass, a mirror, a visor, a covering surface, a coating surface or a polymer.

More particularly, the diopter of the present invention has a planar shape. More particularly, the diopter of the present invention is a filter.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to an element comprising the diopter of the present invention. More particularly, it relates to glasses, surfaces in window frames, doors or space partitioning systems, helmet visors, covering -3surfaces, coating surfaces, parasols, canopies, sun shades.

Detailed Description of the invention Example 1: Diopter contact lens An amount of 10.3 mg of a conventional yellow dye, 4-Phenylazophenol, Solvent Yellow 7 (SY7), was dissolved in 10.01 g of a solution of monomers containing 66% PEA, 30.5% ΡΕΜΑ and 3.3% BDDA, resulting in a concentration of SY7 of 0.103 wt %. Then 52.3 mg of bis 4-tert-butylcyclohexylperoxide dicarbonate are incorporated as a polymerization catalyst. The solution was introduced in a mold by means of a syringe, said mold being formed by two glass plates superimposed on one another and attached by metal clamps, and a 1 mm Teflon ring. The solution was spread on 1 mm sheets. Polymerization occurred when the mold is introduced in an oven at 65SC for 17 hours. Oven temperature was then increased up to 100eC for 3 more hours. Once polymerization ended, the sheet was removed from mold, suitable testing was conducted to measure protection and it was subjected to final cutting. In this example, the diopter was a contact lens comprising a yellow pigment as the substance modifying the transmission properties of said diopter and specifically increasing the absorbance of the short wavelengths comprised between 350-500 nm.

Example 2: diopter: ophthalmic lens After calculating the lens parameters, molds with perfectly polished inner surfaces made of glass were chosen; they were the perfect negative of the lens surfaces. The mixture to be polymerized, referred to as a pre-polymer, consisting of the monomer and catalyst, was kept at a low temperature to prevent polymerization before being injected in the mold. The prepolymer was introduced in the mold at room temperature and was then stirred to eliminate any air bubbles. Then the moid with the injected prepolymer was introduced in a container and polymerization was performed in a water bath, keeping the temperature at 405C for 12 hours. After that time the temperature was increased to 97eC for one hour. Due to the reduction of the volume of the mixture during polymerization, the mold was filled with prepolymer during the process. -4Once the polymer solidified and the lens was cut and polished, it was immersed for 5 minutes in a yellow pigment solution at 90-C for a decrease in the absorbance of violet and blue light of about 10%.

Example 3: diopter: Filter in windows of buildings and/or vehicles The diopter was a filter comprising a yellow pigment as the substance modifying the transmission properties of said diopter and specifically increasing the absorbance of short wavelengths comprised between 350-500 nm. Said filter was comprised inside a crystal.

Example 4: diopter: lens with a mirrored surface The following solutions were used to prepare the lens with a mirrored surface: Mixed solution: 1. - 900 cm3 of distilled water + 30 g of silver nitrate; 2. - 900 cm3 of distilled water + 20 g of caustic potash; Reducing solution: 3.- 1000 cm3 of distilled water + 50 g of glucose.

The solutions were kept in opaque bottles that were not exposed to direct light.

The surfaces to be silver plated were rubbed with concentrated nitric acid and rinsed with water, subsequently drying them with a cloth. Then a mixture containing equal parts of solution 2 and alcohol was applied on the surface. It was dried and rinsed again with water. The lens was then immersed in a container with distilled water, keeping the surface to be silver plated facing down.

The mixed solution was previously prepared with 5 parts of solution 1, to which ammonia was slowly added until correct clarification. Six parts of solution 2 and, again, ammonia were added until the solution was clarified. One part of solution 1 was finally added. The brown solution was transferred to a dark bottle after filtration. -5The diopter was arranged with the surface to be mirror-plated facing down in a container that contained mixed solution (about 1 cm high), and then the reducing solution (solution 3) was added gently stirring the container with the lens. The mixed solution and reducing solution ratios are 3:1 to 2:1. Once the silver was deposited on the surface of the lens, the lens was taken out of the solution, rinsed under a fine stream of water and dried on filter paper that was in turn arranged on a slightly heated heating plate.

The diopter was a lens comprising silver as the substance modifying the transmission properties of said diopter and specifically transmitting 40% of the radiations between 380 and 780 nm, reflecting 60% of the incident light.

Example 5: diopter: welders’ lenses The diopter was a lens comprising green pigments as the substance modifying the transmission properties of said diopter and specifically modifying the transmission properties of said diopter as follows: Incident radiation transmission and absorption data: - % UV absorption (180 - 380 nm): 99.9% - % visible transmission (380 - 780 nm): 3% - % IR absorption (780 - 1,100 nm): 99.5% The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A diopter configured to restrict radiations damaging the visual system, characterized in that it comprises a substance on its surface or inside it modifying the transmission properties of said diopter. 5

2. The diopter according to claim 1, characterized in that the radiations damaging the visual system are radiations from the infrared spectrum, ultraviolet spectrum and/or visible spectrum wavelengths, with wavelengths comprised between 180 nm- 10,000 nm.

3. The diopter according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the 10 transmission properties modified by the diopter are reflection, absorption, refraction, dispersion, polarization, and/or interference phenomenon, the substance comprised in the diopter is selected from pigments, metallic substances, polymers, inorganic compounds, organic compounds or a mixture thereof and the shape of the diopter is selected from the curved shape or planar 15 shape.

4. Diopter according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diopter is an ophthalmic lens, contact lens, a crystal, glass, a mirror, a visor, a covering surface, a coating surface or a polymer.

5. An element comprising a diopter according to any of claims 1-4.