Such approach may also allow the integration of electronic devices. High-resolution 3D printing allows the designing of complex geometries, using more than one material (hybrid lenses, with different optical properties, and colors). The 3D printing could be a solution for special optical devices, in which mass production is not an option. The gas permeable (GP) contact lenses are usually custom-made, in accordance with medical prescriptions. Such a high resolution, below the diffraction limit, is suitable for the fabrication of small optical devices. The resolution of common 3D printers lies between 10-50 µm, but the two photon-polymerization (2PP) technique allows a resolution under 100 nm. The 3D printed contact lens and intraocular lens seem to be a feasible approach, as high-resolution 3D printers for small parts became available. They are mainly used for the fabrication of large size objects. The 3D printers already made a step forward for industrial applications. It also requires more processing steps to obtain the final product. The CNC method is more time consuming than the injection molding. Other fabrication technologies are spin-casting and 3D printing. Contact lenses are largely fabricated in two ways: CNC lathe cutting, and injection molding. A continuous research work was dedicated to the improvement of the materials used for their fabrication, the fabrication process itself, and the geometry. The maximum compression load with a reasonable safety factor (of 7-9 depending on materials) was 12MPa.Ĭontact lenses have become an attractive alternative for vision correction since their commercial introduction. Our results showed that the best scenario was for the polycarbonate, but PMMA also had a high safety factor. The applied compressive loads were in the range from 10 to 100MPa. The selected materials were PMMA and polycarbonate. In this paper, the finite element analysis for a tri-curve contact lens was applied. A finite element analysis is also of interest for testing the best design/ material choice. This is useful for the preparation of the virtual design for 3D printing or CNC fabrication.
Autodesk inventor professional 2016 r3 update 1 software#
Inventor Professional and other similar advanced 3D CAD software allows complex approaches, selection of suitable materials with better mechanical/ optical properties. The optimized design can be obtained by computer-aided design, considering the principles of geometrical optics. Their improvement can be achieved by optimizing the geometry, use of new materials, and application of high precision processing technologies. Contact lenses are an attractive alternative for vision corrections.