US 12,440,326 B2
Bernoulli gripper for intraocular and contact lenses
Dominik Huehn, Grosswallstadt (DE); and Jochen Koehler, Aschaffenburg (DE)
Assigned to Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed by Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/517,788.
Application 18/517,788 is a continuation of application No. 17/651,493, filed on Feb. 17, 2022, granted, now 11,864,992.
Application 17/651,493 is a continuation of application No. 16/174,429, filed on Oct. 30, 2018, granted, now 11,284,994, issued on Mar. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/579,971, filed on Nov. 1, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0115374 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. A61F 2/16 (2006.01); A61F 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 2/16 (2013.01) [A61F 9/0061 (2013.01); A61F 2/1664 (2013.01); A61F 2002/1681 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for gripping an ophthalmic lens, the method comprising:
placing a gripping portion of a gripper body in proximity to an optic zone of an ophthalmic lens, wherein:
the ophthalmic lens comprises:
the optic zone, the optic zone having a curvature; and
one or more haptics coupled to the optic zone;
the gripper body comprises:
the gripping portion, the gripping portion having a concave surface or convex surface corresponding to the curvature of the optic zone;
a channel formed within the gripper body and penetrating the gripping portion at a first end of the channel; and
one or more mechanical stops disposed around a perimeter of the gripping portion;
subjecting the ophthalmic lens to a pressure force against the gripping portion by a Bernoulli effect through the channel; and
engaging the one or more haptics of the ophthalmic lens with the one or more mechanical stops to laterally align the ophthalmic lens and control rotation of the ophthalmic lens.