Eyewear and lenses therefor

Abstract

Eyeglasses and components thereof providing enhanced absorption to the wearer of light known for regulating mood and biological rhythms. The components include lenses designed to enhance and accentuate the absorption of particular wavelengths in the eye, including those wavelengths between about 400 and 490 nm, and for promoting this absorption in particularly sensitive areas of the eye.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A pair of eyeglasses with at least one eyewear lens adapted with one or more subregions of the eyewear lens having a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of the eyewear lens within a wavelength range of between about 400 and 490 nanometers, the one or more subregions of the eyewear lens arranged to direct light to a mood-sensitive portion of an eye of a wearer, and
 wherein the eyewear lens is adapted with a portion distinct from the one or more subregions of the eyewear lens, said portion having a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light outside of the wavelength range of between about 400 and 490 nanometers.   
     
     
         2 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the at least one eyewear lens comprises a left eyewear lens and a right eyewear lens, the one or more subregions of the left eyewear lens comprises a leftmost portion of the left eyewear lens and the one or more subregions of the right eyewear lens comprises a rightmost portion of the right eyewear lens. 
     
     
         3 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 2  wherein the one or more subregions are limited to at least one or more of a leftmost portion of the left eyewear lens, a rightmost portion of the right eyewear lens, or a topside portion of each of the left and right eyewear lenses. 
     
     
         4 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens are limited to subregions about a frame edge of each of the at least one eyewear lens. 
     
     
         5 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the portion distinct from the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens comprise a central portion of each of the at least one eyewear lens. 
     
     
         6 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the mood-sensitive portion of an eye of the wearer is a rightmost region of an optical nerve of the right eye or a leftmost region of an optical nerve of a left eye of the wearer. 
     
     
         7 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens comprise a bandpass filter adapted to provide a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of each of the at least one eyewear lens within a wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers. 
     
     
         8 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the one or more subregions cover in total at most 25% of each of the at least one eyewear lens. 
     
     
         9 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 8  wherein the one or more subregions cover in total at most 50% of each of the at least one eyewear lens. 
     
     
         10 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the at least one eyewear lens is polarized. 
     
     
         11 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens within the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers is at least about 70% and wherein the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens are adapted with a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light outside of the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers of less than about 70%. 
     
     
         12 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 11  wherein the greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens within the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers is at least about 80%. 
     
     
         13 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 12  wherein the greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens of visible light outside of the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers is less than about 50%. 
     
     
         14 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 11  wherein the greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light through the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens of visible light outside of the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers is less than about 50% of the greatest percentage peak transmissivity level of the passage of visible light through the one or more subregions of the eyewear lens within the wavelength range between about 400 and 490 nanometers. 
     
     
         15 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the eyewear lens is adapted with a greatest percentage transmissivity level of light through the at least one eyewear lens within the wavelength range of about 380 nm and less than about 380 nm is about 0%. 
     
     
         16 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  further comprising a fluorescent material adapted to increase an output of light of a wavelength between 400 and 490 nanometers from the at least one eyewear lens to a wearer of the eyewear lens. 
     
     
         17 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens are adapted with a greatest percentage transmissivity level of sunlight that is within a wavelength range of between about 400 and 490 nanometers. 
     
     
         18 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein said portion distinct from the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens is adapted with a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light of greater than about 490 nanometers. 
     
     
         19 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein said portion distinct from the one or more subregions of the at least one eyewear lens is adapted with a greatest percentage transmissivity level of visible light of about 650 nanometers. 
     
     
         20 . The pair of eyeglasses of  claim 1  wherein the one or more subregions of the eyewear lens are adapted to provide at least 200 lux of luminance of light within the range of 400 and 490 nanometers when used in sunlight.