A method for manufacturing an optical element according to a prescription is provided, including providing a combination of a block piece and a lens blank having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face, the lens blank being blocked with the first face on the block piece, surfacing and polishing the second face of the lens blank, cleaning the lens blank, hard coating the second face of the lens blank, degassing the lens blank, applying an AR-coating in a vacuum box coater, and deblocking the processed lens blank from the block piece, wherein the cleaning step includes a pre-cleaning step including a finishing drying step allowing the lens blank to be put on hold, and a deep cleaning step prior to the hard coating step.

There is provided a surfacing station for processing of surfaces of optical elements as workpieces, including a processing unit configured to process surfaces of optical elements; a controller unit configured to communicate with a database containing processing protocols, which can be carried out by the surfacing station, and to control operation of the processing unit in accordance with the processing protocols; and an identification tag base configured to communicate with the controller unit and configured to determine identification tags of consumable items used by the surfacing station, the controller unit being configured to enable a surfacing protocol for processing of the optical elements as workpieces in function of an identified consumable item.

A processing method and a processing device for lens mold core, the processing method includes steps of: softening a mold core base; surface treating a work surface of the mold core base by lighting; processing the work surface by removing material. When processing the lens mold core with this method, since the mold core base is softened and the work surface is surface treated by lighting, the processing difficulty of the mold core base is decreased, and thus a tool having a smaller radius and a higher feed rate can be adopted for processing. The tool having the smaller tool radius allows a more precise structure, and the higher feed rate imparts the work surface with a smaller roughness, thereby imparting the lens mold core with a higher processing precision.

A method and apparatus for blocking an unfinished optical lens member on a blocker for manufacturing an optical lens from the unfinished optical lens member, the latter being provided with a finished surface having a first reference frame, the blocker having a second reference frame, includes: placing the unfinished optical lens member on the blocker; measuring the relative positioning of the first reference frame of the finished surface of the placed unfinished lens member with respect to the positioning of the second reference frame of the blocker; comparing the measured relative positioning with a predetermined relative positioning to determine a relative positioning shift; moving at least the blocker and/or the lens member to change the relative positioning of the first reference frame with respect to the second reference frame to compensate for the relative positioning shift; and blocking the unfinished lens member on the blocker at the changed relative positioning.

A blocking unit for a block piece for a spectacle lens comprising a block piece reception body with a reception surface adapted to receive a block piece with a spectacle lens to be blocked and a bottom surface opposite the working surface, and a plurality of light sources fixedly mounted to the block piece reception body. A process of curing a lens on a block piece. The process comprises the steps of defining, in a controller, a pattern of illumination, and sequentially turning on and off the light sources from a plurality of first light sources and optional second light sources based on the determined pattern, for curing a material between the lens and the block piece.

A method of forming a mold insert used to produce an intraocular lens (IOL) mold is disclosed herein. The method includes providing stock material and cutting the stock material, which includes multiple cutting steps. The cutting steps are performed on transitional regions of supporting portions of the mold insert. Peripheral surfaces of the mold insert have varying roughness values, and supporting portions of the mold insert have a greater roughness than the optical portion of the mold insert. An IOL is also disclosed herein that is formed using an IOL mold that is injection molded using the mold insert. A method of forming the IOL is also disclosed herein.

A provisional lens structure has a grip tab region that allows the provisional lens structure to be supported and maneuvered, for example during subsequent manufacturing operations to produce a finished lens, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the provisional lens structure as compared to conventional approaches in which the provisional lens is supported and maneuvered directly by the edge of the provisional lens.

A provisional lens structure has a grip tab region that allows the provisional lens structure to be supported and maneuvered, for example during subsequent manufacturing operations to produce a finished lens, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the provisional lens structure as compared to conventional approaches in which the provisional lens is supported and maneuvered directly by the edge of the provisional lens.

A provisional lens structure has a grip tab region that allows the provisional lens structure to be supported and maneuvered, for example during subsequent manufacturing operations to produce a finished lens, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the provisional lens structure as compared to conventional approaches in which the provisional lens is supported and maneuvered directly by the edge of the provisional lens.

A method for manufacturing an optical lens, includes the steps of providing a blank (1) which includes an upper surface and a lower surface (33) for forming first and second lens surfaces (2), an edge surface (4) forming a first mechanical positioning reference point and a ramp portion (5) provided between the edge surface and the upper surface, which forms a second positioning reference point; providing a positioning ring (10) including a cavity defining an inner contour (20) concentric with the edge surface which forms a first complementary control reference point and a shoulder (21) forming a second complementary control reference point; fitting the blank into the cavity, the edge surface being in contact with the inner contour and the ramp portion being in contact with the shoulder; and locking the blank in position on a locking and supporting pin, the ring then being positioned there between.