Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – Ophthalmic lenses or blanks
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-03
2004-12-07
Sugarman, Scott J. (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
Ophthalmic lenses or blanks
C351S177000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06827440
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to colored contact lenses and in particular to such lenses having multiple opaque colored portions that form a pattern that can change the apparent color of the iris while imparting a very natural appearance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Early attempts to modify or enhance the color of one's eyes utilized colored contact lenses with a simple solidly colored area that covered the iris portion of the eye. However, contact lenses with this type of opaque coloring imparted a very unnatural appearance. Other types of colored contact lenses were developed, such as Wichterle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,504, which discloses an opaque lens having an iris of more than a single color artistically drawn or photographically reproduced. However, such lenses did not look natural and as such never achieved commercial success. Other attempts to produce an opaque lens with a natural appearance are disclosed in. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,536,386, (Spivak); 3,712,718 (LeGrand), 4,460,523 (Neefe), 4,719,657 (Bawa), 4,744,647 (Meshel et al.), 4,634,449 (Jenkins); European Patent Publication No. 0 309 154 (Allergan) and U.K. Patent Application No. 2 202 540 A (IGEL).
Commercial success was achieved by the colored contact lens described in Knapp (in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,402) which discloses a contact lens having, in its preferred embodiment, colored, opaque dots. The Knapp lens provides a natural appearance with a lens that is simple and inexpensive to produce, using a simple one-color printed dot pattern. Although the intermittent pattern of dots does not fully cover the iris, it provides a sufficient density of dots that a masking effect gives the appearance of a continuous color when viewed by an ordinary observer. Knapp also discloses that the printing step may be repeated one or more-times using different patterns in different colors, since upon close examination the iris is found to contain more than one color. The printed pattern need not be absolutely uniform, allowing for enhancement of the fine structure of the iris. The one-color Knapp lenses currently achieving commercial success have their dots arranged in an irregular pattern to enhance the structure of the iris. However, neither the Knapp commercial lenses, nor the Knapp patent disclose or suggest how one would arrange a pattern of dots having more than one color to achieve a more natural appearance.
Various efforts have been made to improve on the Knapp lens. U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,477 to Jahnke discloses the application of the intermittent ink pattern in two or more portions of distinct shades of colorant to provide a more natural appearance.
Other attempts to create a more natural appearing lens include U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,121 to Rawlings, which discloses a cluster of interconnecting lines radiating from the periphery of the pupil portion to the periphery of the iris portion. Further, European Patent No. 0 472 496 A2 shows a contact lens having a pattern of lines that attempts to replicate the lines found in the iris.
Despite these efforts, the contact lens industry continues to seek a low-cost, colored lens that can enhance or modify the eye color, while providing the depth and texture that is inherent in the human iris.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the surprising discovery that a pattern having multiple-color opaque portions can achieve a more natural appearing iris if configured properly. The improvement in appearance over the one-color Knapp lenses and the multiple-color Jahnke lenses is startling. Like the one and two color lenses, the lenses of this invention are able to cause a fundamental change in the apparent color of the wearers iris, e.g. from dark brown to light blue or green. Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is a three color lens wherein different colors overlap, more than three colors are contemplated, and lenses wherein all three (or more) of the different colors overlap are also contemplated.
One objective of the invention is to provide a colored contact lens with a non-opaque pupil section, an iris section surrounding the pupil section, and a colored, opaque intermittent pattern over the iris section. The elements of the pattern are indiscernible to the ordinary viewer and are made up of a first portion of the elements of the pattern, which is a first shade, and a second portion of the elements of the pattern, which is a second shade different from said first shade, and a third portion of the elements of the pattern, which is a third shade different from said second shade and either different or the same as the first shade. Each of the three portions contain overlapping, mixing and blending elements consisting of or making up, uniform and non-uniform dots, islands of colors, worms, starbursts, corkscrews, spokes, spikes, striations, radial stripes, zig-zags and/or streaks, in combination or separately. Further, each of the overlapping portions may or may not extend from one end of the non-opaque pupil section to the periphery of the iris section. The blending of these various portions creates a lens capable of changing the apparent color of the iris of a person wearing the lens, while imparting a very natural appearance.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a colored contact lens with a non-opaque pupil section, an iris section surrounding the pupil section, and a colored, opaque intermittent pattern over the iris section. The elements of the pattern are indiscernible to the ordinary viewer and are made up of a first portion of the elements of the pattern, or the outermost starburst, which is a first shade, and a second portion of the elements of the pattern, or the outer starburst, which is a second shade different from said first shade, and a third portion of the elements of the pattern, or the inner starburst, which is a third shade different from said second shade and either different or the same as the first shade. The outermost starburst has a greatest concentration of elements located generally outside of the outer starburst, and the outer starburst has a greatest concentration of elements located generally outside the inner starburst. A first uneven border differentiates the outermost and outer starbursts, although there is overlap of the outermost and outer starbursts. A second uneven border differentiates the outer and inner starbursts, although there is overlap between the outer and inner starbursts. Thus, a lens capable of changing the apparent color of the iris of a person wearing the lens and imparting a very natural appearance is provided.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a colored contact lens with a non-opaque pupil section, an iris section surrounding the pupil section, and a colored, opaque intermittent pattern over the iris section, which leaves a substantial portion within the interstices of the pattern non-opaque. The pattern covers at least about 25 percent of the area of the iris section. The elements of the pattern are indiscernible to the ordinary viewer. A first portion of the elements of the pattern, or the outermost starburst, is of a first shade, and a second portion of the elements of the pattern, or the outer starburst, is of a second shade different from said first shade, and a third portion of the elements of the pattern, or the inner starburst, is of a third shade different from said second shade and either different or the same as the first shade. The outermost starburst has a greatest concentration of elements located generally outside of the outer starburst, and the outer starburst has a greatest concentration of elements located generally outside of the inner starburst. A first uneven border differentiates the outermost and outer starbursts although the outermost and outer starbursts overlap, and a second uneven border differentiates the outer and inner starbursts although the outer and inner starbursts overlap. The minimum distance of the first uneven border from the outer perimeter of said iris section is from about 5% to about 60% of the radial width of said iris section
Gardner Groff, PC
Sugarman Scott J.
Wesley Jessen Company
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