Extraordinary spiral contact lenses are used to correct vision with the help of the "optical vortex" effect.
Imagine wearing contact lenses that enhance your vision and feel like you're wearing nothing. Thanks to advanced freeform techniques, a team of researchers from France has discovered and began exploring a new type of lens design that could offer a more comfortable and natural alternative to traditional contact lenses. Using a freeform method and spiraling one of its diopters, the researchers created a unique contact lens design that uses optical vortices to independently form focus and a wider range of localization.
Do you need correction at long or short distances? Do you need astigmatism correction or bifocal lenses? The spiral lens design can solve all of these problems. This means that people who have myopia and need reading glasses can enjoy a more natural and comfortable visual experience with these lenses.
New spiral diopter lenses
Spiral diopter lenses - exquisite and first samples
Spiral diopter lenses mimic the natural patterns of the human eye, providing a more realistic visual experience. Researchers have created a new type of contact lens with a diameter of 10 mm. The design of the lens is unique, combining radii of curvature on the outer and inner diopters, resulting in a more efficient optical power. The lens also features a spiral design in its effective optical zone, which improves its functionality.
The team conducted two evaluations using 532 nm illumination to assess the functionality of the lens. The first simulation-based evaluation allowed the researchers to observe how the lens performs and behaves under different lighting conditions. The second evaluation compared the newly created spiral lens to traditional trifocal lenses at different apertures and focal lengths, demonstrating the significant advantages of the spiral lens, especially at large apertures. The aperture of an optical system limits light by controlling the size of the opening through which it passes.
The results showed that the spiral lens has several advantages over the trifocal lens, especially at large apertures. The spiral lens retained its multifocal behavior even at smaller apertures, a property that the trifocal lens does not have.
Traditional vs. spiral lenses
A simple contact lens compared to a spiral lens
Traditional contact lenses have a symmetrical lens design that relies on an even distribution of the focal forces. In contrast, spiral diopter lenses are distinguished by using a unique spiral pattern to distribute the focal forces across the original diopter. This design divides the surface of the lens into two equal zones that provide two equivalent optical fields that coincide in the two zones. The interaction of these fields creates new focal zones, allowing the lens to encode multiple focal lengths in a single pupil, resulting in multifocality.
Spiral diopter lenses have a unique advantage over contacts and progressive lenses. These lenses are designed to maintain their multifocal behavior even at smaller apertures, meaning that people who wear them can enjoy better vision in all lighting conditions. This is especially helpful for people who have trouble seeing in low light conditions, as they may have difficulty seeing clearly with other types of lenses.
The unique spiral design of contact lenses also sets them apart from traditional contact lenses. This design improves image quality in the focal areas, as demonstrated by the associated point distribution features. Spiralization distributes the focal forces more efficiently, resulting in clearer and more accurate vision.
"Our lens performs well in a wide range of lighting conditions and retains multifocal regardless of pupil size."Bertrand Simon of the Laboratory of Photonics, Numerical and Nanoscience (LP2N) in France says. "For potential implant users or people with age-related farsightedness, it can provide stable, clear vision that could revolutionize ophthalmology." The study was published in Optica magazine.
Current clinical trials and results
Clinical trials have begun on the effectiveness of spiral diopter lenses for correcting presbyopia. This condition affects people over the age of 40, leading to difficulty focusing on close objects. The design of spiral diopter lenses solves this problem by encoding multiple focal lengths in a single pupil, resulting in multifocality. The early results of these clinical trials are encouraging, as the design of spiral diopter lenses resulted in more accurate vision and fewer side effects compared to traditional multifocal lenses.
To improve the functionality of the lenses, future research will focus on optimizing design parameters such as helix shape and distribution to obtain better results at different apertures and focal lengths. Although these lenses are not currently available for purchase, we can closely monitor their progress and look forward to their future production.
The article was written for OPTIKA PRO, using sources of information:
- William A. Haseltine. Forbes, See Clearly At Any Age With Spiral Contacts
- Optica Publishing Group, Spiral diopter: freeform lenses with enhanced multifocal behavior
Spherical/Traditional Lens (top), Spiral Lens (bottom) and focus on the visible object
Currently, older people with diseases such as farsightedness and cataracts can use progressive (multifocal) lenses for focusing at different distances, with different parts of the glass having different magnification powers.
Such lenses can be order in our online store or directly at the OPTIKA PRO store in your city.
OXY Multifocal - Silicone Hydrogel Soft Contact Lenses (3 pcs.)
Air Optix plus HydraGlyde Multifocal - silicone hydrogel contact lenses (3 pcs.)
Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus Multifocal - Multifocal Contact Lenses (30 pcs.)
Biofinity Multifocal - Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses (3 pcs.)
PureVision 2 for Presbyopia - multifocal silicone hydrogel contact lenses (6 pcs.)
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