STTR Phase I: On-demand optical printing of high-performance personalized eyeglass lenses

STTR第一阶段：高性能个性化眼镜镜片的按需光学打印

• 批准号: 1721055
• 负责人: Jacob Kuykendall
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Zenwa Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2018-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1721055&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; demand; optical; printing

This SBIR Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of producing ophthalmic lenses utilizing a low cost optical printer that will enable the fabrication of superior quality lenses with a low cost optical printer. The result is development of a business model where an eye exam is administered, prescription lenses are printed and glasses assembled and dispensed in a single visit. Upon completing the refraction portion of the eye exam, the lens prescriptions will be electronically transferred to the optical lens printer. The lens blanks, pre-treated for UV and anti-scratch protection, will contain a laser writable photopolymer layer that accepts and freezes the personalized prescriptions. Eyeglasses produced with this method will be of equal or higher in optical quality compared to traditional lenses and can be produced at a fraction of the cost of conventional lenses. This method of producing ophthalmic lenses both reduces the turnaround time for securing eyeglasses but equally important, will significantly reduce the cost for producing eyeglasses translating to lower the retail prices. Considering that over 60% of the US population wears glasses and a much high percentage of families have members that depend on glasses, this project will benefit the vast majority of US taxpayers.The goal of this STTR Phase 1 proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of three coupled innovations: 1) a high-speed optical printer for 2) photosensitive ophthalmic lens blanks that record 3) novel gradient-index diffractive optics which provide dramatically improved fabrication cost, visual performance and lighter weight over existing lens making technologies. The target application will be low cost, low and higher order aberration correcting eyeglass lenses fabricated with a compact, inexpensive optical printer. Lenses produced with this light based process will match or exceed the optical quality of current free form lenses made with computer numerical controlled milling machines costing in the range of $250k to $500k. This proposed lens making innovation enables the development of an eyeglass dispensing business model that could eliminate the need for conventional centralized eyeglass labs, the associated distribution networks, a comprehensive inventory of lens blanks and the long wait times for procuring prescription eyeglasses. The developments of this STTR will allow ophthalmic practices to better serve their patients, enabling on-site fabrication of superior corrective lenses that more closely match eye deficiencies. By the end of phase I, the goal is to optimize the photopolymer materials, refine the light sources and complete an engineering model of the optical printer.

该SBIR第I阶段项目将证明利用低成本光学打印机生产眼科镜片的可行性，该光学打印机将能够利用低成本光学打印机制造上级质量镜片。 其结果是发展了一种商业模式，在这种模式下，眼科检查、处方镜片打印、眼镜组装和分发都在一次访问中完成。 完成眼科检查的验光部分后，透镜处方将以电子方式传输至光学透镜打印机。 透镜坯件经过紫外线和抗刮擦保护预处理，将包含可接受并冻结个性化处方的激光可写入光聚合物层。 与传统镜片相比，用这种方法生产的眼镜将具有相等或更高的光学质量，并且可以以传统镜片的一小部分成本生产。 这种生产眼科镜片的方法既减少了固定眼镜的周转时间，但同样重要的是，将显著降低生产眼镜的成本，从而降低零售价格。 考虑到超过60%的美国人口戴眼镜，并且有很高比例的家庭成员依赖眼镜，这个项目将使绝大多数美国纳税人受益。这个STTR第一阶段提案的目标是证明三个耦合创新的可行性：1）一种高速光学打印机，用于2）记录3）新颖的梯度折射率衍射光学器件的光敏眼科透镜坯件，其提供显著改善的制造成本，视觉性能和重量比现有的透镜制造技术更轻。 目标应用将是用紧凑、廉价的光学打印机制造的低成本、低阶和高阶像差校正透镜。 用这种基于光的工艺生产的透镜将匹配或超过用计算机数控铣床制造的当前自由形式透镜的光学质量，成本在25万至50万美元的范围内。 所提出的这种透镜制造创新使得能够开发出一种自动配药商业模式，该模式可以消除对传统的集中式自动配药实验室、相关联的分销网络、透镜坯件的全面库存以及采购处方眼镜的长等待时间的需要。 该STTR的开发将使眼科实践更好地为患者服务，从而能够现场制造更接近眼睛缺陷的上级矫正镜片。 到第一阶段结束时，目标是优化光聚合物材料，改进光源并完成光学打印机的工程模型。