Method and apparatus for design and fabrication of customized eyewear

Abstract

Eyewear can include lenses having perimeters that are customized for an intended wearer. The perimeter of the lenses can be determined based on anatomical features of the wearer's face, the wearer's field of vision, or other parameters specific to that individual. Determination of the lens perimeters can involve developing a three-dimensional model of a wearer's face and/or head, demarcating a lens perimeter over an obtained image of a user's face, or delineating the boundary of a wearer's peripheral vision. A provisional lens perimeter obtained by any of these methods may be modified in curvature and/or size to arrive at a desired final lens perimeter. Customized lenses can be fabricated based on the determined lens perimeters. The customized lenses can be assembled into completed eyewear that is customized for a wearer, for example having shapes, sizes, and designs not otherwise possible.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Customized eyewear comprising:
 a first lens having a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter, wherein the perimeter is customized for a wearer; and   a second lens having a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter, wherein the perimeter is customized for the wearer.   
     
     
         2 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeters of the first and second lenses are each customized for the wearer on the basis of one or more of:
 peripheral vision of the wearer;   shape of the wearer's nose;   curvature of the wearer's face; and   shape or location of the wearer's orbits.   
     
     
         3 . The customized eyewear of  claim 2 , wherein the perimeters of the first and second lenses are each further customized for the wearer on the basis of non-physical attributes of a wearer. 
     
     
         4 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the eyewear is rimless. 
     
     
         5 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame that supports the first and second lenses, wherein the frame is configured to hold the first and second lenses against at least a portion of the wearer's face in a first position. 
     
     
         6 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5 , wherein in the first position at least one of the first and second lenses is in contact with the wearer's face. 
     
     
         7 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second lenses are configured such that when the frame is in the first position against the wearer's face, the wearer cannot view the perimeter of the first lens or the perimeter of the second lens. 
     
     
         8 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second lenses are configured such that when the frame is in the first position against the wearer's face, the wearer's eyes are shielded from substantially all wind or particulates. 
     
     
         9 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second lenses are configured such that when the frame is in the first position against the wearer's face, an average distance between the perimeters and the wearer's face is less than about 5 mm,
 wherein the distance at any point on the perimeters is measured as a shortest distance between the point and the wearer's face.   
     
     
         10 . The customized eyewear of  claim 9 , wherein the average distance between the perimeters and the wearer's face is less than about 1 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5  wherein the first and second lenses are configured such that when the frame is in the first position against the wearer's face, the distance between the perimeters and the wearer's face is less than about 5 mm for at least 80% of the perimeters,
 wherein the distance at any point on the perimeters is measured as a shortest distance between the point and the wearer's face. 
 
     
     
         12 . The customized eyewear of  claim 5 , wherein the frame comprises a rim portion configured such that when the frame is in the first position against the wearer's face, an average distance between the rim portion and the wearer's face is less than about 5 mm,
 wherein the distance at any point on the rim portion is measured as a shortest distance between the point and the wearer's face.   
     
     
         13 . The customized eyewear of  claim 12 , wherein the average distance between the rim portion and the wearer's face is less than about 1 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the first lens has optical power. 
     
     
         15 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter of the first lens encloses a larger or smaller area than the perimeter of the second lens. 
     
     
         16 . The customized eyewear of  claim 1 , wherein the first lens and the second lens are asymmetrical with respect to one another. 
     
     
         17 . A method for producing customized eyewear, the method comprising:
 obtaining one or more parameters of a wearer's face or field of vision;   determining a perimeter of a first lens based on the one or more parameters; and   determining a perimeter of a second lens based on the one or more parameters.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising storing the determined perimeters of the first and second lenses. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising transmitting the stored perimeters to an optical laboratory. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising fabricating the first and second lenses based on the determination of the perimeters.