US Patent 7914158 - Anti-fog and nanostructured optical element

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7914158.html

This patent teaches a way to reduce fogging and reflection in optical elements using a plasma etching process to create a nanostructured surface. Claim 1 reads:

1. An optical component comprising:

an optical element;

a fog reducing polymer layer; and

a reflection reducing nanostructure formed at a surface of the fog reducing polymer layer,

wherein the nanostructure extends from the surface of the fog reducing polymer layer to a depth of 50 nm or more into the fog reducing polymer layer.