A method of manufacturing a colored contact lens including the steps of providing a transparent contact lens having a pupil section and an iris section, the iris section surrounding the pupil section and applying a colorant to the surface of the contact lens. The colorant is applied to the contact lens as an amorphous pattern and covers an effective amount of the iris section of the same. The amorphous pattern provides a lens capable of changing the apparent color of the iris of a person wearing the lens while imparting a very natural appearance.

One embodiment of a contact lens includes a lens body configured to fit directly on the surface of the eye and legible characters positioned on the lens body. Another embodiment of a contact lens comprises a lens body including polymeric material and a lens enhancing material (e.g., ink, silicone material, medicament material, and the like) encapsulated in the polymeric material. The lens enhancing material can be in the form of isolated sections distributed in the surrounding polymeric material. Methods of making contact lenses include forming a first lens layer including a first surface, forming a pattern on the first surface, and forming a second lens layer over the pattern.

Designs, apparatus and methods to form contact lenses with aesthetic elements on demand are described. In some examples, the method of defining the aesthetic aspect includes printing patterns. Other examples include photochromic or thermochromic elements which may provide patterning on exposure to electromagnetic irradiation. In some further examples, energized components in contact lenses may provide aesthetic characteristics.

Provided is a contact lens including: a lens unit configured to be worn on an eyeball; an adjustment unit configured to adjust light to be transmitted through at least one of a first region that is a central portion of the lens unit and covers a pupil of the eyeball and a second region that is an outer side of the first region and covers an iris of the eyeball; and a control unit configured to control the adjustment unit in response to input of a trigger signal.

Implantable corneal and intraocular implants such as a mask are provided. The mask can improve the vision of a patient, such as by being configured to increase the depth of focus of an eye of a patient. The mask can include an aperture configured to transmit along an optical axis substantially all visible incident light. The mask can further include a transition portion that surrounds at least a portion of the aperture. This portion can be configured to switch from one level of opacity to another level of opacity through the use of a controllably variable absorbance feature such as a switchable photochromic chromophore within a polymer matrix.

One embodiment of a contact lens includes a lens body configured to fit directly on the surface of the eye and legible characters positioned on the lens body. Another embodiment of a contact lens comprises a lens body including polymeric material and a lens enhancing material (e.g., ink, silicone material, medicament material, and the like) encapsulated in the polymeric material. The lens enhancing material can be in the form of isolated sections distributed in the surrounding polymeric material. Methods of making contact lenses include forming a first lens layer including a first surface, forming a pattern on the first surface, and forming a second lens layer over the pattern.

There is discloses an iris-lens diaphragm made of elastic material in the form of a colored ring. The iris0lens diaphragm comprises peripheral arc-shaped and open-ended support elements for one-point contact that are capable of bending in the plane of the colored ring, wherein a thickness of support elements exceeds a thickness of the colored ring.

A mask configured to be implanted in a cornea of a patient to increase the depth of focus of the patient includes an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and a plurality of holes. The anterior surface is configured to reside adjacent a first corneal layer. The posterior surface is configured to reside adjacent a second corneal layer. The plurality of holes extends at least partially between the anterior surface and the posterior surface. The holes of the plurality of holes are configured to substantially eliminate visible diffraction patterns.

The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a clich and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Provided is a colored contact lens having: a lens; and a colored region formed in the lens, at least a part of the colored region is arranged at a position overlapping an iris of a wearer when the colored contact lens is worn, and the colored region has infrared transparency.