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.

An optical film having a first surface, an opposing second surface, and a thickness normal to the first and second surfaces is cut. Cutting the film forms a channel at least partially through the thickness of the film. A light control material is printed proximate to a surface of the film. The ink traverses through the channel by capillary motion.

An ophthalmic lens incorporating an optically functional wafer having improved adhesion to a polymerized polyurea-urethane bulk lens resin.

Atomic layer deposition methods for coating an optical substrate with magnesium fluoride. The methods include two primary processes. The first process includes the formation of a magnesium oxide layer over a surface of a substrate. The second process includes converting the magnesium oxide layer to a magnesium fluoride layer. These two primary processes may be repeated a plurality of times to create multiple magnesium fluoride layers that make up a magnesium fluoride film. The magnesium fluoride film may serve as an antireflective coating layer for an optical substrate, such as an optical lens.

An ophthalmic lens incorporating an optically functional wafer having improved adhesion to a polymerized polyurea-urethane bulk lens resin.

The invention relates to a device (12) for mixing/dosing liquid coating materials, in particular for use in a coating system (10) for spectacle lenses, said device having at least a first and a second storage container (14-24) for liquid starting materials, a conveying device (26) for sucking in and expelling liquids, a mixing container (28), and a liquid outlet (30) for mixed/dosed liquid coating materials. In between there is a multi-way valve (32), which can be switched into different valve positions and is constructed to produce one of the following connections (a, b, c, d) and in the process to disconnect the other connections: (a) connection between the first storage container and the conveying device, (b) connection between the second storage container and the conveying device, (c) connection between the conveying device and the mixing container, and (d) connection between the conveying device and the liquid outlet.

A coating system (10) for coating an optical substrate has an identification apparatus (40) configured for identifying an orientation of at least one mark on a surface of the optical substrate; a coating apparatus (30) configured to apply at least one coating material on at least a portion of the optical substrate in a predetermined pattern by a controlled deposition of the at least one coating material in an atomized droplet form; and a robotic placement arm (80) configured to move the optical substrate from the identification apparatus (40) to the coating apparatus (30) and position the optical substrate at a predetermined orientation relative to the coating apparatus (30) based on the orientation of the at least one mark. The coating system (10) may have a second coating apparatus, such as a spin coating apparatus.

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.

A method and system for manufacturing an optical article is provided. The method may comprise providing at least one ophthalmic lens substrate having a surface; applying at least one conductive coating on at least a portion the ophthalmic lens substrate; and electroplating the ophthalmic lens substrate to form a plating layer that is in a contacting relationship with the conductive coating of the optical article. Other layers may also be applied.

The present invention relates to improved coloring of an optical glass, in particular of a spectacle lens, comprising a predetermined glass material, in order to obtain a target coloration of the optical glass. In this case, a method according to the invention comprises: determining a material-specific intrinsic coloration of the predetermined glass material; determining a glass thickness at a plurality of evaluation locations on the optical glass; identifying an intrinsic coloration of the optical glass from the material-specific intrinsic coloration of the predetermined glass material and the glass thickness at the plurality of evaluation locations on the optical glass; determining a reference color pigment amount for at least one color pigment in such a way that the reference color pigment amount applied on a reference substrate brings about for the reference substrate the target coloration to be obtained on the optical glass; specifying a color correction model which describes a relationship between a deviation of a color pigment amount for at least one color pigment from the reference color pigment amount of the at least one color pigment and a resultant deviation of a coloration of the reference substrate from the target coloration; and determining a target color pigment amount which deviates from the reference color pigment amount by a color pigment amount correction which compensates for the ascertained intrinsic coloration of the optical glass in accordance with the defined color correction model.