Method and apparatus for constructing a contact lens with optics

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and processes for constructing a contact lens. In one embodiment, a contact lens assembly is provided, comprising: a curved polymer polarizer with an aperture; a lenslet disposed inside the aperture, wherein the lenslet enables imaging near objects; and a filter attached to the lenslet. In further embodiments, a method for fabricating a flexible contact lens is provided, comprising: fabricating an element having an extrusion; providing a front concave mold, wherein the front mold has an intrusion to accommodate the extrusion of the optical element; affixing the extrusion of the optical element to the intrusion of the front mold; attaching a back convex mold to the front concave mold, thereby forming a mold cavity; and filling the mold cavity with a pre-polymerized liquid, whereby upon polymerization, the pre-polymerized liquid forms the flexible contact lens and the optical element is partially encapsulated within the lens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an eye contacting substrate including a display information optical path to receive display information and a non-display information optical path to receive non-display information, the display information optical path including a display information path bandpass filter, and the non-display information optical path including a polarizer, the display information optical path when coupled to a human visual system to substantially focus the display information to a retina in the human visual system, and the non-display information optical path when coupled to the human visual system to substantially focus the non-display information to the retina in the human visual system.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the eye contacting substrate comprises a gas-permeable substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the gas-permeable substrate includes a filter. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the filter is a bandpass filter. 
     
     
         5 . A contact lens assembly, comprising:
 a curved transparent substrate having at least one filter, the at least one filter is a curved polarizer filter having a first polar orientation; and   a lenslet attached to the curved transparent substrate, wherein the lenslet has a second filter, the second filter is a polarizer filter having a second polar orientation, the at least one filter blocks display information and transmits non-display information, the second filter transmits display information and blocks non-display information.   
     
     
         6 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the first polar orientation is about 90 degrees out of phase with the second polar orientation. 
     
     
         7 . A contact lens assembly, comprising:
 a curved transparent substrate having an electrochromic polarizer; and   a lenslet attached to the curved transparent substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the electrochromic polarizer receives an activation signal. 
     
     
         9 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the activation signal is provided by a display. 
     
     
         10 . A contact lens assembly, comprising:
 a curved transparent substrate having an aperture having a diameter of between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm.   
     
     
         11 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the curved transparent substrate includes a patterned spectral filter. 
     
     
         12 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the patterned spectral filter includes slots. 
     
     
         13 . A contact lens assembly, comprising:
 a curved transparent substrate having a geometric center and including a lenslet displaced from the geometric center.   
     
     
         14 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the lenslet is formed from a pre-polymerized liquid. 
     
     
         15 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the lenslet has an index of refraction and the curved transparent substrate has a curved transparent substrate index of refraction and the index of refraction is greater than the curved transparent substrate index of refraction. 
     
     
         16 . The contact lens assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the curved transparent substrate includes at least one patterned filter. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 constructing a front mold half comprising: a first concave curve having a first radius of curvature sufficient to form a contact lens having a first optical power, and a second concave curve having a second radius of curvature sufficient to form a lenslet having a second optical power of at least +25 diopters greater than the first optical power; and   positioning the second concave curve on the front mold half such that the second concave curve is within the first concave curve.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising partially filling the front mold half with pre-polymerized liquid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein partially filling the front mold half with pre-polymerized liquid comprises filling the front mold half such that the second curve is completely filed and the first curve is partially filled. 
     
     
         20 . A contact lens comprising:
 a button including an optical element; and   a filter or aperture encapsulated within the button.   
     
     
         21 . The contact lens of  claim 20 , wherein the button includes a rigid material. 
     
     
         22 . The contact lens of  claim 21 , wherein the filter or aperture is within a layer in a laminate in the button. 
     
     
         23 . The contact lens of  claim 22 , wherein the laminate is disposed within the contact lens. 
     
     
         24 . The contact lens of  claim 23 , wherein the contact lens is a hybrid contact lens 
     
     
         25 . The contact lens of  claim 23 , wherein the contact lens is a scleral contact lens.