Patents by Inventor Curtis Dean McKenney

Curtis Dean McKenney has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11207854
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a thickness differential feature to provide lens orientation on eye portion such that said thickness differential causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder power in toric lens production by determining an amount of a mold cylinder compensation which is caused by processes in a toric lens manufacturing system including tool making, injection molding, casting and curing, wherein the mold cylinder is defined as the difference in measured radius of curvature at two orthogonal directions. A control metric is established by using the amount of a mold cylinder compensation and tolerance range and reject mold out of the control limits and improve the production yield for toric lens manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Yeming Gu, Curtis Dean McKenney, Cornelius Daniel Niculas
  • Patent number: 10994505
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a ballast portion such that said ballast portion causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder axis angle in toric lens production by modifying the target cylinder angle for mold rotation by eliminating the accumulative cylinder axis error from all previous steps including tool making, tool assembly, and molding. The amount modifying the target angle is determined by accurately determine the true cylinder axis on the corresponding mold by using a high-resolution interferometer, such as FISBA FS10M or equivalent models from Trioptics ?Shape® vertical series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Yeming Gu, Curtis Dean McKenney, Cornelius Daniel Niculas
  • Publication number: 20200183192
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a thickness differential feature to provide lens orientation on eye portion such that said thickness differential causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder power in toric lens production by determining an amount of a mold cylinder compensation which is caused by processes in a toric lens manufacturing system including tool making, injection molding, casting and curing, wherein the mold cylinder is defined as the difference in measured radius of curvature at two orthogonal directions. A control metric is established by using the amount of a mold cylinder compensation and tolerance range and reject mold out of the control limits and improve the production yield for toric lens manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Yeming Gu, Curtis Dean McKenney, Cornelius Daniel Niculas
  • Publication number: 20190193350
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a ballast portion such that said ballast portion causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder axis angle in toric lens production by modifying the target cylinder angle for mold rotation by eliminating the accumulative cylinder axis error from all previous steps including tool making, tool assembly, and molding. The amount modifying the target angle is determined by accurately determine the true cylinder axis on the corresponding mold by using a high-resolution interferometer, such as FISBA FS10M or equivalent models from Trioptics ?Shape® vertical series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Yeming Gu, Curtis Dean McKenney, Cornelius Daniel Niculas
  • Patent number: 7866814
    Abstract: This invention is related to contact lenses. In particular, the present invention is related to a toric contact lens design with thickness zones in the carrier portion of the lens for increased rotational stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Patent number: 7625085
    Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses for correcting astigmatism having a posterior surface with a central optic zone, a peripheral zone, and a blending zone therebetween. The surface of the central zone may be asphero-toric and the surface of the peripheral zone aspheric, with these flatter slopes smoothening out the transition between the central and peripheral zones. The blending zone gradually transitions the curvatures of the central and peripheral zones to further smoothen out the central-to-peripheral-zone transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Publication number: 20090115963
    Abstract: This invention is related to contact lenses. In particular, the present invention is related to a toric contact lens design with thickness zones in the carrier portion of the lens for increased rotational stability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: NOVARTIS AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Patent number: 7490937
    Abstract: The present invention provides a series of aspherical contact lenses, each lens having a first central optical zone on its anterior surface and a second central optical zone on its posterior surface. Both central optical zones are aspherical surfaces. The first central optical zone is designed to have a surface which provides a target optical power and an optical power profile selected from the group consisting of (1) a substantially constant optical power profile, (2) a power profile mimicking the optical power profile of a spherical lens with an identical targeted optical power, and (3) a power profile in which lens spherical aberration at 6 mm diameter is from about 0.65 diopter to about 1.8 diopters more negative than spherical aberration at 4 mm diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney, John McNally
  • Publication number: 20090040458
    Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses for correcting astigmatism having a posterior surface with a central optic zone, a peripheral zone, and a blending zone therebetween. The surface of the central zone may be asphero-toric and the surface of the peripheral zone aspheric, with these flatter slopes smoothening out the transition between the central and peripheral zones. The blending zone gradually transitions the curvatures of the central and peripheral zones to further smoothen out the central-to-peripheral-zone transition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Patent number: 7475983
    Abstract: This invention is related to contact lenses. In particular, the present invention is related to a toric contact lens design with thickness zones in the carrier portion of the lens for increased rotational stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Publication number: 20080212022
    Abstract: The present invention provides a series of aspherical contact lenses, each lens having a first central optical zone on its anterior surface and a second central optical zone on its posterior surface. Both central optical zones are aspherical surfaces. The first central optical zone is designed to have a surface which provides a target optical power and an optical power profile selected from the group consisting of (1) a substantially constant optical power profile, (2) a power profile mimicking the optical power profile of a spherical lens with an identical targeted optical power, and (3) a power profile in which lens spherical aberration at 6 mm diameter is from about 0.65 diopter to about 1.8 diopters more negative than spherical aberration at 4 mm diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: NOVARTIS AG
    Inventors: Ming YE, Curtis Dean McKENNEY, John McNALLY
  • Patent number: 7380937
    Abstract: The present invention provides a series of aspherical contact lenses, each lens having a first central optical zone on its anterior surface and a second central optical zone on its posterior surface. Both central optical zones are aspherical surfaces. The first central optical zone is designed to have a surface which provides a target optical power and an optical power profile selected from the group consisting of (1) a substantially constant optical power profile, (2) a power profile mimicking the optical power profile of a spherical lens with an identical targeted optical power, and (3) a power profile in which lens spherical aberration at 6 mm diameter is from about 0.65 diopter to about 1.8 diopters more negative than spherical aberration at 4 mm diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney, John McNally
  • Patent number: 6883915
    Abstract: The present invention provides a contact lens comprising a convex surface and a concave surface, one or both of the surfaces comprising: a) a central optical zone that is an aspherical sub-surface; b) a transition zone that is adjacent to said central optical zone, wherein and is a rotationally symmetric off-center sphere sub-surface; and c) a peripheral zone that comprises one or more sphere sub-surfaces, wherein all sub-surfaces are tangent to each other. By having a transition zone of the present invention, flexion points at the junction of optical zone with peripheral zone can be eliminated. The present invention also provides a method for producing a contact lens of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Patent number: 6726322
    Abstract: A fenestrated contact lens having increased tear flow is provided. The fenestrated contact lens includes a lens body adapted for placement adjacent a surface of an eye which has an inner surface and an outer surface. The lens body has a first plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough which are biased to direct a flow of lachrymal fluid from a first location between the surface of the wearer's eye and the inner surface of said contact lens to a second location adjacent the outer surface of the contact lens. The lens body also includes a second plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough, which are biased to direct a flow of lachrymal fluid from a third location adjacent the outer surface of the contact lens to a fourth location between the surface of the eye and the inner surface of said contact lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Rafael Victor Andino, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Publication number: 20030160941
    Abstract: The present invention provides a contact lens comprising a convex surface and a concave surface, one or both of the surfaces comprising: a) a central optical zone that is an aspherical sub-surface; b) a transition zone that is adjacent to said central optical zone, wherein and is a rotationally symmetric off-center sphere sub-surface; and c) a peripheral zone that comprises one or more sphere sub-surfaces, wherein all sub-surfaces are tangent to each other. By having a transition zone of the present invention, flexion points at the junction of optical zone with peripheral zone can be eliminated. The present invention also provides a method for producing a contact lens of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Curtis Dean McKenney
  • Publication number: 20020075447
    Abstract: A fenestrated contact lens having increased tear flow is provided. The fenestrated contact lens includes a lens body adapted for placement adjacent a surface of an eye which has an inner surface and an outer surface. The lens body has a first plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough which are biased to direct a flow of lachrymal fluid from a first location between the surface of the wearer's eye and the inner surface of said contact lens to a second location adjacent the outer surface of the contact lens. The lens body also includes a second plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough, which are biased to direct a flow of lachrymal fluid from a third location adjacent the outer surface of the contact lens to a fourth location between the surface of the eye and the inner surface of said contact lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Rafael Victor Andino, Curtis Dean McKenney