Patents by Inventor Stein Kuiper

Stein Kuiper 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).

  • Publication number: 20210096400
    Abstract: Systems and kits for replenishing an electrowetting ophthalmic device are described. In an embodiment, the system includes an electrowetting ophthalmic device including a lens material defining a cavity encasing an aqueous electrowetting solution; a replenishing solution having an osmolarity approximately equal to an osmolarity of the aqueous electrowetting solution; and a container shaped to carry the electrowetting ophthalmic device and the replenishing solution and to position the electrowetting ophthalmic device in contact with the replenishing solution when the electrowetting ophthalmic device and the replenishing solution are carried by the container. In an embodiment, the osmolarity of the aqueous electrowetting solution is higher than an osmolarity of a tear fluid of an eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20210095063
    Abstract: Lens materials and ophthalmic devices including lens materials that are oxygen permeable and resistant to oil absorption are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Angela DiCiccio, Daniel Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Patent number: 10905545
    Abstract: Ophthalmic devices having elastic electrodes are disclosed herein. An example ophthalmic device may be an intraocular lens that includes a support structure, two optical windows, two immiscible fluids, and an elastic electrode. The support structure may have an inner surface defining an aperture with first and second optical windows disposed on opposite sides of the support structure and spanning the aperture. The two immiscible liquids may be disposed in a cavity formed by the aperture and the first and second optical windows, and the elastic electrode may be disposed on the inner surface. The elastic electrode may be formed from an elastic metal alloy having a minimum yield strain of 0.25%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VERILY LIFE SCIENCES LLC
    Inventors: Daniel B. Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Patent number: 10905546
    Abstract: A method for controlled unfolding of an intraocular lens (IOL) includes inserting a folded IOL into an eye and heating a shape memory alloy (SMA) ring included with the IOL to a temperature that is at least a transition temperature of the SMA ring. The transition temperature is above a body temperature. Heating the SMA ring causes the SMA ring to unfold the IOL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Brooke Basinger
  • Patent number: 10874506
    Abstract: A flexible intraocular lens including a reinforcing layer disposed on a sidewall of the intraocular lens is described. An example flexible intraocular lens includes a lens body and a reinforcing layer disposed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: VERILY LIFE SCIENCES LLC
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Patent number: 10869753
    Abstract: An eye-implantable device including an electrowetting lens is provided that can be operated to control an overall optical power of an eye in which the device is implanted. A lens chamber of the electrowetting lens contains first and second fluids that are immiscible with each other and that differ with respect to refractive index. By applying a voltage to electrodes of the lens, the optical power of the lens can be controlled by affecting the geometry of the interface between the fluids. One or both of the fluids can have a melting point slightly below body temperature. Freezing such an oil or other fluid of the lens can prevent fouling of internal surfaces of the lens due to folding or other manipulation of the lens during implantation. Once implanted, the fluids are melted by body heat such that the optical power of the lens may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Patent number: 10866431
    Abstract: A device is provided that may be operated when implanted within a body, when mounted to a surface of an eye, or when immersed in a fluid or otherwise exposed to a humid environment. The device includes at least one conductor that includes a valve metal. The valve metal is disposed on an external surface of the conductor such that, when the conductor exhibits a positive voltage relative to its environment, the valve metal forms or maintains a self-limiting oxide layer. The device is operated such that the mean voltage of the conductor is positive or zero relative to the environment, e.g., relative to another electrode or other conductor of the device that is in contact with fluid in the environment. Such a device can be operated for a protracted period of time in a humid environment without a hermetic seal disposed between the conductor and the humid environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Patent number: 10716661
    Abstract: An intraocular lens includes an annular housing coupled to a first window to form a lensing cavity. Disposed within the lensing cavity is two immiscible liquids, including a first liquid and a second liquid which form a meniscus at an immiscibility interface between the first liquid and the second liquid within the lensing cavity. The intraocular lens includes a flexible reservoir to store a variable portion of the first liquid. The flexible reservoir is disposed about at least a portion of a periphery of the annular housing. The intraocular lens also includes at least one channel linking the flexible reservoir to the lensing cavity to permit a transfer of the first liquid between the flexible reservoir and the lensing cavity. The transfer of the first liquid changes a curvature of the meniscus to adjust optical power of the intraocular lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventor: Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20200201078
    Abstract: A contact lens includes a posterior element, an anterior element, and a first fluid. The posterior element is adapted to conform to a surface of an eye when the contact lens is mounted on the eye. The anterior element is coupled to the posterior element to form a cavity within the contact lens. A flexibility of the posterior element is greater than a flexibility of the anterior element. The first fluid is disposed within the cavity and a distribution of the first fluid within the cavity changes in response to the posterior element conforming to the eye when the contact lens is mounted on the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Publication number: 20200192123
    Abstract: An ophthalmic device includes an enclosure, two immiscible fluids, an electrode, a dielectric, and an anion getter material. The enclosure is configured to mount on or in an eye of a user. The two immiscible fluids, including a first fluid and a second fluid, are disposed within the enclosure. The electrode is separated from the two immiscible fluids by the dielectric. The electrode is capable of forming a barrier layer during an anodization process when a voltage is applied across the electrode and the first fluid. The anion getter material is disposed within the ophthalmic device and is capable of gettering anion contaminants that inhibit the anodization process from forming the barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventor: Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20200138565
    Abstract: Ophthalmic systems and methods of changing an optical power of an ophthalmic system are described. In an example, the ophthalmic system includes an accommodating intraocular device shaped to be implantable in an eye and an extraocular device separate from the accommodating intraocular device shaped to be removably mountable to a portion of the eye outside a bulb of the eye, such as an underlid portion of the eye. In an example, the method includes wirelessly transmitting power from a power source of an extraocular device removably mounted outside a bulb of an eye to an accommodating intraocular device implanted in the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Christian Gutierrez, Brooke Basinger, Patricia Johnson, Stein Kuiper, Kedar Shah, Georges Goetz, Shishira Nagesh, Chelsea Gordon
  • Publication number: 20200129288
    Abstract: Adjustable ophthalmic devices, systems including adjustable ophthalmic devices, and methods of adjusting an optical power of an ophthalmic device are described. In an embodiment, the ophthalmic devices include a body including an inner surface defining an aperture through the body, wherein the inner surface includes a feature selected from a sharp surface feature, a layer on at least a portion of the inner surface having a surface energy different than a surface energy of the inner surface, and a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the ophthalmic device includes two immiscible liquids disposed in the aperture defining a meniscus, wherein a curvature of the meniscus is defined at least in part by a position of an interface between the layer and the inner surface, a position of the sharp surface feature, or combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Dimitri Azar, Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20190231519
    Abstract: A flexible intraocular lens including a reinforcing layer disposed on a sidewall of the intraocular lens is described. An example flexible intraocular lens includes a lens body and a reinforcing layer disposed thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Publication number: 20190142575
    Abstract: An ophthalmic apparatus includes a support structure; a substrate included with the support structure; at least one conductor disposed on the substrate; and a hermetic barrier structure disposed over the at least one conductor. The hermetic barrier structure further includes a stack of alternating flexible insulating material and superelastic metal alloy layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel B. Otts
  • Publication number: 20190091011
    Abstract: An example reinforcement ring for intraocular lenses may include at least include a support structure, first and second optical windows disposed on opposing sides of the support structure, and a reinforcement ring included in the apparatus to strengthen the support structure and the first and second optical windows. In some examples, the reinforcement ring is formed from a shape memory alloy, such as Nitinol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel B. Otts
  • Publication number: 20190079317
    Abstract: A device is provided that may be operated when implanted within a body, when mounted to a surface of an eye, or when immersed in a fluid or otherwise exposed to a humid environment. The device includes at least one conductor that includes a valve metal. The valve metal is disposed on an external surface of the conductor such that, when the conductor exhibits a positive voltage relative to its environment, the valve metal forms or maintains a self-limiting oxide layer. The device is operated such that the mean voltage of the conductor is positive or zero relative to the environment, e.g., relative to another electrode or other conductor of the device that is in contact with fluid in the environment. Such a device can be operated for a protracted period of time in a humid environment without a hermetic seal disposed between the conductor and the humid environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Publication number: 20190069989
    Abstract: An eye-implantable electrowetting lens can be operated to control an overall optical power of an eye in which the device is implanted. A lens chamber of the electrowetting lens contains first and second fluids that are immiscible with each other and have different refractive indexes. By applying a voltage to electrodes of the lens, the optical power of the lens can be controlled by affecting the geometry of the interface between the fluids. To facilitate implantation of such an eye-implantable device, components of the device may be inserted individually and the device may be assembled in situ. In situ assembly could allow insertion of components of the device into the eye through an incision that is smaller than the assembled device, reduce a chance of failure of the device, reduce the mechanical and/or chemical seal requirements of the assembled, or allow for modular device design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20190060055
    Abstract: An eye-implantable electrowetting lens can be operated to control an overall optical power of an eye in which the device is implanted. A lens chamber of the electrowetting lens contains first and second fluids that are immiscible with each other and have different refractive indexes. By applying a voltage to electrodes of the lens, the optical power of the lens can be controlled by affecting the geometry of the interface between the fluids. To prevent fouling the surface due to folding or other manipulation of the lens during the insertion process, one or more surfaces within the lens chamber is highly underwater oleophobic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts
  • Publication number: 20190015198
    Abstract: An intraocular lens includes an annular housing coupled to a first window to form a lensing cavity. Disposed within the lensing cavity is two immiscible liquids, including a first liquid and a second liquid which form a meniscus at an immiscibility interface between the first liquid and the second liquid within the lensing cavity. The intraocular lens includes a flexible reservoir to store a variable portion of the first liquid. The flexible reservoir is disposed about at least a portion of a periphery of the annular housing. The intraocular lens also includes at least one channel linking the flexible reservoir to the lensing cavity to permit a transfer of the first liquid between the flexible reservoir and the lensing cavity. The transfer of the first liquid changes a curvature of the meniscus to adjust optical power of the intraocular lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventor: Stein Kuiper
  • Publication number: 20180318068
    Abstract: An eye-implantable electrowetting lens can be operated to control an overall optical power of an eye in which the device is implanted. A lens chamber of the electrowetting lens contains first and second fluids that are immiscible with each other and have different refractive indexes. By applying a voltage to electrodes of the lens, the optical power of the lens can be controlled by affecting the geometry of the interface between the fluids. When the electrowetting lens is inserted into the eye, the lens chamber may contain only one of the first and second fluids. The other fluid can be added after insertion through a needle, a tube, or some other means. Having only one of the first and second fluids in the lens chamber during insertion of the lens can prevent fouling of internal surfaces due to folding or other manipulation of the lens during the insertion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Daniel Otts, Stein Kuiper