Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 8 (57) No.

2 - 2015
Series I: Engineering Sciences

STRUCTURAL MODELING OPHTHALMIC

LENSES SUBJECTED TO CONTROLLED
PHYSIC-CHEMICAL AGGRESSIONS

M. BARITZ1 A.E. STANCIU1 B.C. BRAUN1

Abstract: The paper describes a research stage for manufacturing of some

sort of ophthalmic lenses used to recover the eye dysfunctions like myopic,
hyperopic and astigmatic eye. In this sense, the research developed within
this paper presents an overview of technologies for ophthalmic lenses and
microscopic analysis of the layers deposited on the surfaces of the lens.
Modular analysis structure of ophthalmic lenses subjected to physic-chemical
controlled aggression behavior allows an analysis of any set of lenses (single
vision or progressive), of any material ophthalmic and of any sizes. These
images are analyzed by image processing procedures and the effect of
aggressions is measured accurately.

Key words: modeling, ophthalmic lens, layers.

1. Introduction To achieve these requirements is

important to know the types of materials
In practice correction and recovery of used in the construction of the lens that can
visual function, using the ophthalmic adapt to each client, materials for frames
lenses is the best solution especially for and also the compatibility between them
people who have already used this system and the needs of the patient.
or for those where the refractive begins. At present, the most common materials
Ophthalmic lenses are made from used for the lenses are optical glass and
lightweight materials with high optical plastic. Special materials such as
characteristics and special surface polycarbonate, high refractive index
treatments to obtain a final superior image materials or TRIVEX are most commonly
quality offer to visual system. Any used when must satisfy a number of
producer in optical technology field of parameters and special requirements.
these systems try constantly improve the “Crown glass with refraction index of
quality and optical material in order to 1.5223 is used mostly. Abbe value of this
obtain a value of quality-cost more material is 58.5. They are highly
convenient for the customer. Therefore transparent, scratch resistant and low cost
“spectacles are a common, cheap and easy but they are thick, heavy and can break
method of prescribing corrective lenses in easily. Flint glass has high refraction index
patients with refractive errors and of 1.62. Due to high specific gravity and
presbyopia” [2]. low Abbe value, flint glass has the

1
Centre “Advanced Research on Mechatronics”, Transilvania University of Braşov.
50 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series I • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

disadvantage of being heavier and has high The material quality is considered the
chromatic aberration” [2]. best in this moment TRIVEX, a material as
Another common material in the an alternative to polycarbonate lenses due
construction of the lens is CR39 (chemically to its qualities both mechanical and optical
it is diallyl glycol carbonate) having cit. In this type of material can be
refraction index 1.498, 1.58, 1.6 or 1.74. “As deposited antireflection coatings, hardness
it is a thermosetting material it can be ground (resistance to scratches) can be tinted, is
and polished after manufacturing without impact resistant and combined aggression
risk of deformity” [2]. (mechanical and chemical). Also, due to
In terms of advantages we can list the variation of the refractive index or density
following: good optics and chemical and Abbe value, shows the lowest weight
resistance; comfortable due to light weight; per unit volume and the best transparency
safer than glass lenses; unlimited designs, of all ophthalmic materials [6].
coating and tinting, and the major Protection of visual function is provided
disadvantages are: poor structural integrity; primarily by natural anatomical ocular
unstable at high temperature; scratches structures itself, but powerful light beam
more easily; more expensive; not suitable radiation’s, especially in the UV range
for rimless frame as they can wreck; (near and far) require additional protection
difficult to drill without cracking; photo that can be achieved by using filtering
chromatic options available. characteristics of the deposited layers on
Polycarbonate lenses are made with the lens.
amorphous materials most used especially
when the need for protection is the main
Top
requirement. Due to slightly higher
refractive index (1.586) this material has a A
number of qualities such as thickness less
Hard coat
the center of the lens; weight reduced by
approximately 26% compared to other
materials; possibility of construction for Primer
protection against UV radiation; high
impact resistance; bullet proof. Due to the Dyes
quality of the material (low density)
Substrate
polycarbonate lenses scratch presents a
low resistance requiring special layer Fig. 1. The lens as a system [4]
deposition and optical parameters are
degraded by the existence of large Filter lenses allow obtaining two
peripheral chromatic aberration. However, fundamental characteristics important:
this type of lens can be used to construct reducing radiation intensity light entering
correction glasses for children, sports or the eye and removing dangerous neutron
persons performing work that requires radiation absorption phenomenon thereof.
protection of visual function. Lenses with These lenses can have permanent color
high refractive index (ranging 1.6 to 1.9) shades (uniform or gradual) or color
are made of denser materials such as resins variations (photo-chromic effect).
MR8, MR10, MR11 or optical glass. In At present, the market for manufacturing
terms of disadvantages of this type of ophthalmic lenses are efforts to develop
material requires the deposition of surface new products based on superior quality
treatments and has a low Abbe value. materials (ex. Hybride sol-gel, organic
Baritz, M., et al.: Structural Modeling Ophthalmic Lenses Subjected To Controlled Physic… 51

material etc.) to correct visual function, eliminate the reflected radiation from
especially for getting a durability and a extended spectral bands. [5] In terms of
decorative cosmetic appearance and custom. optical layers would provide a coefficient
of reflectance on one side between 4% for
CR39 plastic material until 6.2% for
plastic high index (1.66) material.
If it calculated reflectance for both
surfaces then values increase from 7.7% to
11.7%. As shown in [5] “specular surface
reflections and ghost images produce
visual noise, which degrades retinal image
quality without contributing useful visual
information” This type of decay is
obtained by the expression of two
Fig. 2. Transmission curves for different phenomena of propagation of optical
tints (grey, brown, green) [4] radiation, namely reduced visual
discrimination and visual disturbance.
As shown in [5] “The commercial Another important layer deposited on the
success of hybrid sol-gel derived coatings lens is the necessary protection against
in the ophthalmic industries was mainly scratches or damage to the surface. This
due to the outstanding mechanical type of coating is deposited mostly on
properties of inorganic-organic networks in plastic lenses to increase their abrasion
comparison to purely organic coatings. resistance. The material used for hardness
To assure comparable mechanical coating contains a resin (polysilixane) in
properties, the hybrid network has to be which is particles of silica and organic
designed to maximize the density and degree polymers [5].
of condensation of the inorganic part of the
Hardened layers Antireflex layers
final coating and reduce the space demanding
size of the organic substituents” (Figure 2).
In terms of using antireflection coatings
(AR) on the surface of the lens there are a
number of variants that may apply
depending on the support base of the lens
or the patient requests. Coatings of anti-
reflection layer in general is done with
Lens substrate Superhidrofobic layers/PC filter
magnesium fluoride material and look how
getting a percentage higher transmissibility Fig. 3. The lenses layers
(about 99.9%).
This material allows a maximum The settlement of several layers of
interference in yellow-green color hardening is to take the internal tensions of
spectrum, unlike red and blue radiation transition from a soft base (lens) to a
spectrum that is not fully removed. In this surface tougher and also allows the
case this lens reflex appears slightly purple following layers to be deposited on rough
surface. Most modern technology used an surfaces to increase the degree of adhesion.
AR layer deposition process their place by Submission of multiple AR coatings
alternating refractive index materials more require a certain degree of adhesion layers
different between them in order to roughness ensured through hardening, but
52 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series I • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

attenuates outwards, towards layers Following these modeling found

hydrophobic, oleophobic, antifog or substantial effect caused by layers deposited
computer filters (Figure 3) [5], [6]. on the surface of lens aberrations on the level
and the quality of their functions.
2. Optical Analyse of Lens

The lenses undergo initial experiment are

analyzed theoretically and in terms of
optical parameters to identify the basic
elements involved in making the final
image quality. Such lenses were analyzed
by software OSLO EDU-LT ver.6.6 and
OpTalix ver.8.39, have been modeled and
optical parameters were determined effects Fig. 7. Wavefront analysis
on the geometrical and chromatic
aberrations. Thus, the following figures are
the results of this modeling for a diverging
lens with focal length (-150 mm) [7].

Fig. 8. Ray trace analysis

Fig. 4. Lens data

Fig. 5. Design of lens

Fig. 9. Fast Fourier transform (FFT)
based PSF

Fig. 6. Point spread function (PSF) of lens

with f = -150 mm Fig. 10. Distorsion plot for spectacles lens
Baritz, M., et al.: Structural Modeling Ophthalmic Lenses Subjected To Controlled Physic… 53

In the first phase of the study, the lenses

were marked with four equal sectors on
diopter surface, convex and have
undergone a first step of a process for
producing a scratch with the following
materials: metal, wood, ceramic, plastic.
These materials were chosen because it
was observed that the daily use of these
lenses, the materials listed above may
interact with dioptric surfaces and cause
significant scratches.
Also to even scratched how to design a
Fig. 11. Geometric PSF system that would provide the same
downforce and if possible, the same size of
Therefore any damage to the layers, any all scratches (Figure 13).
change in structure may induce a decrease
in image quality offered to visual system
and they cannot be compensated
physiologically by the wearer of glasses.

3. Experimental Setup

To analyse the behaviour of the lens

assembly at the action of various forms of
mechanical or chemical-physical aggression Fig. 12. Lenses samples
it has developed a rating system unified
and consistent of lenses set, forming the In order to a correlative analysis, it was
analyse sample. performed unitary scratching of lens types
The test sample is composed of a set of with this mechanical device adapted to
lenses made of different materials with drill, that has been modified to these
similar technology but with different experiments. To scratch the tested lens
accuracies (called no-name lenses, mark1 surface with the same force, to the device
mark 2 and mark 3) [3]. adapted were attached different weights
This set of lenses has one common and scratching is performed by moving the
feature, namely the sequence of hardening lens helped by the guide of the drill table.
layers, antireflection coatings and special
layers (Figure 12).
The types of lenses used in the
investigation were: CR39 (simple,
hardening, AR, oleophobic, antistatic,
super-hardening layers), polycarbonate
Force load
(simple, AR layer) EYAS (simple, AR, Testing lens system
oleophobic, super-hardening layers)
EYNOA (simple, AR, oleophobic, super- Fig. 13. Force load system
hardening layers) EYRY (simple,
oleophobic, super-hardening layers) and The equipment used for microscopic
ophthalmic glass (simple, AR). study of surface lens consist into a digital
54 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series I • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

microscope type Keyence, having an The same lens scratches with the metal
objective with 500x-5000x magnification, on no. 2 zone (same strength) shows traces
an image acquisition system based on very deep, up to the base of the lens, traces
camera with CCD sensor and a dedicated of large and damaged coatings on large
computer image processing software and surfaces (4.45 mm length of trace).
analysis of images captured (Figure 14) [1]. Sector 4 of the lens surface was subjected
to scratch with the plastic material. This
material damage the lens surface affecting
all layers, between them there is a grip
needed to obtain a good image quality.

Fig. 14. Digital microscope system

As the study involves the same

conditions, the same types of mechanical
aggression, was chosen for illustration the Fig. 16. Digital image for metal lens
presentation of a lens surface anti- scratches (500x)
reflection treatment and hydrophobic-
oleophobic coating. The lens base material When using ceramic material for getting
is CR39. This lens with specified scratches on the surface of the lens, it can
treatments has been subjected to scratching be seen that the traces obtained are different
with different materials (wood, metal, from those of metal or wood, because the
plastic, ceramic) (Figures 16, 17). ceramic material is tough but contact lens
behaves as a brittle material that scatters
4. Results ceramic particles on the lens surface.

Lens subject to high mechanical stress

was analyzed by digital microscopy and
have obtained the following results.
Scratched lens with wood (soft material in
relation to the lens surface) shows small
traces (aprox. 330 microns), discontinuous
and not very deep (until layer hardening) Fig. 17. Digital image for ceramic lens
(lens scratched, wood, 500x - Figure 15). scratches (500x)

Fig. 15. Digital image for wood lens Fig. 18. Digital image for plastic material
scratches (500x) lens scratches (500x)
Baritz, M., et al.: Structural Modeling Ophthalmic Lenses Subjected To Controlled Physic… 55

Scratches are high, comparable to those substances, negative effects on the quality
of metal and particles from scratching of of surface or on image quality are
these layers are drilled and removed, amplified to determine that these lenses
leaving the lens surface exposed and cannot be used in the visual correction.
frosted by friction with plastic material The deletions were simulated on the lens
(Figure 18). surface during 30 and 60 days with different
There fore all four types of materials that materials and substances maintenance (paper
have been used to scratch lens surfaces left handkerchief, microfiber, water, rubbing
important traces on the lens structure and alcohol 100%, lens-cleaning solution con-
modify the image quality. In addition, if taining water demineralized ion surfactants,
the lenses are in the category no-name then alcohol and preservative) (Figure 19).
their surface is more sensitive leading to
worsening of visual function by reducing
transparency and increasing the risk of
entering the eyeball parasitic reflected
radiation or UV.

Fig. 22. Lens improperly maintained

(welding drops)

Fig. 19. CR39 lens without layers

(noname) and wiped with paper/cleaning
solution after 60 days
Fig. 23. Lens improperly maintained
(AR layer)

Fig. 20. CR39 lens with AR, oleofob,

hidrofob layers (noname) wiped with
microfiber/ water after 60 days Fig. 24. Lens improperly used
(without any layer)

Through a simple example we can

determine what level of transmissibility
(intensity) at a lens refractive index of 1.6
which is deposited a layer with refractive
Fig. 21. CR39 lens with AR, oleofob, index of 1.5 in the amount of 97.19%
hidrofob layers (mark1) wiped with compared to 94.67% in value an uncoated
microfiber/cleaning solution after 60 days lens substrate AR. Thus the reflected
intensity is 2.81% for the lens with AR
If these lenses are subjected to aggression unlike variant uncovered when this value
and process maintenance with different increases to 5.32% [9].
56 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series I • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

5. Conclusions References

It was found from these experiments that 1. Baritz, M., Braun, B., Cotoros, D.:
lens treatments hardness, AR, hydrophobic, Digital Microscope Images Processing
oleophobic have an increased resistance to Used To Measure Bearings Surface
scratching and erasing (maintenance) if Characteristics. In: ModTech
these treatments are right quality and International Conference - Slănic
technology meet. Moldova, Romania, 20-22nd May
Also, the best materials are cleaning 2010, p. 15-22.
solution used with special microfiber, plus 2. Bindu, N. Das: Spectacles - What We
maintaining a normal operating temperature Do Not Know. In: Kerala Journal of
(without prolonged exposure to intense Ophthalmology XX (2008) No. 4, p.
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completed, and the maintenance to be sixth printing, 2008.
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defined in the user guide for each type of Scratch and Abrasion Resistant
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Also these tests have highlighted the the Art. Current Developments and
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and a brand noname after being subjected Science and Technology 27 (2003), p.
to the same period of harvesting (Figures 71-79.
20-24), the destruction is visible up to the 6. http://www.rhein-vision.ro. Accessed:
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7. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu.
Acknowledgements Accessed: March 2015.
8. *** Manual for Ophthalmic optics files,
This paper is supported by the Sectorial Coatings. Essilor International, 1997.
Operational Programme Human Resources 9. *** User guide for software package.
Development (SOP HRD), financed from OSLO EDU ver.6.6. and User guide
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