Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing a model assessing a quantitative expected global quality level of an ophtalmic lens, said lens having given lens and environment parameters, and being produced by a digital lens manufacturing process. A method for real-time in-line quality audit of the freeform production line is provided, by means of a process quality score, built as the result of the normalization of the computed global quality level based on the expected value of manufactured lenses obtained by normal production.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for providing a model assessing a quantitative expected global quality level of an ophtalmic lens, said lens having given lens and environment parameters, and being produced by a digital lens manufacturing process. A method for real-time in-line quality audit of the freeform production line is provided, by means of a process quality score, built as the result of the normalization of the computed global quality level based on the expected value of manufactured lenses obtained by normal production.

Abstract: An apparatus for clamping and handling an ophthalmic lens (A) in one or a plurality of stations throughout a manufacturing process, comprising: a main actuator (5); a loading platform (3) on which the lens is laid down with its concave surface downwards; a grip composed of two arms (1, 2) for clamping the lens on its edge, a first arm (1) being bound to said main actuator (5) and a second arm (2) being guided so that to allow for a movement parallel to the main actuator displacement; a first means for attracting the second arm (2) towards the first arm (1) so that to close the grip onto the lens edge; a second means (8) for blocking the second arm (2) at a fixed position when the first arm (1) is moved to a rest position so that to open the grip; holding fingers (6) mounted on at least one of the first arm (1) and the second arm (2) and partly sliding along parallel grooves (4) machined in said platform (3), said grooves (4) being also parallel to the actuator displacement.

Abstract: An apparatus for clamping and handling an ophthalmic lens (A) in one or a plurality of stations throughout a manufacturing process, comprising: a main actuator (5); a loading platform (3) on which the lens is laid down with its concave surface downwards; a grip composed of two arms (1, 2) for clamping the lens on its edge, a first arm (1) being bound to said main actuator (5) and a second arm (2) being guided so that to allow for a movement parallel to the main actuator displacement; a first means for attracting the second arm (2) towards the first arm (1) so that to close the grip onto the lens edge; a second means (8) for blocking the second arm (2) at a fixed position when the first arm (1) is moved to a rest position so that to open the grip; holding fingers (6) mounted on at least one of the first arm (1) and the second arm (2) and partly sliding along parallel grooves (4) machined in said platform (3), said grooves (4) being also parallel to the actuator displacement.

Abstract: The invention relates to an appliance for measuring or controlling an optical element (3) comprising illumination means (1) and an associated artificial vision system (2), in which the optical element (3) can be inserted between the illumination means (1) and the artificial vision system (2), said illumination means (1) comprising programmable optoelectronic means for producing a luminous background with spatially and temporally variable brightness. The inventive appliance is characterised in that the programmable optoelectronic means are embodied in such a way as to consecutively generate a plurality of mires, each comprising a pattern which is repeated in a contrasted manner on a uniform background with a high spatial frequency of between 0.01 and 100 patterns/mm, or such that two adjacent patterns are separated by an angle between 0.1 and 30 degrees, said angle being measured from the point of the object on which the pattern is observed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an appliance for measuring or controlling an optical element (3) comprising illumination means (1) and an associated artificial vision system (2), in which the optical element (3) can be inserted between the illumination means (1) and the artificial vision system (2), said illumination means (1) comprising programmable optoelectronic means for producing a luminous background with spatially and temporally variable brightness. The inventive appliance is characterised in that the programmable optoelectronic means are embodied in such a way as to consecutively generate a plurality of mires, each comprising a pattern which is repeated in a contrasted manner on a uniform background with a high spatial frequency of between 0.01 and 100 patterns/mm, or such that two adjacent patterns are separated by an angle between 0.1 and 30 degrees, said angle being measured from the point of the object on which the pattern is observed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical component (800). It also relates to a branching unit and to a method of reducing insertion loss in an optical branching unit. It further relates to a method of reducing stress induced polarization effects in spaced planar waveguides (e.g. couplers) and stress induced tilting of the cores due to strain fields introduced by the top-cladding. It also relates to a method for filling high-aspect-ratio structures with material during reflow. The present invention proposes the use of additional structural elements such as transversal elements (850) connected to or pads (840, 841) or elongate elements located in the vicinity of ordinary waveguide core sections (801, 802). The additional structural elements are typically formed in the same processing step as the ordinary waveguide core sections.

Abstract: An optical component having a combination of optical waveguide elements for modifying the spot size of a mode of an electromagnetic field propagated by an optical waveguide element, the optical waveguide elements being formed on a substrate. The optical component further includes a first section having a first optical waveguide element, and a second section having at least two cooperating optical waveguide elements. The cooperating optical waveguide elements of the second section are configured to maintain optical coupling between the optical waveguide elements to ensure that at least one mode of the electromagnetic field is sustained by the at least two cooperating optical waveguide elements in cooperation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical component (1) comprising a combination of optical waveguide elements for modifying the spot size of a mode of an electromagnetic field propagated by an optical waveguide element, the optical waveguide elements being formed on a substrate. The object of the present invention is to provide a mode coupler with low coupling loss that is easy to manufacture and process tolerant.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical component (800). It also relates to a branching unit and to a method of reducing insertion loss in an optical branching unit. It further relates to a method of reducing stress induced polarization effects in spaced planar waveguides (e.g. couplers) and stress induced tilting of the cores due to strain fields introduced by the top-cladding. It also relates to a method for filling high-aspect-ratio structures with material during reflow. The present invention proposes the use of additional structural elements such as transversal elements (850) connected to or pads (840, 841) or elongate elements located in the vicinity of ordinary waveguide core sections (801, 802). The additional structural elements are typically formed in the same processing step as the ordinary waveguide core sections.