Optical lenses with selective transmissivity functions

Abstract

An opthalmic spectacle or contact sharp cut-on orange lens that improves visual acuity and substantially reduces eye damage in a bright sunlit environment. The lenses substantially eliminate ultraviolet radiation and blue light shorter than 515 520 nm. The ultraviolet radiation has been implicated as a cause of cateractogenisis. The blue light is implicated in senile macular degenerations, night blindness and snow blindness. The lens is substantially transparent to wavelengths greater than 636 600 nm which are most useful for high visual acuity in bright sunlit environment.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A lens worn in front of the eyes by humans, in an outdoor sunlit environment, where said lens is a filter barrier to photons deleterious to the eyes and that is also a transmitter of visible light most useful for high visual acuity, where said lens comprises: 
       (a) a transparent, organic plastic matrix material, and  
       (b) a sharp cut-on orange dye incorporated into said material that allows the lens to transmit at least 90% of the visible sunlight with wavelengths longer than 636  600 nm and block more than 99% of all sunlight with wavelengths shorter than 515  520 nm.  
     
     
       2. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said sharp cut-on orange dye is from the group of commercially available dyes known as Color Index Dispersed Orange Dye 3 also known as Color Index 11005. 
     
     
       3. The lens as specified in  claim 2  wherein said sharp cut-on orange dye is Ciba-Geigy Cebacet Orange 2R. 
     
     
       4. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said sharp cut-on orange dye is from the group of commercially available dyes known as Color Index Solvent Orange Dye. 
     
     
       5. The lens as specified in  claim 4  wherein said sharp cut-on orange dye is Ciba-Geigy Orasol Orange G. 
     
     
       6. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said lens is designed to eliminate the ultraviolet-radiation hazard which in turn, reduces incidents of cateractogenisis. 
     
     
       7. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said lens is designed to reduce the blue-light hazard which in turn, reduces incidents of senile macular degeneration. 
     
     
       8. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said lens is designed to achieve the visual acuity. 
     
     
       9. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said lens is designed for use as a spectacle lens. 
     
     
       10. The lens as specified in  claim 1  wherein said lens is designed for use as a contact lens.