A virtual aperture integrated into an intraocular lens is disclosed. Optical rays which intersect the virtual aperture are widely scattered across the retina causing the light to be virtually prevented from reaching detectable levels on the retina. The use of the virtual aperture helps remove monochromatic and chromatic aberrations yielding high-definition retinal images. For a given definition of acceptable vision, the depth of field is increased over a larger diameter optical zone. In addition, thinner intraocular lenses can be produced since the optical zone can have a smaller diameter. This in turn allows smaller corneal incisions and easier implantation surgery.

Apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved intraocular lenses (IOLs), include features for reducing side effects, such as halos, glare and best focus shifts, in multifocal refractive lenses and extended depth of focus lenses. Exemplary ophthalmic lenses can include a continuous, power progressive aspheric surface based on two or more merged optical zones, the aspheric surface being defined by a single aspheric equation. Continuous power progressive intraocular lenses can mitigate optical side effects that typically result from abrupt optical steps. Aspheric power progressive and aspheric extended depth of focus lenses can be combined with diffractive lens profiles to further enhance visual performance while minimizing dysphotopsia effects. The combination can provide an increased depth of focus that is greater than an individual depth of focus of either the refractive profile or the diffractive profile.

An artificial eye lens (1) having an optical part (2) which has a first optical side (4) and an opposite, second optical side (5). The optical part (2) has a diffractive grating structure that contributes to an optical imaging property of the optical part (2). The diffractive grating structure is an amplitude grating (6) formed in the optical part (2) as a laser structure. A method for producing an artificial eye lens (1) where the amplitude grating (6) is produced with a laser apparatus (17), and a pulsed laser beam (22) having a pulse length of between 100 fs and 20 ps, a wavelength of between 320 nm and 1100 nm, a pulse repetition rate of between 1 kHz and 10 MHz, a focus diameter of less than 5 m, and a power density of greater than 10.sup.6 W/cm.sup.2.

A method and system provide an ophthalmic device. The ophthalmic device includes an ophthalmic lens having an anterior surface, a posterior surface, at least one diffractive structure and at least one base curvature. The at least one diffractive structure for provides a first spherical aberration for a first focus corresponding to at least a first focal length. The at least one base curvature provides a second spherical aberration for at least a second focus corresponding to at least a second focal length. The first spherical aberration and the second spherical aberration are provided such that the first focus has a first focus spherical aberration and the second focus has a second focus spherical aberration. The first focus spherical aberration is opposite in sign to the second focus spherical aberration.

An ophthalmic device including an ophthalmic lens having anterior and posterior surfaces and at least one diffraction grating is described. The diffraction grating(s) are on the anterior and/or posterior surface(s). The diffraction grating(s) include zones. A first zone is at a first distance range from a center of the lens. A second zone is at a second distance range further from the center than the first distance range. A repeat zone is at a third distance range further from the center than the second distance range. The first zone includes echelette(s) having a first step height and a first radius of curvature. The second zone includes echelette(s) having a second step height and a second radius of curvature. The repeat zone includes echelette(s) having at least one of the first step height and the first radius of curvature.

Systems and methods are provided for improving overall vision in patients suffering from a loss of vision in a portion of the retina (e.g., loss of central vision) by providing symmetric or asymmetric optic with aspheric surface which redirects and/or focuses light incident on the eye at oblique angles onto a peripheral retinal location. The intraocular lens can include a redirection element (e.g., a prism, a diffractive element, or an optical component with a decentered GRIN profile) configured to direct incident light along a deflected optical axis and to focus an image at a location on the peripheral retina. Optical properties of the intraocular lens can be configured to improve or reduce peripheral errors at the location on the peripheral retina. One or more surfaces of the intraocular lens can be a toric surface, a higher order aspheric surface, an aspheric Zernike surface or a Biconic Zernike surface to reduce optical errors in an image produced at a peripheral retinal location by light incident at oblique angles.

Methods, systems and devices for diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems allowing electronically focusing light at different focal planes. The system can be incorporated into a variety of optical schemes for providing electrical control of transmission. In another embodiment, the system comprises diffractive waveplates of different functionality to provide a system for controlling not only focusing but other propagation properties of light including direction, phase profile, and intensity distribution.

The invention relates to a multifocal lens (1) with a refractive focus (F.sub.r) and with a diffractive structure (5) which, in the radial direction (r) of the lens (1), plotted across the squared radius (r.sup.2), has a periodic profile (6, 7, 8, 9), wherein the profile (6, 7, 8, 9) per period has four adjoining portions (6, 7, 8, 9) which are not differentiable at their connection sites (10, 11, 12, 13), wherein a first portion (9) has a monotonically falling function and the three further portions (6, 7, 8) have a monotonically rising function or vice versa, and wherein the further portion (7), which does not adjoin the first portion (9), has a greater pitch than the other further portions (6, 8).

Devices and methods for novel retinal irradiance distribution modification (IDM) to improve, stabilize or restore vision are described herein. Also encompassed herein are devices and methods to reduce vision loss from diseases, injuries and disorders that involve damaged and/or dysfunctional and/or sensorily deprived retinal cells. Conditions that may be treated using devices and methods described herein include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Therapy provided by retinal IDM devices and methods described herein may also be used in combination with other therapies including, but not limited to, pharmacological, retinal laser, gene and stem cell therapies.

Apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved intraocular lenses (IOLs), include features for reducing side effects, such as halos, glare and best focus shifts, in multifocal refractive lenses and extended depth of focus lenses. Exemplary ophthalmic lenses can include a continuous, power progressive aspheric surface based on two or more merged optical zones, the aspheric surface being defined by a single aspheric equation. Continuous power progressive intraocular lenses can mitigate optical side effects that typically result from abrupt optical steps. Aspheric power progressive and aspheric extended depth of focus lenses can be combined with diffractive lens profiles to further enhance visual performance while minimizing dysphotopsia effects. The combination can provide an increased depth of focus that is greater than an individual depth of focus of either the refractive profile or the diffractive profile.