MXPA00011296A

MXPA00011296A - Method of manufacturing spectacle lenses.

Info

Publication number: MXPA00011296A
Application number: MXPA00011296A
Authority: MX
Inventors: James S Merrit
Original assignee: Johnson & Johnson
Priority date: 1999-03-16
Filing date: 2000-02-15
Publication date: 2003-04-22
Also published as: AU3365200A; JP2002539500A; IL139684A0; WO2000055680A9; WO2000055680A1; BR0006056A; EP1080387A1; CA2332237A1; CN1296574A

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for producing a full prescriptive range of spectacle lenses while minimizing the number of the optical preforms, molds, or both required to produce the lenses. The method of the invention uses the distribution of the lenses distance power between an added layer or layers and an optical preform to reduce the number of preforms, molds, or both required in the lens production.

Description

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LENSES FOR GOGGLES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to ophthalmic lenses. In particular, the invention provides methods for producing a full prescription range of eyeglass lenses by minimizing the number of optical preforms, molds, or both that are required to produce the lenses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of eyeglass lenses for the correction of ametropia is well known. For example, multifocal lenses, such as progressive addition lenses ("PAL"), are used for the treatment of presbyopia. The manufacture of a full range of prescriptions for eyeglass lenses, particularly traditional mulfifocal lenses such as PAL, by means of certain methods, such as surface casting, is problematic since it requires a large number of lens shapes. This is especially true for prescriptions that include toric, or cylindrical correction of the lens user's astigmatism. For example, a typical range of prescription lenses with toric correction can have 49 distance increments, 10 cylinder increases, 180 cylinder axes, and 9 aggregate increases for a total of 794,241 different prescriptions. However the maintenance of a large In-stock material of the shape of the lenses is not practical. Thus, there is a need for a method for producing a full prescription range of eyeglass lenses to overcome this drawback.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the lenses of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND ITS PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention provides methods for producing eyeglass lenses, including multifocal lenses such as addition lenses progressive, as well as lenses produced by the methods. The invention allows the production of the full range of prescription lenses while reducing the number of optical preforms, molds, or both, that are required. It is a discovery of the invention that a full prescription range of eyeglass lenses can be produced by minimizing the optical preform curves used and by adding magnification to the preform to produce the desired lenses. Thus, in one embodiment, the invention provides a method for producing a lens comprising, consisting essentially of, and consisting of the steps of: a) providing an optical preform having a first distance increase, the preform comprises, consists of essentially, in, and consists of a convex and a concave surface; and b) adding in at least one of the convex or concave surfaces one or more layers comprising, consist essentially of, and consist of a second distance increase. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the distance increase of the lenses will be the sum of the first and second distance increases. By "optical preform" is meant an optically transparent article configured to refract light and have a convex and a concave surface, the article of which is suitable for use in producing spectacle lenses. In the method of the invention, an optical preform is provided with a portion of the distance increase of the desired lenses. The additional distance increase is subsequently added in one or more layers to the preform to obtain the desired final distance prescription for the lenses. It is a discovery of the invention that the manufacture of multifocal lenses can be achieved more efficiently by the use of an optical preform with a given distance increase in which the additional distance increase is added. By distributing the distance increase of the final desired lens between the preform and one or more layers added to the preform, the number of preforms, molds or both necessary to produce a full prescription range of eyeglass lenses is reduced in relation to those used in conventional surface casting techniques. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the distribution of the distance increase between the preform and the layer or layers added to the preform may have one of a variety of increments. Preferably, the following preform distance increases are used with the base curves listed and the aggregate distance increases: approximately +2 to approximately +5 with a base curve of approximately -1 to approximately -4 and aggregate increase of approximately 0 to approximately +6 diopters; about 0 to about +3 diopters with a base curve of about -2 to about -6 diopters and aggregate increase of about 0 to about +6 diopters; about -1 to about +1 diopter with a base curve of about -4 to about -6 diopters and an aggregate increase of about -6 to about +6; and -1 to about -5 with a base curve of about -4 to about -9 with an aggregate increase of about 0 to about -6 diopters. It is more preferred that the distance increase of the preform be selected from the following magnifications: approximately +3.50 diopters; approximately +1.50 diopters; approximately 0.00 diopters; or approximately -3.00 diopters. Furthermore, it is preferred that, for these preform enlargements, the concave surface of the preform be one of the following base curves: about -2.50 diopters; approximately -4.00 diopyries; Approximately -5.50 diopiries; or approximately -7.00 dioplrías. Similarly, although any increase in distance increase can be added to the preform, it is preferred that the aggregate layer be added at the convex surface for the specific preform and the concave surface curvature be as shown in Table 1. values in Table 1 will be considered to come from the phrase "roughly." TABLE 1 The reason for the preference to add only negative distance increase in a negative positive and negative positive preform is that the addition of unnecessary thicknesses of the aggregate layer and the finished lenses is avoided. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any type of lenses, such as flat, single vision lenses, including, without limitation, bifocal, trifocal, progressive, or the like, may be produced using the method of the invention. However, the invention can find greater utility in the production of multifocal lenses, particularly progressive addition lenses. In addition, the invention can find its greatest utility in the production of progressive addition lenses using surface casting. In embodiments in which the desired final lens is a bifocal, the preform, the aggregate layer, or both must provide near vision gain in addition to distance magnification. For modalities in which the final lens is a PAL, the preform, layer, or both should provide near vision gain, increase in disharmony, and a zone of increased transitions between the area of increased distance and the area of increased vision. close For example, a surface of the preform or an aggregate layer can be a progressive addition surface thus providing a progressive addition lens as the final lens. By "progressive addition surface" a conical and aspherical surface is defined that has the near and near vision zones and a zone of transitional increase, or zone of increasing dioptric increase, that connects the Dislancia and near vision zones. In a preferred embodiment, a progressive addition lens is provided by distributing the dioptric aggregate magnification of the final lens between the preform and the aggregate layer or layers. By "dioptric aggregate increase" the difference between the diopyric increase in the areas of vision of dissipation and closeness of a surface or area is corrected. In said embodiment, a portion of the dioptric aggregate increase may be in a concave surface of the preform and the remainder of the dioptric aggregate increase on an aggregate layer or layers in the convex surface of the preform. In another embodiment, a portion of the dioptric aggregate increase is on a convex surface of the preform and additional dioptric aggregate increase is added to the concave surface of the preform. In yet another embodiment, the diopyric aggregate increase of the preform is dissipated in front of the concave and convex surface of the preform and the increase in additional dissipation, alone or with another increase, is added on one or both of these surfaces. In this embodiment, the preform and aggregate layer materials should be selected so that the refractive index of the preform differs from that of the aggregate layer by approximately 0.01 or more. However, the greater the difference in the refractive indices, the greater the contribution of a particular curvature to the increase, preferably the difference is approximately 0.05 or more. The added dioptric tolal increase for the lenses can be about +0.01 to about +3.50, preferably from about +0.25 to about +3.50, more preferably from about +1.00 to about +3.00 diopter. The total dioptric aggregate increase can be divided, or distributed, between the preform and the aggregate layer or layers in a ratio of about 90:10 to about 10:90 percent, preferably from about 70:30 to about 30:70 percent. , more preferably from about 60:40 to about 40:60 percent. For the production of progressive lenses of the invention, preferably the concave surface of the optical preform is symmetrical and the convex surface of the laminated lens is asymmetric. By symmetric it is understood that the magnification and surface astigmatism maps are symmetric around the central meridian of the surface. In addition to one or more of the dioptric aggregate increases, an intermediate increase, an increase in distance vision, or both, the concave surface of the preform may have an increase in cylinder for correction of the lens user's astigmalism. By "cylinder increase" the difference in measured increases in the two main meridians of a preform or a lenie is indicated. The cylinder bore can also be located on the convex surface of the preform or distributed between the concave or convex surface of the preform and the aggregate layer or layers. In a preferred embodiment, the concave surface of the preform has all the desired cylinder increases for the lenses. The total cylinder increase for the lenses it can be from about -0.125 to about -6.00 diopters, preferably from about -0.25 to about -3.00 diopters. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention comprises any of a number of preforms and combinations of aggregated layers of distance vision enhancement with one or more dioptric aggregate increases, transition increase, and cylinder increase. In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method for producing spectacle lenses comprising, consisting essentially of and consisting of: a) providing an optical preform with a first distance increase, the preform comprises, consists essentially of, and consists of a convex and a concave surface wherein one or both of the convex and concave surfaces have an increase selected from a group consisting of dioptric aggregate increase, a zone of transition increase, cylinder increase, and combinations thereof; and b) adding on at least one of the convex or concave surfaces of the preform one or more layers comprising, consist essentially of, and consist of a second increase in dislancia. In still another embodiment, the invention provides a method for producing spectacle lenses comprising, consisting essentially of, and consisting of: a) providing an optical preform with a first distance increase, the preform comprises, consists essentially of, and consists of on a convex and concave surface where one or both of the convex and concave surfaces have an increase selected from a group consisting of a first dioptric aggregate increase, a first increase zone of transition, a first cylinder increase, and combinations thereof; and b) adding on at least one of the convex or concave surfaces one or more layers comprising, consist essentially of, and consist of a second increase in distance and an increase selected from a group consisting of a second dioptric aggregate increase, a second zone of transition increase, a second cylinder increase, and combinations thereof. In cases in which the concave surface of the preform and one or more aggregate layers form progressive surfaces and the concave surface also has cylinder increase, the preforms required for said combination can be further reduced by limiting the location of diopyrrium aggregate increase to eight. orientations related to the cylinder axis. In this case an added diopyric increase is not provided for each cylinder axis combination. Preferably, since it was found that the dioptric aggregate increase decreases relatively slowly when one moves horizontally away from the center of the zone of vision near the periphery of the lenses, a rotational misalignment of the near vision zone of the concave related surface can be used. with that of the aggregate layer of approximately + or - 1 to approximately + or - 25, preferably + or - 1 to approximately + or - 20, more preferably + or - 1 to approximately + or - 15 °.

The optical preforms useful in the invention can be made of any suitable material. Examples of suitable materials include, without limitation, polycarbonates, such as bisphenol A polycarbonates, allyl glycol carbonates, such as diethylene glycol bisalylcarbonate (CR-39 ™), allyl esters, such as triallyl cyanurate, triallyl phosphate and triallyl citrate. , acrylic esters, acrylates, methacrylates, such as methyl-ethyl- and butyl methacrylates, styrenics, polyesters, and the like and combinations thereof. The preform can be produced by any convenient means, including, without limitation, injection molding, injection-compression molding, thermoforming, casting, or the like. The increase in aggregate distance, the dioptric aggregate increase, the transition increase, and the cylinder increase can be added by any convenient method. Suitable methods for adding one or more layers to the preform include, without limitation, casting, surface casting, coating, thermoforming, injection molding and the like. Preferably the aggregate layer or layers are surface cast in the preform. The surface casting of the layer or layers in the preform can be achieved by any known method. Suitable methods for convex and concave surface casting of a preform are described in US Pat. Nos. 5,147,585; 5,178,800; 5,219,497; 5,316,702; 5,358,672; 5,480,600; 5,512,371; 5.531, 940; 5,702,819 and 5,793,465 incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The added layer or layers of distance increase may have a total thickness less than about 1 mm, preferably less than about 0.25 mm, more preferably less than about 0.1 mm. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the point for measuring the thickness of the layer or layers varies depending on whether the lens is a + or - lens. By "lenie +" it is understood that the lens is thicker in the center than in its edges and by "lens -" it is understood that the lens is thinner in its center than in its edges. For a lens -, the appropriate point to measure the thickness of the aggregate layer will be the center of the lens. For a + lens, the point to measure the thickness will be the edge of the lens. The invention will be clarified by considering the following non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 A polycarbonate preform is formed by injection molding. Referring to Figure 1, the preform 1 has a base curvature of concave surface 2 of -5.50 diopters and a base curvature of convex surface 3 of 5.50 diopters which results in an increase in preform distance of 0 diopters. A layer 4 is surface cast in a preform 1, the cast layer 4 has a curvature of 3.00 diopters in the distance zone 5 and a curvature of 5.00 diopters in the near vision zone or added 6 and zone of increase of transition 7 between distance and aggregate zones. The resin lens has an increase in disharmony of -2.50 diopters and an added dioptric increase of +2.00.

EXAMPLE 2 Referring to Figure 2, the procedure of Example 1 is followed except that the concave surface of the preform 8 additionally has a cylinder increase of -2.00 diopters at 180 ° and a cylinder curvature 9 of 7.50 diopters. The aggregate layer 11 is the same as in Example 1, the resulting lenght 20 has an increase in distance of -2.50 diopters with -2.00 diopyries of cylinder and an added diopyric increase of +2.00.

EXAMPLE 3 With reference to Figure 3, the procedure of Example 1 is used except that the preform 12 has an increase in distance of -3.00 diopters. The preform 12 has a concave surface 13 of -7.00 diopters and a convex surface 14 of 4.00 diopters which results in an increase in dislancia of -3.00 diopters. The distance increase of the aggregate layer 15 is -3.00 diopters with an added diopyric increase of +2.00. The resultant lenght 30 has an increase in distance of -6.00 diopters and an added diopyric increase of +2.00.

EXAMPLE 4 With reference to Figure 4, the procedure of Example 3 is used except that the preform 17 has an increase in distance of +3.50 diopters resulting from a curvature of concave surface distance of -2.50 and a curvature of convex surface distance of +6.00 diopters. The aggregate layer 18 has a distance increase of +2.50 diopters with an added diopyric increase of +2.00. The resulting lens 40 has an increase in disharmony of +6.00 díopírías and an added diopírico increase of +2.00.

EXAMPLE 5 With reference to Figure 5, a polycarbonate preform is injection molded. The preform 19 has a curvature of concave surface distance 21 of -5.50 diopters with an aggregate area 22 of -4.50 diopters and an increase zone of transitions 23. The convex surface 24 has an increase in disharmony of 5.50 diopters resulting from a first increase in distance of 0 diopters and an added dioptric increase of 1.00. The aggregate layer 25 is cast on the surface in the preform 19. The layer 25 has a curvature of distance zone 26 of 3.00 diopters and a curvature of 4.00 diopters in the aggregate zone 27. The resulting lens 50 has an increase in distance of -2.50. diopters and an added dioptric increase of +2.00.

EXAMPLE 6 A polycarbonate preform, which has a refractive index of 1.59, is molded by injection. With reference to figure 6, the preform 29 has a division of dioptric aggregate increase between the convex and concave surfaces and distance increase of +4.50 diopters. The concave surface 31 also has an added dioptric increase of 1.50 diopters and the convex surface 32 has an added diopyric increase of 1.75. The aggregate layer 33 is cast into a preform 29. The refractive index for layer 33 is 1.50. The dioptric aggregate increase of the finished lens 60 is +2.00, the result of a contribution of + 1.75 diopters from the convex surface 32 and a contribution of + 1.50 / 6, or +0.25 diopters from the concave surface 31 when combined with the layer 33. Layer 33 has an increase in distance of +1.50 diopters. The resulting lenght 60 has an increase in disharcia of +6.00 diopters and an added dioptric increase of +2.00 diopters.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS 1. - A method for producing a lens for spectacles comprising the steps of: a) providing an optical preform with a first increase in dislancia, the preform comprising a convex surface and a concave surface; and b) adding to one of the convex or concave surfaces one or more layers comprising a second distance increase. 2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that step b) is carried out by casting one or more layers in the preform. 3. The method according to claim 2, further characterized in that the first distance increase is from approximately +2 to approximately +5 with a base curve from approximately -1 to approximately -4; about 0 to about +3 diopters with a base curve of about -2 to about -6 diopters; from about -1 to about +1 diopters with a base curve of about -4 to about -6 diopters; or -1 to about -5 with a base curve of about -4 to about -9. 4. The method according to claim 3, further characterized in that the second distance increase for each of the first distance increases is from about 0 to about +6 diopters, about 0 to about +6 diopters, from about -6 to about +6 or about 0 to about -6 diopters, respectively. 5. A method for producing a lens for spectacles comprising the steps of: a) providing an optical preform with a first distance increase, the preform comprises a convex surface and a concave surface wherein one or both of the convex and concave has an increase selected from a group consisting of a dioptric aggregate increase, a zone of transition increase, an increase of cylinder and combinations thereof; and b) adding on at least one of the convex or concave surfaces of the preform one or more layers comprising a second distance increase. 6. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that step b) is performed by the surface casting of one or more layers in the preform. 7. The method according to claim 6, further characterized in that the first distance increase is from about +2 to about +5 with a base curve from about -1 to about -4; from about 0 to about +3 diopters with a base curve of about -2 to about -6 diopters; from about -1 to about +1 diopters with a base curve of about -4 to about -6 diopters; or -1 to about -5 with a base curve of about -4 to about -9. 8. The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that the second distance increase for each of the first distance increments is from about 0 to about +6 diocles, from about 0 to about +6 diopters, of about -6 to about +6, or from about 0 to about -6 diopters, respectively. 9. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that one or both of the convex and concave surfaces comprise the dioptric aggregate increase. 10. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that one or both of the concave and convex surfaces comprise the dioptric aggregate increase and the zone of transition increase. 11. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that one or both of the convex and concave surfaces comprise the cylinder increase. 12. The method according to claim 5, further characterized in that one or both of the convex and concave surfaces comprise the dioptric aggregate increase and a cylinder increase. 13. The method according to claim 13, further characterized in that one or both of the concave and convex surfaces further comprise the transition increase zone. 14. A method for producing a multifocal lens for glasses that: a) provide an optical preform with a first distance increase, the preform comprises a convex surface and a concave surface where one or both of the convex and concave surfaces have an increase selected from the group consisting of a first dioptric aggregate increase, a first transition increase zone, a first cylinder increase, and combinations thereof; and b) adding at least one of the convex or concave surfaces one or more layers comprising a second distance increase and an increase selected from the group consisting of a second dioptric aggregate increase, a second transition increase zone, a second cylinder increase, and combinations thereof. 15. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that step b) is carried out by casting one or more layers in the preform. 16. The method according to claim 16, further characterized in that the first distance increase is from about +2 to about +5 with a base curve from about -1 to about -4; from about 0 to about +3 diopters with a base curve of about -2 to about -6 diopters; from about -1 to about +1 diopters with a base curve of approximately -4 to approximately -6 diopters; or -1 to about -5 with a base curve of about -4 to about -9. 17. The method according to claim 17, further characterized in that the second distance increase for each of the first distance increments is from about 0 to about +6 diopters, from about 0 to about +6 diopters, of about -6 to about +6, or from about 0 to about -6 diopters, respectively. 18. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that the concave surface of the preform comprises the first dioptric aggregate increase, the first transition increase zone and the first cylinder increase and one or more of the added layers is added to the convex surface, the added layers comprise the second dioptric aggregate increase. 19. The method according to claim 19, further characterized in that one or more of the added layers further comprise the second transitional increase zone. 20. The method according to claim 19, further characterized in that the concave surface further comprises a near vision zone and the aggregate layers further comprise a near vision zone, the near vision zone of concave surface being rotationally misaligned of about + or -1 to approximately + or -25 ° in relation to the near vision zone of one or more of the added layers. 21- A method for producing a lens for progressive addition glasses comprising: a) providing an optical preform with a first distance increase of about +2 to about +5 with a concave surface base curve of about -1 to about - 4; from about 0 to about 3 diopters with a concave base curve of from about -2 to about -6 diopters; from about -1 to about +1 diopters with a concave surface base curve of about -4 to about -6 diopters; or -1 to about -5 with a concave surface base curve of from about -4 to about -9, the preform comprises a first dioptric aggregate increase and a first transitional gain zone; and b) surface molding on the convex surface of one or more layers comprising a second distance increase, a second dioptric aggregate increase, and a second rise zone of Iransition. 22. The method according to claim 22, further characterized in that the second distance increment for each of the first distance increments is from about 0 to about +6 diopters, from about 0 to about +6 diopters, from about -6 to about +6, or from about 0 to about -6 diopters, respectively. 23. - The method according to claim 22, further characterized in that the concave surface further comprises a first cylinder increase. 24. The method according to claim 24, further characterized in that the concave surface further comprises a near vision zone and the added layers further comprise a near vision zone, wherein the near mink zone of concave surface is misaligned from rotating manner at about + or -1 to about + or -25 ° relative to the near vision zone of one or more of the added layers. 25. The lenses produced by the method according to claim 1. 26.- The lenses produced by the method according to claim 5. 27.- The lenses produced by the method according to claim 15. 28. - The lenses produced by the method according to claim 22.