Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Eye examining or testing instrument – Objective type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-09
2004-12-07
Casler, Brian L. (Department: 3737)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Eye examining or testing instrument
Objective type
C351S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06827443
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the prescription and/or dispensing of ophthalmic lenses, typically lenses for spectacles or sunglasses.
The prescribing and dispensing of ophthalmic lenses includes several discrete aspects. In general terms, the act of prescribing is the determination of a wearer's required refractive power, such as the determination of the wearer's requirements for near and/or intermediate addition power. Similarly in general terms, the act of dispensing usually includes not only the selection of a suitable lens design but also the selection of a suitable frame (both optically and aesthetically) and the physical act of fitting the frame to a wearer, and the lens design to the frame relative to the wearer's reference position.
The method and system of the present invention have been found to provide particular benefits when used for dispensing that involves the selection of a suitable lens design for an individual wearer. However, it is to be appreciated that the present invention is not to be limited to only this aspect of dispensing, nor only to dispensing per se. Indeed, and as will be described in more detail below, the method and system of the present invention may also find beneficial uses in other dispensing aspects (and also in aspects of prescription), and may for example be useful for the custom generation of ophthalmic lenses to suit individual wearer's needs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the last 10 years, the design of ophthalmic lenses has advanced to a stage where there are now several different lens designs available for each category of lens type, such as for single vision lenses and progressive lenses. Referring particularly to progressive lenses, there is thus available to a dispenser a large number of progressive lens designs that may be dispensed to a wearer, each of which would be suitable to meet that wearer's prescription requirements.
However, it has been recognized that individual wearers have differing physical features (such as stature, physique and shape), and also have different visual behavioural patterns (such as head, eye and postural behaviour while reading). All of these differing elements thus result in different lens designs being suitable for different wearers.
It is believed that, to date, and particularly with the development of differing types of progressive lens designs, dispensers have typically only used intuitive reasoning for recommending one particular lens design over another. Alternatively, dispensers may simply have relied on the lens manufacturer's own information.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method and a system that can be used on-site by a dispenser, at least to provide a recommendation for the selection of a suitable lens design from a group of known lens designs, preferably in a reasonably short period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for prescribing and/or dispensing ophthalmic lenses for a wearer, the method including determining at least the wearer's individual visual behavioural patterns, analysing the visual behavioural patterns to provide visual behavioural data for the wearer and manipulating the visual behavioural data to provide, a lens design recommendation suitable for use in providing the wearer with a suitable ophthalmic lens.
The manipulation of the wearer's visual behavioural data may include the comparison of that data with optical attributes of a group of standard ophthalmic lens designs, and the subsequent selection therefrom of a standard ophthalmic lens that is suitable for the wearer. Such a comparison will ideally be made with respect to a predetermined relationship between visual behavioural patterns and the standard ophthalmic lens designs. In this respect, reference to the term ‘standard’ is to be understood to be reference to an ophthalmic lens or ophthalmic lens design that is in accordance with standard specifications, and has not been custom manufactured to the requirements of an individual wearer.
Alternatively, the manipulation of the wearer's visual behavioural data may include the generation of a custom ophthalmic lens design, and the subsequent manufacture of a custom ophthalmic lens that is suitable for the wearer. The generation of such a custom ophthalmic lens design may or may not utilize predetermined relationships between the known visual behavioural data and standard ophthalmic lens designs.
The method of the present invention seeks to at least identify a wearer's typical head movement and/or typical eye movement, and preferably to utilise a relationship between head and/or eye movement characteristics and the wearer's suitability for a particular lens design. In a simple form of the invention that relates to the dispensing of progressive lenses, the method preferably relies on a relationship that categorises wearers as either predominantly head movers or predominantly eye movers, particularly during reading, in order to allow accurate selection of a suitable progressive lens.
In this simple form, a wearer who may be categorised as an eye mover may, for example, require a progressive lens that provides a wide range of clear vision in the near zone, as the eyes will generally rove across almost the full width of the near zone when reading. Indeed, an eye mover may possibly be a person who is not well suited to a progressive lens at all.
On the other hand, the eyes of a wearer who may be categorised as a head mover will generally only utilise the central portion of the near zone of a progressive lens (due to the compensating movement of the wearer's head when reading), thus allowing the use of a more traditional progressive lens with a narrower near zone. Such a person is generally considered to be well suited to the use of a progressive lens.
Additionally, similar categorisations may be used to assist with frame selection, particularly in terms of lens size. For example, some ophthalmic lenses are relatively small in order to be fitted into fashionable frames. However, if a wearer is categorised according to the method of the present invention as an eye mover, a relatively small lens may present that wearer with viewing difficulties when their eyes rove across the full extent of the lens, especially when their eyes use the peripheries of the lens where there may typically be greater distortion and blur or rove past the frame boundary.
By utilising the method of the present invention, a dispenser will be able to recommend that the wearer not use frames that require such small lenses, or alternatively may recommend a specific lens that has been designed to have minimum peripheral distortion and blur.
Therefore, not only would the method of the present invention find use for the dispensing of ophthalmic lenses, but also in research areas for the development of lens designs that can cater for different wearer's requirements in terms of them being predominantly head movers or predominantly eye movers.
Hence, the present invention also provides a method for prescribing and/or dispensing ophthalmic lenses for a wearer, the method including determining at least the wearer's individual visual behavioural patterns in terms of head movement and/or eye movement, processing those patterns with respect to a predetermined relationship between known head movement and/or eye movement characteristics and available ophthalmic lenses, such that the processing categorises wearers into a head movement or eye movement category that can then be used to produce a recommendation for an ophthalmic lens for the wearer.
Furthermore, and in terms of the present invention being embodied in suitable apparatus, the present invention additionally provides a system for prescribing and/or dispensing ophthalmic lenses for a wearer, the system including means for determining at least the wearer's individual visual behavioural patterns, means for analysing the visual behavioural patterns to provide visual behavioural data for the wearer and me
Bonnett John Charles
Fisher Scott Warren
Pope David Robert
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Casler Brian L.
Sanders John R.
Sola International Holdings Ltd.
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