Benz Research & Development Corporation

Andrew A Larson

Patrick H Benz

Stephen Edward Brauner

Savannah Abbey Benz

A mandrel for holding and positioning an intraocular lens blank during manufacturing includes a shank portion having a central axis and a lens blank holding section configured to hold the lens blank. The holding section includes a central cavity formed concentrically with the central axis of the mandrel. Projections are formed on a surface of the central cavity and are configured to support a first surface of the lens blank at a fixed distance from the surface of the central cavity. A ring fits within a peripheral portion of the central cavity to hold a second opposing surface of the lens blank. A method for making an intraocular lens using the mandrel includes filling the space formed under the first surface of the lens with a liquid, such as water, freezing the liquid, and then machining and/or milling the second surface of the lens blank.

Mandrel for holding a lens blank and method of making a lens using the same

A refining system includes a Peltier heat exchanger, an evaporation tank, and a nozzle. The Peltier heat exchanger is configured to receive unrefined liquid and comprising a Peltier cell. The nozzle is positioned within the evaporation tank and configured to receive unrefined liquid from the Peltier heat exchanger and provide unrefined liquid into the evaporation tank such that vapor is formed. The Peltier heat exchanger is configured to receive vapor from the evaporation tank while simultaneously receiving unrefined liquid. The Peltier cell is configured to heat unrefined liquid within the Peltier heat exchanger and cool vapor within the Peltier heat exchanger simultaneously.

Refining system

A mandrel () for holding an intraocular lens blank () during manufacturing includes an intraocular lens holding section configured to hold an intraocular lens, the intraocular lens holding section including: a central cavity () configured to hold a mounting material () such that the mounting material contacts an optic of the intraocular lens blank when the intraocular lens blank is mounted on the mandrel, and a projection () extending around a periphery of the central cavity, the projection having an outer wall () and an inner wall (), and the projection being configured such that an outer peripheral edge of the intraocular lens blank extends up to or beyond the projection when the intraocular lens blank is mounted on the mandrel. A second mounting material () is deposited in the first trench () and then the haptic is milled using e.g. an end mill ().

Mandrel for holding an intraocular lens blank and method of making an intraocular lens using the same

A method comprises providing a lens blank, a precision positioning device, an illumination device, and a vision system, wherein the lens blank includes at least one feature whose position is known relative to a position of an optic center of the lens blank, and wherein the vision system comprises an image sensor and a processor; mounting the lens blank on the precision positioning device; illuminating the lens blank with the illumination device; viewing the lens blank with image sensor of the vision system; determining the position of the at least one feature using the processor; and determining the position of the optic center of the lens blank based on the position of the at least one feature using the processor.

Growing community of inventors

Blaine, MN, United States of America

Andrew A Larson