Patent Law Practice Center

J&J Eye Care Patents Abound

The patenting activities of Johnson & Johnson are definitely robust. During 2013 (the latest year for which we have patent statistics available), J&J was 29th globally in terms of patent grants received from the USPTO with 1,107 U.S. patents, an increase of more than 10 percent over the company’s 2012 totals.

Once again, contact lenses and other types of ophthalmic lenses took center stage in terms of patents issued to Johnson & Johnson in recent months. A contact lens with the ability to make more than one focal power available to a wearer is disclosed and protected by U.S. Patent No. 8906088, which is titled Variable Focus Ophthalmic Device Including Liquid Crystal Elements (pictured left). The patent protects an energized ophthalmic lens device with a variable optic insert which is in a portion of an optical zone and comprises a layer of liquid crystal material; the lens also includes a dielectric material layer which is disposed proximate to the optic insert. The dielectric and liquid crystal layers of this invention provide a contact lens which has the ability to adopt variable focal characteristics.

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