Objective The use of gradient index would significantly improve the characteristics and properties of optical mineral glass components, namely ophthalmics lenses. The goal of the research programme is to design optical components and to develop corresponding materials for creating new glass lenses with a spatially varying (gradient refractive index)(GRIN) for use in ophthalmic optics.Design tools were developed for optimizing image properties of lenses given the refractive index profile of the glass. An optical bench was built for measuring GRIN profiles based on deflectometry principle. The equipment is fully computerized and can be used to measure index profiles of large size blanks (up to 80 mm). Among the three material technologies investigated (Impregnation/leaching of porous preforms, Casting of colloidal glass precursors, and High temperature interdiffusion) only the last was successful in obtaining quality glass with refractive index variation up to 0.2. The use of the developed design tools shows that the generated profiles for axial geometry are not sufficient in shape to compete with high refractive homogeneous glasses. Further development is needed for taking full advantage of the gradient index.The work plan covers three main areas interdependent and complement one another : -design tools will be developed to model optical ray tracing in an inhomogeneous medium and to calculate the imaging properties of gradient index lenses -suitable glass systems will be identified and three potential ways will be investigated for processing these systems to give raw glass bodies with various radial and axial index profiles suitable for ophthalmic lenses. This task will form the largest share of the total project -an instrument will be designed and built specifically to measure the index distribution in the raw glass bodies created in the previous activity Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmologyengineering and technologymaterials engineeringnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsnatural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicsgeometry Programme(s) FP2-BRITE/EURAM 1 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the fields of industrial manufacturing technologies and advanced materials applications (BRITE/EURAM), 1989-1992 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Essilor International EU contribution No data Address 57 avenue de Conde 94106 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés France See on map Total cost No data Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CORNING FRANCE France EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data Ceramic Development (Midlands) Ltd United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data OPTISCHE WERKE G RODENSTOCK Germany EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET CLAUSTHAL Germany EU contribution No data Address ADOLPH-ROEMER-STRASSE 2A 1253 CLAUSTHAL-ZELLERFELD See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data