Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and kits useful for diagnosis and/or prognosis of urothelial cancer in a subject. The present invention further relates to methods of assessing severity of cancer and methods of determining efficacy of a treatment for cancer. The methods and kits of the invention comprise determining the levels of semaphorin 3A in a biological sample of a subject.

Abstract: An optical element for use in power adjustable spectacles comprises a front lens and a back lens which can slide laterally with respect to each other to achieve a first relative position and a second relative position. The optical element may be designed to provide good optical performance for far-distance viewing and for near-distance viewing, or to provide good optical performance for near-distance viewing and for intermediate-distance viewing. In some cases, the front lens and the back lens can slide laterally with respect to each other to achieve a third relative position, and the optical element may be designed to provide good optical performance for far-distance viewing, for intermediate-distance viewing and for near-distance viewing. In all cases, the predetermined addition of the prescription is in the range of 0.50 diopters to 3.00 diopters.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and kits useful for diagnosis and/or prognosis of urothelial cancer in a subject. The present invention further relates to methods of assessing severity of cancer and methods of determining efficacy of a treatment for cancer. The methods and kits of the invention comprise determining the levels of semaphorin 3A in a biological sample of a subject.

Abstract: A method of designing a transmissive optical element for converting a profile of a light beam from a predetermined input profile to a predetermined output profile is disclosed. The method comprises: calculating a stationary function of a predetermined cost functional selected such that the stationary function satisfies a mapping condition for mapping the predetermined input profile into the predetermined output profile, thereby providing a mapping function. The method further comprises utilizing the mapping function for calculating surface properties of at least a first surface and a second surface of the transmissive optical element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of optics, and, in particular to a system and method for determining the phase of a wave. The system and method of the present invention calculates the phase of any type of wave based on the intensity of the wave. In particular, the system and method provides a means for finding the ray mapping between two surfaces in space from information on the wave's intensity measured at those two surfaces.

Abstract: A method of designing a transmissive optical element for converting a profile of a light beam from a predetermined input profile to a predetermined output profile is disclosed. The method comprises: calculating a stationary function of a predetermined cost functional selected such that the stationary function satisfies a mapping condition for mapping the predetermined input profile into the predetermined output profile, thereby providing a mapping function. The method further comprises utilizing the mapping function for calculating surface properties of at least a first surface and a second surface of the transmissive optical element.

Abstract: An optical lab is provided with a set of different progressive power semi-finished spectacle lens blanks for different combinations of base curve, add power, cylinder and axis, where each semi-finished lens blank in the set has an unfinished surface and a progressive surface with a particular base curve and a particular add power. The progressive surface has been designed to provide optimal optical performance of a lens one surface of which is the progressive surface and another surface of which is a toric surface of a particular non-zero cylinder and a particular axis. Given a prescription of an astigmatic presbyope, the optical lab will select from the set the appropriate semi-finished lens blank and will surface the unfinished surface with the appropriate toric surface so that the progressive power spectacle lens matches the prescription.

Abstract: An optical lab is provided with a set of different progressive power semi-finished spectacle lens blanks for different combinations of base curve, add power, cylinder and axis, where each semi-finished lens blank in the set has an unfinished surface and a progressive surface with a particular base curve and a particular add power. The progressive surface has been designed to provide optimal optical performance of a lens one surface of which is the progressive surface and another surface of which is a toric surface of a particular non-zero cylinder and a particular axis. Given a prescription of an astigmatic presbyope, the optical lab will select from the set the appropriate semi-finished lens blank and will surface the unfinished surface with the appropriate toric surface so that the progressive power spectacle lens matches the prescription.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for designing one or more surfaces of an ophthalmic lens includes representing the surfaces with parameters, choosing a function in the parameters and optimizing the function. The function may include one or more of the following terms: a term involving the magnification induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined magnification distribution, a term involving the distortion induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined distortion distribution, and a term involving the torsion induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined torsion distribution. The function may also involve a term related to the thickness of the ophthalmic lens. The function may also involve one or more weight distributions. The method may include determining the weight distributions from a database of weight functions using a predetermined rule or an expert system.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for designing one or more surfaces of an ophthalmic optical element for an eye suffering at least from higher order aberrations includes computing an eye model and optimizing a merit function. The eye model may be computed from data on defocus of the eye, astigmatism of the eye and the higher order aberrations. The merit function may be defined in terms of the eye model and in terms of parameters of a representation of the surfaces. The optimization of the merit function yields a set of optimized parameters which can be used to obtain a description of the surfaces. The ophthalmic optical element may be a lens for spectacles, a contact lens, an intraocular lens or a multifocal lens for spectacles. The method may also be used to design the topography of corneal tissue.

Abstract: A method for determining or designing the topography of at least one unknown surface of an optical element includes the steps of measuring or prescribing geometrical properties, determining a set of integration equations from the geometrical properties, and determining the topography of the at least one unknown surface from the set of equations. The set of integration equations is determined also from the optical index or indexes of the optical element. The geometrical properties measured or prescribed are the geometric properties of a plurality of rays incident upon the optical element and of a corresponding plurality of rays affected by at least the at least one unknown surface.

Abstract: A method for designing a surface of an optical element includes the steps of prescribing initial wavefronts, selecting an initial parameterized representation of the surface, choosing a cost function in the parameters, and optimizing the cost function with respect to the parameters. The step of optimizing includes the steps of calculating a refracted wavefront for each of the initial wavefronts and analytically computing derivatives of the cost function. The method may also include the steps of precomputing eikonal functions between points in the vicinity of the initial wavefronts. Then the refracted wavefronts are calculated from the precomputed eikonal functions. A method for designing at least one surface of a multifocal optical element includes the step of concurrently considering in a design of the at least one surface any combination of an astigmatism distribution, a progressive power distribution and a prism distribution.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for designing one or more surfaces of an ophthalmic optical element for an eye suffering at least from higher order aberrations includes computing an eye model and optimizing a merit function. The eye model may be computed from data on defocus of the eye, astigmatism of the eye and the higher order aberrations. The merit function may be defined in terms of the eye model and in terms of parameters of a representation of the surfaces. The optimization of the merit function yields a set of optimized parameters which can be used to obtain a description of the surfaces. The ophthalmic optical element may be a lens for spectacles, a contact lens, an intraocular lens or a multifocal lens for spectacles. The method may also be used to design the topography of corneal tissue.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for designing one or more surfaces of an ophthalmic lens includes representing the surfaces with parameters, choosing a function in the parameters and optimizing the function. The function may include one or more of the following terms: a term involving the magnification induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined magnification distribution, a term involving the distortion induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined distortion distribution, and a term involving the torsion induced by the ophthalmic lens and a predetermined torsion distribution. The function may also involve a term related to the thickness of the ophthalmic lens. The function may also involve one or more weight distributions. The method may include determining the weight distributions from a database of weight functions using a predetermined rule or an expert system.

Abstract: A method for designing a surface of a multifocal optical element, such as a progressive spectacle lens, includes the steps of partitioning a region into triangles, defining a set of functions, each representing a portion of the surface over one of the triangles, and optimizing the functions. A further embodiment includes the steps of partitioning a region into polygons, and defining a set of functions, each representing a portion of the surface over one of the polygons. Continuity constraints for values of the functions and values of the first derivatives of the functions at boundaries of the polygons are dictated. Continuity constraints for values of the second derivatives of the functions at boundaries of the polygons are not required. The functions are optimized subject to the dictated continuity constraints. Another embodiment includes the steps of partitioning a region into polygons, and defining a set of functions, each representing a portion of the surface over one of the polygons.

Abstract: A method for determining an optical surface includes the steps of receiving data relating to a plurality of rays prior to and after refraction or reflection from the optical surface, determining a set of integration equations from the data, and determining the optical surface from the set of equations.