Switchable contact lens actuator

Abstract

A switchable contact lens includes an actuation ledge disposed at a bottom part of a contact lens body extending away from the contact lens body and configured to have pressure exerted by a lower eyelid of the user when the contact lens body moves downwards with an eye down rotation. An actuation level has a first portion disposed within the actuation ledge extending away from the contact lens and has a second portion extending along the contact lens body. A switchable cell is disposed within an optic zone of the contact lens body and is configured to switch between a first focus and a second focus when the actuation ledge is bent under a pressure from the lower eyelid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A switchable contact lens, comprising:
 a contact lens body configured to be placed upon an eye of a user;   an actuation ledge disposed at a bottom part of the contact lens body extending away from the contact lens body and configured to have pressure exerted by a lower eyelid of the user when the contact lens body moves downwards with an eye down rotation;   an actuation level having a first portion disposed within the actuation ledge extending away from the contact lens and having a second portion extending along the contact lens body, wherein the first portion and second portion are connected at an angle with respect to one another;   a switchable cell disposed within an optic zone of the contact lens body where the switchable cell is configured to switch between a first focus and a second focus;   wherein the actuation ledge is bent under a pressure from the lower eyelid and pivots the actuation level with the first portion moving in the direction of the actuation ledge bending and the second portion moving away from the contact lens body to change the switchable cell focus from the first focus to the second focus; and   wherein in the absence of pivot of the actuation level the switchable cell is configured to have the first focus.   
     
     
         2 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the first focus is a far focus and the second focus is a near focus. 
     
     
         3 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the second focus is nearer in comparison to the first focus. 
     
     
         4 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the switchable cell is located more towards a lower portion of the optic zone. 
     
     
         5 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , including a balance disposed at the bottom part of the contact lens body, the balance configured to maintain the contact lens body in a meridional orientation when worn by the user. 
     
     
         6 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation ledge is flexible. 
     
     
         7 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , including a switch connected to the switchable cell and the actuation level, wherein a communication between the switchable cell and actuation level is an electrical communication, where the switchable cell is configured to change its optical state between the first focus and the second focus due to the electrical communication. 
     
     
         8 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 7 , wherein the switch is an electrical switch. 
     
     
         9 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 7 , wherein the switch is a magnetic switch. 
     
     
         10 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the switchable cell includes a thin layer of pneumatic liquid crystal, wherein the switchable cell is configured to switch between the first focus and the second focus based on an electrical control of a refractive index of the thin layer of pneumatic liquid crystal. 
     
     
         11 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 1 , wherein the switchable cell comprises a flexible film forming a cell chamber filled with an optical fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 11 , wherein the switchable cell comprises a diffractive guiding surface adjacent to a flexible film forming there between the cell chamber filled with the optical fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 12 , wherein the actuation chamber is filled with the optical fluid, wherein a communication between the switchable cell and actuation chamber is a fluidic communication of the optical fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 13 , wherein in the activated state the flexible film takes the shape of the diffractive guiding surface due to the transfer of a portion of the optical fluid from the cell chamber to the actuation chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 14 , wherein in a first focus the flexible film does not take the shape of the diffractive guiding surface due to the portion of the optical fluid filling the cell chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The switchable contact lens of  claim 11 , wherein the flexible film is a part of a back surface of the contact lens body.