Patents Examined by Mathieu Vargot
  • Patent number: 9244195
    Abstract: The invention is related to a method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a nano-textured surface which mimics the surface texture of cornea of human eye. A method of the invention comprises creating a prime coating having nano-textures through controlled imbibition and/or depositions of a reactive polymeric coating material and fixing the nano-textures by crosslinking a hydrophilic polymeric material onto the prime coating to form a crosslinked polymeric coating that perserves the nano-textures of the prime coating and provides a nano-textured surface to the contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: R. Erich Bauman, Peter Hagmann, John Dallas Pruitt, Joseph Michael Rappon
  • Patent number: 9242418
    Abstract: A process is described for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens containing a Fresnel microstructured surface inside the lens. The Fresnel lens is injection molded with a mold insert having a heat conductivity lower than the thermoplastic material used to form the Fresnel lens. A second thermoplastic material is overmolded to the Fresnel lens to cover and protect the microstructured surface. The mold insert is made from nickel or a thermoplastic material. The resulting lens includes two layers having different refractive indices. The Fresnel lens may be made from polycarbonate while the overmold may be made from a poly(methyl methacrylate) or a thermoplastic polyurethane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Haifeng Shan, Marvin Pounders, Richard Muisener, Bill Houle, Zeming Gou
  • Patent number: 9221686
    Abstract: There are provided a cluster of thin sheet graphite crystals or the like which is useful as an electrode material for lithium ion batteries, hybrid capacitors and the like, and a method for efficiently producing the same at high productivity. The method is one for producing a cluster of thin sheet graphite crystals composed of aggregates in such a state that thin sheet graphite crystals extend from the inside toward the outside, comprising charging a powdery and/or particulate material of an organic compound pre-baked to an extent of containing remaining hydrogen in a graphite vessel, and subjecting the powdery and/or particulate material together with the vessel to hot isostatic pressing treatment (HIP treatment) using a compressed gas atmosphere under the predetermined conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: INCUBATION ALLIANCE, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuo Muramatsu, Masahiro Toyoda
  • Patent number: 9221196
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical component includes, bringing a mold including at least one portion made of an infrared transmitting material into tight contact with a substrate, heating the substrate by irradiating the substrate with an infrared ray in a state that a gap is present between the substrate and the mold, and placing the mold and the substrate into tight contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Takata, Masanobu Ogane
  • Patent number: 9192292
    Abstract: A lens for placement in a human eye, such as intraocular lens, has at least some of its optical properties formed with a laser. The laser forms modified loci in the lens when the modified loci have a different refractive index than the refractive index of the material before modification. Different patterns of modified loci can provide selected dioptic power, toric adjustment, and/or aspheric adjustment provided. Preferably both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the lens are planar for ease of placement in the human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: PERFECT IP, LLC
    Inventor: Josef F. Bille
  • Patent number: 9188704
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical film includes: providing a template; coating an aluminum film on one surface of the template; electrolyzing the aluminum film and generating a plurality of regular microstructures on the aluminum film; providing a substrate; transferring the microstructures of the template to the substrate to form a plurality of microstructures on the substrate; and modifying the surfaces of the microstructures of the substrate to obtain a layer containing hydrophobic functional groups on the surfaces of the microstructures of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chia-Ling Hsu
  • Patent number: 9186242
    Abstract: A system/method allowing hydrophilicity alteration of a polymeric material (PM) is disclosed. The PM hydrophilicity alteration changes the PM characteristics by decreasing the PM refractive index, increasing the PM electrical conductivity, and increasing the PM weight. The system/method incorporates a laser radiation source that generates tightly focused laser pulses within a three-dimensional portion of the PM to affect these changes in PM properties. The system/method may be applied to the formation of customized intraocular lenses comprising material (PLM) wherein the lens created using the system/method is surgically positioned within the eye of the patient. The implanted lens refractive index may then be optionally altered in situ with laser pulses to change the optical properties of the implanted lens and thus achieve optimal corrected patient vision. This system/method permits numerous in situ modifications of an implanted lens as the patient's vision changes with age.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: PERFECT IP, LLC
    Inventors: Ruth Sahler, Stephen Q. Zhou, Josef F. Bille
  • Patent number: 9182548
    Abstract: A plurality of regions for a plurality of optical waveguides are defined on a substrate. Then, optical waveguide under-cladding layers are formed on the respective regions, and dummy under-cladding layers are formed between adjacent ones of the optical waveguide under-cladding layers in a spaced relationship to the optical waveguide under-cladding layers. After cores are formed on the optical waveguide under-cladding layers and the dummy under-cladding layers, an over-cladding layer formation photosensitive resin is applied on the resulting substrate. Subsequently, portions of the resulting photosensitive resin layer for the respective optical waveguides are selectively exposed, and the exposed portions are defined as over-cladding layers. Thus, the optical waveguides are produced as each including the optical waveguide under-cladding layer, the core and the over-cladding layer, and separated from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mayu Takase, Kazunori Mune
  • Patent number: 9174399
    Abstract: In order to produce high-quality optical elements stably at all times without the flow of molten resin inside an injection molding cavity being hindered by the protrusion of the outer peripheral edge of a lens after compression molding, a cavity formed when a pair of molds for molding is closed is provided with: an optical-function-part molding cavity (27); an annular connection-part molding cavity (28) connected to the outer peripheral edge of the optical-function-part molding cavity; and an edge-part molding cavity (29) connected to the outer peripheral edge of the connection-part molding cavity. In a compression molding step, a protrusion part is formed by making a portion of a compression molding material bulge out from the connection-part molding cavity into the edge-part molding cavity (29). In an injection molding step, the molds are filled by injecting an injection molding material into the edge-part molding cavity (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Watanabe, Kazumi Koike
  • Patent number: 9174321
    Abstract: A method of deblocking a lens component (1) fixed on a thermoplastic block (2) of an ophthalmic lens block comprising the steps of: a) applying a pushing strain on the surface (14) of the lens component fixed on the thermoplastic block; b) providing a warm gas flow at the interface between the lens component (1) and the thermoplastic block; and maintaining the pushing strain during the step of providing the warm gas flow at the interface between the lens component and the thermoplastic block, wherein the stress applied to obtain the pushing strain of step a) is greater or equal to 0.1 MPa and/or less or equal to 1 Mpa, and wherein the temperature of the warm gas flow of step b) is greater or equal to 30° and/or less or equal to 70° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)
    Inventors: Yohann Felten, Yannick Gordiet, Matthieu Le Gall
  • Patent number: 9162401
    Abstract: A preferred process for degassing a mold piece includes inserting the mold piece into an internal volume within a canister, sealing the internal volume, drawing a vacuum in the internal volume, and introducing into the internal volume a gaseous fluid suitable for degassing the mold piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Donnie J. Duis, Stephen R. Beaton, David C. Byram, Gregory Scott Duncan
  • Patent number: 9156196
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing optical elements, the method including the following processes: a process to determine the wave-front aberration for a lens fabricated using a reference die, and then choose the integer multiple of a predetermined constant that is closest to the difference between a lens design value and the wave-front aberration for the lens fabricated using the reference die; and a process to determine the amount of aberration correction that cancels out the aforementioned integer multiple aberration, change the lens design so that either the low-order spherical aberration or the low-order astigmatism therefor becomes equal to the aberration correction, and fabricate a correction die from either a first or a second die, with the shape of the molding surface thereof changed on the basis of the changed design value. Then the die design value is decided upon, yielding a final die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA OPTO, INC.
    Inventors: Tadafumi Sakata, Youichi Ogawa, Kazunari Tada
  • Patent number: 9156215
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for washing, with a water-based system, reusable molds for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The water-based washing system comprises an ethoxylated silicone polyether surfactant. The water-based system of the invention can effectively wash away silicone-containing components and other components of a lens formulation left behind on the molding surfaces of a reusable mold, after removing a silicone hydrogel contact lens cast molded in the reusable mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Newton T. Samuel, Horngyih Huang, Daqing Wu, Uwe Haken, John Dallas Pruitt, Angelika Maria Domschke, Yasuo Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 9153943
    Abstract: A method is described for producing a light source, in particular a light source for optically exciting a laser device, for example a laser device of a laser ignition system of an internal combustion engine, including a diode laser having a plurality of emitters and a fiber optic device. The fiber optic device includes a plurality of optical fibers, each fiber having a first end and a lateral surface area. The first ends are situated relative to the emitters in such a way that light generated by the emitters is injected into the first ends of the optical fibers. The optical fibers are situated in abutment along their lateral surface areas, at least in the region of the first ends of the optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Klaus Stoppel, Werner Herden, Hans-Jochen Schwarz, Andreas Letsch
  • Patent number: 9144491
    Abstract: A method for modifying the refractive index of an optical polymeric material. The method comprises continuously irradiating predetermined regions of an optical, polymeric material with femtosecond laser pulses to form a gradient index refractive structure within the material. An optical device includes an optical, polymeric lens material having an anterior surface and posterior surface and an optical axis intersecting the surfaces and at least one laser-modified, GRIN layer disposed between the anterior surface and the posterior surface and arranged along a first axis 45° to 90° to the optical axis, and further characterized by a variation in index of refraction across at least one of at least a portion of the adjacent segments and along each segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Wayne H. Knox, Dharmendra Jani, Li Ding
  • Patent number: 9146377
    Abstract: A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices including chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Henry Helvajian
  • Patent number: 9132617
    Abstract: Scent releasing articles and methods for producing the same are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes absorbing a first amount of fragrant oil with a polymer material and positioning the polymer material between opposing layers of mesh material each defining a plurality of interstitial openings to form a composite structure. The composite structure is then heated and pressed to fill at least a portion of the interstitial openings of the opposing layers of mesh material with a portion of the polymer material. In one form, the method further includes contacting the composite structure with a second amount of fragrant oil. In another embodiment, the polymer material is positioned between a mesh material defining a plurality of interstitial openings and an oil impermeable barrier material, which can optionally also include a mesh layer. Other embodiments include unique methods, systems, kits, assemblies, equipment, and/or apparatus which involve scent releasing articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventor: Michelle Subrin
  • Patent number: 9134461
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of edging a lens comprising forming a lens-protective transparent coating layer on the surface of the lens. When the lens coated with a transparent coating layer comprising a fluorine-containing elastomer and optionally a fluorine-containing organosilane compound and having a surface energy of less than 15 mJ/m2 is edged, the scratch of lens during handling, the damage of lens caused by chemical contaminants, and lens off-centring phenomena can be prevented. Further, such an edging process requires no adhesive tape, making the process simple, and prevents the contamination of the lens surface. Further, the inventive transparent coating layer makes it possible to measure the diopter of lens exactly owing to its transparency and it is manually removable without a chemical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: Hun Rae Kim, Jeong Ki Kang, Ja Heung Koo, Sun Do Lee
  • Patent number: 9120278
    Abstract: A method for producing a progressive-addition plastic lens having a prism thinning applied thereto without cutting and polishing includes: a lens molding die forming step of forming a lens molding die configured by a first molding die having a molding face for forming one optical surface, which is a progressive-addition surface, of the lens and a second molding die having a molding face for forming the other optical surface of the lens, wherein the first molding die and the second molding die are arranged so that the respective molding faces thereof face inner side; a filling step of filling a lens material liquid containing a monomer composition into the formed lens molding die; and a curing step of polymerizing and curing the filled lens material liquid so as to form the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro Kadowaki, Yuji Hoshi, Ken Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9121973
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lens sheet including following steps is provided. A first structure is provided. The first structure includes a first transparent substrate and a first lens film attached to the first transparent substrate. A second structure is provided. The second structure includes a second transparent substrate and a second lens film. The second transparent substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second lens film is attached to the first surface. The first lens film is attached to the second lens film. A third lens film is formed on the second surface of the second substrate after the first lens film is attached to the second lens film. Moreover, a lens sheet and a wafer level lens are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Yun-Lien Hsiao, Shu-Hao Hsu, Wei-Hsin Lin, Shih-Wei Yeh, Jen-Hui Lai