Patents by Inventor Joseph Michael Lindacher

Joseph Michael Lindacher 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: 7040757
    Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens which requires a predetermined orientation on an eye. The contact lens comprises an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface. The anterior surface includes a vertical meridian, a horizontal meridian, a central optical zone, a transitional non-optical zone surrounding the central optical zone, a peripheral zone surrounding the transitional non-optical zone, and an edge zone circumscribing and tangent to the peripheral zone. The presence of the transitional non-optical zone provides a continuous transition from the central optical zone to the peripheral zone and enables separate and independent designs of the central optical zone and the peripheral zone. Orientation features are incorporated only in the peripheral zone, does not provide an prism optical distortion, and can maintain a predetermined orientation of the lens on an eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Jordan William Hall, Joseph Michael Lindacher, Ming Ye
  • Patent number: 7036931
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ophthalmic lens capable of correcting or minimizing presbyopia, or of functioning used as an anti-myopic lens. The ophthalmic lens can be a contact lens, a phakic intraocular lens or an aphakic intraocular lens. The ophthalmic lens comprises an optical zone, the optical zone having a first surface and an opposite second surface and including a coma-like wavefront aberration oriented vertically from the top to the bottom of the ophthalmic lens. In addition, the present invention provides a method for minimizing/correcting presbyopia or for preventing children's eyes from becoming severely myopic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Courtney Flem Morgan
  • Patent number: 7004585
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens, such as multifocal contact lens, that is worn on the surface of the eye and has a blended design for a segmented optical zone. The lens has an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface, wherein the anterior surface includes a vertical meridian, a horizontal meridian, a central optical zone having at least a first optical zone for primary gaze, a second optical zone for down-gaze and an optical blending zone between the first and second optical zones. The optical blending zone has a surface that ensures a smooth surface transition from the first optical zone to the second optical zone and that allows the first and second optical zone to be designed independently and optimally so that ghost images or blur from the transition between the first and second optical zones can be minimized or eliminated. Image blur from the blend zone that subtends the pupil is minimized by the magnitude of the curvature of the blend zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventor: Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Patent number: 6923540
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toric multifocal contact lens having a cylindrical optical power to correct astigmatism vision errors and a multifocal power to compensate for presbyopia. A toric multifocal contact lens of the invention has a central axis, an anterior surface having a first central optical zone, and an opposite posterior surface having a second central optical zone. The first central optical zone and the second central optical zone combine to provide a cylindrical optical power to correct astigmatism vision errors and a multifocal power to compensate for presbyopia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Patent number: 6921168
    Abstract: The present invention provides a translating contact lens having a central axis, an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface. The anterior surface includes an optical zone and a ramped ridge zone, which is disposed below the optical zone and capable of controlling contact lens position on an eye in primary gaze or translating amount across the eye when the eye changes from gazing at an object at a distance to gazing at an object at an intermediate distance or at a nearby object, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Jordan William Hall, Ming Ye
  • Publication number: 20040257526
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens, such as multifocal contact lens, that is worn on the surface of the eye and has a blended design for a segmented optical zone. The lens has an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface, wherein the anterior surface includes a vertical meridian, a horizontal meridian, a central optical zone having at least a first optical zone for primary gaze, a second optical zone for down-gaze and an optical blending zone between the first and second optical zones. The optical blending zone has a surface that ensures a smooth surface transition from the first optical zone to the second optical zone and that allows the first and second optical zone to be designed independently and optimally so that ghost images or blur from the transition between the first and second optical zones can be minimized or eliminated. Image blur from the blend zone that subtends the pupil is minimized by the magnitude of the curvature of the blend zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Publication number: 20040246440
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for designing and making a customized ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens or an intraocular lens, capable of correcting high-order aberrations of an eye. The posterior surface of the customized contact lens is designed to accommodate the corneal topography of an eye. The design of the customized ophthalmic lens is evaluated and optimized in an optimizing routine using a computational model eye that reproduces the aberrations and corneal topography of an eye. The present invention also provides a system and method for characterizing the optical metrology of a customized ophthalmic lens that is designed to correct aberrations of an eye. Furthermore, the present invention provides a business model and method for placing an order for a pair of customized ophthalmic lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventors: Rafael Victor Andino, Courtney Flem Morgan, Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Publication number: 20040233382
    Abstract: The present invention provides a contact lens having an orientation/stabilization and optionally translation feature that does not provide an prism optical distortion and can effectively maintain a predetermined orientation of the lens on an eye. Like a conventional lens ballast, the orientation feature of the invention works by weighing the lens at its lower half portion, causing it to come to an equilibrium position on the eye. With such orientation feature, the optical zone of the anterior surface can be designed independently to provide an optimal visual performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Jason Molinari
  • Publication number: 20040207807
    Abstract: This invention is generally related to vision corrections by means of multifocal ophthalmic lenses or by means of corneal refractive surgery. In particular, the present invention provides a multifocal contact lens, a multifocal intraocular lens, a method for making a multifocal ophthalmic lens (contact lens and intraocular lens), and a method of correcting presbyopia by reshaping the cornea of an eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventor: Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Publication number: 20040156013
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ophthalmic lens capable of correcting or minimizing presbyopia, or of functioning used as an anti-myopic lens. The ophthalmic lens can be a contact lens, a phakic intraocular lens or an aphakic intraocular lens. The ophthalmic lens comprises an optical zone, the optical zone having a first surface and an opposite second surface and including a coma-like wavefront aberration oriented vertically from the top to the bottom of the ophthalmic lens. In addition, the present invention provides a method for minimizing/correcting presbyopia or for preventing children's eyes from becoming severely myopic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Courtney Flem Morgan
  • Publication number: 20040135968
    Abstract: A contact lens having one or more optimized optical zones that accommodate the specific optical variations of the eye of the wearer such that the optical zone s is placed within the contact lens in relation to the true line of sight of the wearer. To make the contact lens, the variation in the eye of a potential contact lens wearer is measured to determine the true line of sight of the eye, and the location of one or more optical zones in the contact lens are determined such that the optical zone is placed substantially on the true line of sight when fitted in the eye of the wearer, and then the contact lens is manufactured to contain the one or more optimized optical zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Courtney Flem Morgan, Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Publication number: 20040021824
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toric multifocal contact lens having a cylindrical optical power to correct astigmatism vision errors and a multifocal power to compensate for presbyopia. A toric multifocal contact lens of the invention has a central axis, an anterior surface having a first central optical zone, and an opposite posterior surface having a second central optical zone. The first central optical zone and the second central optical zone combine to provide a cylindrical optical power to correct astigmatism vision errors and a multifocal power to compensate for presbyopia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Ming Ye, Joseph Michael Lindacher
  • Publication number: 20040017542
    Abstract: The present invention provides a translating contact lens having a central axis, an anterior surface and an opposite posterior surface. The anterior surface includes an optical zone and a ramped ridge zone capable of controlling contact lens position on an eye in primary gaze and/or translating amount across the eye when the eye changes from gazing at an object at a distance to gazing at an object at an intermediate distance or at a nearby object. The ramped ridge zone is disposed below the optical zone and includes an upper edge, a lower ramped edge, a latitudinal ridge that extends outwardly from the anterior surface, and a ramp that extends downwardly from the lower ramped edge and has a curvature or slope that ensures a varying degree of interaction between the ramped ridge zone and the lower eyelid depending on where the lower eyelid strikes the ramped ridge zone. The lower eyelid of the eye is engaged with at least some portion of the ramped ridge zone at all times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Lindacher, Jordan William Hall, Ming Ye