Lens with asymmetric projection to treat astigmatism

Abstract

A stimulus is configured to treat astigmatism with changes in retinal thickness, independently of, or in combination with, treatment for myopia. In some embodiments, a stimulus pattern is arranged with respect to an astigmatic axis of the eye to decrease ocular growth in relation to the astigmatic axis. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to direct light to regions of retina outside the macula in relation to the astigmatic axis of the eye. In some embodiments, the intensity is modulated to provide the effect. A lens, such as a contact lens or spectacle lens may be configured with a plurality of light sources, such as projection units having a light source and focusing optics that work together to project anteriorly or posteriorly defocused images onto the retina at locations eccentric to the fovea.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating an astigmatism of an eye with retinal stimulation of the eye, the method comprising:
 providing a stimulus to a retina of the eye, wherein the stimulus is aligned with respect to an astigmatic axis of the eye to treat the astigmatism of the eye.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus comprises a first light stimulus on a first side of the astigmatic axis and a second light stimulus on a second side of the astigmatic axis. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first stimulus comprises a first intensity and a first duration at a first distance from the astigmatic axis and the second stimulus on the second side comprises a second intensity and a second duration at a second distance from the astigmatic axis and wherein one or more of the second intensity or the second duration is different from one or more of the first intensity or the first direction to compensate for the first difference being different from the second distance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the eye comprises a second astigmatic axis, and wherein the first light stimulus and the second light stimulus are arranged along the second astigmatic axis to decrease astigmatism along the first axis. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is configured to inhibit illumination of a macula with the first stimulus and the second stimulus. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is arranged to provide light to a first region of peripheral retina outside a macula and a second region of peripheral retina outside the macula, the second region opposite the first region with the macula of the retina located between the first region and the second region. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the retina comprises a third region between the first region and the second region on a first side of the macula and a fourth region between the first region and the second region on a second side of the macula and wherein the stimulus provides greater amounts of light to the first region and the second region than to the third region and the fourth region. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each of the four regions comprises a quadrant of the retina, the first region corresponding to a first quadrant, the second region corresponding to a second quadrant, the third region corresponding to a third quadrant, the fourth region corresponding to a fourth quadrant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the astigmatic axis corresponds to a cylinder axis with plus cylinder notation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the astigmatic axis corresponds to a cylinder axis with minus cylinder notation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus comprises a light source aligned with respect to the astigmatic axis of the eye to treat the astigmatism.