US4842782A — Manufacture of ophthalmic lenses by excimer laser

Claim 1

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of making small objects from a blank of ablatable material, comprising the steps of: cutting a workpiece from said blank by exposing said blank to laser light in the outline of said workpiece without focusing the laser light at the workpiece; exposing the surface of said workpiece to laser light through a mask having areas transmitting said light in varying degrees; and beveling the edges of said workpiece by exposing them to an inclined beam of laser light.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 80 words

A method of making small objects from a blank of ablatable material, comprising the steps of: cutting a workpiece from said blank by exposing said blank to laser light in the outline of said workpiece without focusing the laser light at the workpiece; exposing the surface of said workpiece to laser light through a mask having areas transmitting said light in varying degrees; and beveling the edges of said workpiece by exposing them to an inclined beam of laser light.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 1, in which said laser light is in the ultraviolet range.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 11 words

The method of claim 1, in which said material is plastic.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 11 words

The method of claim 3, in which said material is polymethylmethacrylate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 11 words

The method of claim 1, in which said material is glass.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 1, in which said workpiece is an ophthalmic lens having an optic and a haptic formed as a single piece.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 91 words

The method of shaping the edges of a workpiece formed of an ablatable material, comprising the steps of: providing an excimer laser beam; masking said beam to obscure the center thereof but leave a peripheral portion thereof unobscured; deflecting said peripheral portion toward a focus; positioning a workpiece at one point of time spaced from the focus in such a manner that said peripheral portion intersects an edge portion of said workpiece at an angle; and causing said beam to have sufficient power to ablatively photodecompose said workpiece in its path.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 91 words

The method of shaping the edges of a workpiece formed of an ablatable material, comprising the steps of: providing an excimer laser beam; masking said beam to obscure the center thereof but leave a peripheral portion thereof unobscured; deflecting said peripheral portion toward a focus; positioning a workpiece at one point of time spaced from the focus in such a manner that said peripheral portion intersects an edge portion of said workpiece at an angle; and causing said beam to have sufficient power to ablatively photodecompose said workpiece in its path.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 7, in which said masking step includes the step of producing a peripheral portion of substantially annular shape.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 96 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask without focusing the laser energy at the mask and with the mask having variable transmissivity characteristics to the laser energy to provide a first laser beam of variable energy across its width; and directing the laser beam of variable energy against a surface of a workpiece for a sufficient time to remove material from multiple locations on the surface of the workpiece in accordance with said characteristics with more of the material being removed at one of the locations than is removed at another of the locations.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 96 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask without focusing the laser energy at the mask and with the mask having variable transmissivity characteristics to the laser energy to provide a first laser beam of variable energy across its width; and directing the laser beam of variable energy against a surface of a workpiece for a sufficient time to remove material from multiple locations on the surface of the workpiece in accordance with said characteristics with more of the material being removed at one of the locations than is removed at another of the locations.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the surface generally faces in the direction from which the laser energy is directed.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said step of directing the laser beam of variable energy against the surface of the workpiece to shape the surface is carried out to shape the surface of the workpiece into an ophthalmic lens.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 15 words

A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the laser energy is excimer laser energy.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method as defined in claim 9 including cutting the workpiece from a blank by exposing the blank to laser energy in the outline of said workpiece.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 13 including beveling an edge of the workpiece by exposing it to laser energy.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as defined in claim 9 including directing a second laser beam toward a blank in a pattern without focusing the second laser beam at the blank for a sufficient length of time to cut the workpiece from the blank.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the step of directing the second laser beam toward the blank includes directing the second laser beam through a mask with the second laser beam passing through the mask being in said pattern.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 15 wherein the laser energy is directed toward the blank to cut the workpiece from the blank without relatively moving the workpiece and the pattern.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method as defined in claim 15 including directing laser energy through a mask to the workpiece without focusing the laser energy at the workpiece to bevel an edge of the workpiece.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 9 including beveling an edge of the workpiece by exposing it to laser energy.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method as defined in claim 9 including directing laser energy through a mask to the workpiece without focusing the laser energy at the workpiece to bevel an edge of the workpiece.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said step of directing the laser beam of variable energy is carried out without relatively moving the laser beam and the workpiece.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 68 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask toward an object without focusing the laser energy on the mask or the object and with the laser energy passing through the mask being in a pattern and exposing the object to the laser energy for a sufficient length of time to allow the laser energy to cut a workpiece having the shape of said pattern from the object.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 68 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask toward an object without focusing the laser energy on the mask or the object and with the laser energy passing through the mask being in a pattern and exposing the object to the laser energy for a sufficient length of time to allow the laser energy to cut a workpiece having the shape of said pattern from the object.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 22 wherein the laser energy is directed toward the object to cut the workpiece from the object without relatively moving the object and the pattern.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 22 including beveling an edge of the workpiece by exposing it to laser energy.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 32 words

A method as defined in claim 22 including directing laser energy through a mask to the workpiece without focusing the laser energy at the workpiece to bevel an edge of the workpiece.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method as defined in claim 22 wherein said pattern is generally in the shape of an intraocular lens.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 46 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy in a pattern toward an object without focusing the laser energy on the object and exposing the object to the laser energy for a sufficient length of time to allow the laser energy to bevel an edge of the object.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 46 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy in a pattern toward an object without focusing the laser energy on the object and exposing the object to the laser energy for a sufficient length of time to allow the laser energy to bevel an edge of the object.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 27 wherein the laser energy is directed toward the object to bevel the edge of the object without relatively moving the object and the pattern.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method as defined in claim 27 wherein the step of directing includes directing the laser energy to a focus which is spaced from the object.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 27 wherein the step of directing includes directing the laser energy through a mask to the object without focusing the laser energy at the mask.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 96 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask without focusing the laser energy at the mask and with the mask having variable reflective characteristics to the laser energy to provide a first laser beam of variable energy across its width; and directing the laser beam of variable energy against a surface of a workpiece for a sufficient time to remove material from multiple locations on the surface of the workpiece in accordance with said characteristics with more of the material being removed at one of the locations than is removed at another of the locations.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 96 words

A method comprising: directing laser energy through a mask without focusing the laser energy at the mask and with the mask having variable reflective characteristics to the laser energy to provide a first laser beam of variable energy across its width; and directing the laser beam of variable energy against a surface of a workpiece for a sufficient time to remove material from multiple locations on the surface of the workpiece in accordance with said characteristics with more of the material being removed at one of the locations than is removed at another of the locations.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as defined in claim 31 wherein said step of directing the laser beam of variable energy is carried out without relatively moving the laser beam and the workpiece.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method as defined in claim 31 including cutting the workpiece from a blank by exposing the blank to laser energy in the outline of said workpiece.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as defined in claim 31 including beveling an edge of the workpiece by exposing it to laser energy.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1992-06-26	1992-12-26	1993-06-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1996-06-26	1996-12-26	1997-06-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2000-06-26	2000-12-26	2001-06-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Manufacture of ophthalmic lenses by excimer laser

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