SOFT LENS ORTHOKERATOLOGY

A SYSTEM AND METHOD ARE DISCLOSED FOR PRODUCING PREDICTABLE CORNEAL RESHAPING BY MEANS OF A SOFT CONTACT LENS TO MANIPULATE TEAR PRESSURE GRADIENT TO PRODUCE A DIMENSIOL CHANGE TO THE SURFACE PROFILE OF THE CORNEA OF THE WEARER. THE INVENTION WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST A TEMPORARY CHANGE IN THE REFRACTIVE STATE OF THE EYE ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR OTHER REFRACTIVE CORRECTIONS. THE INVENTION EXTENDS TO SOFT CONTACT LENS HAVING A GENERALLY CONCAVE POSTERIOR SURFACE AND A CONVEX ANTERIOR SURFACE. THE CONTACT LENS HAS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND/OR A GEOMETRIC SHAPE SUCH THAT WHEN THE LENS IS FITTED TO THE EYE THE PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE EYE BY OR VIA THE LENS WILL VARY IN A RADIAL DIRECTION BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE ZONE OF HIGHER PRESSURE AND AT LEAST ONE ZONE OF LOWER PRESSURE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE ZONES, AND THE LOCATION OF THE ZONES, ARE SELECTED SO THAT WEARING THE LENS WILL OVER TIME CAUSE A DIMENSIONAL CHANGE TO THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE CORNEA OF THE EYE TO THEREBY AT LEAST TEMPORARILY CAUSE THE REFRACTIVE STATE OF THE EYE TO CHANGE.