Fabrication of Lenses

Once you have seen the Optometrist you will receive a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses that will help in correcting your vision.

The steps included in receiving your lenses are.

1. Selection

2. Initial Analysis

3. Optimization

4. Final Analysis

5. Prepare for Fabrication 

Selection

The starting point is the selection. The selection consists of the concept of moving from choosing the glasses to the actual glasses being completed. Things that may help with this process are software which has a database of all the designs that have already been completed. Sometimes the starting point may have to be done from scratch.

Initial Analysis 

The initial analysis is simply a baseline so that you check the improvement compared to the specification. It includes selecting the variables for optimization. Variables include:

1. Curvature

2. Thickness

3. Refraction

4. Error Function

5. Constraints

Optimization

Once the variables are selected then the lenses can be optimized. The variables are optimized using numerical methods. These methods can go smoothly or changes may have to be made. The designer will have to inject guidance in order to resolve the conflicts. At times software cannot help as the esthetic judgments and requirements are in the designer's head.

Optimization is done to take a lens and improve upon it. The changes are to make the lenses better than what they were to start with. Optics is such a precise matter that includes changes in parameters as well as in the values of each of the variable 

Final Analysis

Once the lenses are optimized it is important to see if they are doing what the original specifications required them to do. If they are not right then the process goes back to the optimization step. This is done until the lenses are correct and ready for fabrication.

Prepare for Fabrication 

Once all of the steps have been completed and all the requirements met then it is time to fabricate them. Once fabrication is completed it is time for you to receive your new lenses.

See also Microscope Objectives for more information.