Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
  • G02C13/00—Assembling; Repairing; Cleaning
  • G02C13/008—Devices specially adapted for cleaning contact lenses
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B08—CLEANING
  • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
  • B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools

Definitions

• This invention has relation to the cleaning of contact lenses with a minimum of contact between the lenses and fingers, lens cases, and other possible contaminants.
• Contact lens wearers customarily clean their lenses by procedures which bring their fingers in contact with the lenses. Wearers are urged by purveyors of contact lenses to use either heat or chemical disinfection. Chemical disinfection is recommended over heat by some medical doctors because of the negatives in the heat method: shorter lens life, opportunity to overheat or underheat and the need for a power source. On the other hand, chemical disinfection is effective in low concentration and for a wide variety of organisms. It also needs no power source. See Contact Lens Forum for January 1988, page 76. Liquid surfactant cleaners are recommended for daily use to remove common lens deposits, including bound protein. Ibid, Back Cover .
• Enzymatic cleaners are recommended for use with surfactant cleaners although surveys show that 35% of soft contact lens wearers never clean with enzymatic cleaners, only 20% clean once a week, and 35% once every two weeks. About 60% of RGP wearers never use enzymes, 5% once a week and 15% once every two weeks. Ibid, page 76. Some enzymatic cleaners can work effectively in as little as fifteen minutes of contact between the cleaner and the lens. Ibid, inside back cover. It is known to place contact lens on scrubbing pads and then to use the index finger on the lens to move the lens around. Ibid, page 46.
• An apparatus for cleaning contact lenses includes a pair of cleaning pads for each lens to be cleaned.
• Each pad is partially defined by a pair of opposed, spaced-apart;, roughly parallel, working surfaces, a first of such working surfaces being a cleaning surface and a second of such surfaces being a handling surface.
• Each pad is so constituted and constructed that its cleaning surface readily conforms to and comes into intimate contact with one of the opposed side surfaces of a contact lens to be cleaned when the pads are positioned with their cleaning surfaces in facing relation to each other with the lens to be cleaned therebetween, and when pressure toward the lens is applied to the opposed handling surfaces of the pads.
• Pressure and movement means is provided to apply pressure to the handling surfaces of the pads in direction toward the lens and to apply relative lateral movement to the handling surfaces of the pads to move the pads laterally with respect to each other when the lens to be cleaned is positioned between the pads .
• the cleaning surface portions of both pads are of materials which will not tend to abrade the lens being cleaned.
• the handling surface portions of each pad have a coefficient of friction with respect to that part of the pressure and moving means in contact with the handling surface portion compared to the coefficient of friction between the pad cleaning surfaces and the lens such that movement of the pads laterally with respect to each other will result primarily in movement of the cleaning surfaces of the pads over the opposed surfaces of the lenses.
• portions of the pads adjacent the cleaning surfaces are liquid absorbent.
• At least that portion of the handling surface of at least one of the pads which comes into contact with a portion of the pressure and movement means is covered with a releasable pressure sensitive adhesive to tend to prevent relative movement of that pad and the pressure and movement means.
• a method of cleaning lenses includes the first step of positioning each lens to be cleaned between a pair of cleaning pads such as set out above.
• the lens is to be in contact with central portions of each pad.
• a second step of the method is to apply pressure and movement means to central portions of the handling surfaces of each pad in approximate axial alignment with the center of the lens to be cleaned.
• a third step is to cause the pressure and movement means to press the pads toward each other and to move the pads with respect to each other radially of the lens and in all directions; but for distances not greater than the largest radius of the lens being cleaned.
• the step of moving the pads with respect to each other in all directions includes moving one of the pads to have its central portion perform a figure of eight movement with respect to the central portion of the other pad.
• the cleaning surface portions of both pads are of materials which will not tend to abrade the lens being cleaned and portions of the pads adjacent the cleaning surfaces are liquid absorbent.
• the method includes a further step of impregnating the absorbent portion of the pads with an appropriate lens cleaning liquid.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lens cleaning case forming part of an apparatus for cleaning concave/convex contact lenses;
• FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;
• FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3—3 in FIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4—4 in FIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an upper motion plate cleaning pad made according to one form of the invention.
• FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a lower, base mounted, cleaning pad made according to another form of the invention.
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 7—7 in FIG. 6;
• FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the lens cleaning case of the present invention showing a cap portion of a boss or stanchion of an upper cleaning pad motion plate and diagramatically indicating the relative horizonal movement of this plate with respect to the cover of the lens cleaning case during the process of cleaning concave/convex contact lenses.
• a lens cleaning case 10 is part of an apparatus 12 for cleaning concave/- convex contact lenses 14,14.
• the cleaning case includes a base 16 and a cover 18 pivotally mounted to the base 16 as at 20 in the form of the invention as shown.
• a resilient latch 21 on the cover holds the cover firmly to the base in the form of the invention as shown, and as best seen in FIG. 4.
• the base 16 is provided with a pair of rounded, convex or domed lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22, in the form of the invention as shown. These receptacles 22,22 are fixedly positioned in the base in side by side coplanar relationship with respect to each other.
• An upper cleaning pad motion plate 24 includes a pair of rounded, concave or dished, upper cleaning pad receptacles 26,26, in the form of the invention as shown. These upper cleaning pad receptacles 26,26 form an integral part of the upper cleaning pad motion plate 24 and are in side by side, coplanar relation to each other to be in approximately concentric relationship with respect to the lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22 when the motion plate is installed inside of the cover 18.
• the cover 18 is provided with a generally rectangular cleaning pad motion plate movement limiting opening 28, this opening having rounded corners.
• Motion plate 24 includes a centrally positioned upwardly extending stanchion or boss 30 extending through the opening 28 in the cover 18.
• the motion plate boss 30 is provided with an upper cap portion 32.
• this cap portion is in the form of a generally rectangular cap 34 which is integrally adhered to or otherwise fastened to a cylindrical upper portion of the boss 30 as at 36 after the boss has been extended through the cover opening 28 to thus permanently associate the motion plate 24 with the cover 18.
• the motion plate 24 need not necessarily be permanently associated with the cover, and that the upper cap portion 32 need only be accessible to the person cleaning the lenses through the opening 28 for manual manipulation of the motion plate.
• the cap 34 of the upper cap portion 32 of motion plate 30 is provided with a finger receiving upper surface 40 and an upstanding rim 42 around that surface to assist in retaining the finger on the surface 40 for a purpose to be described.
• a pair of upper, motion plate cleaning pads 46,46 are provided, each to be assembled with one of the pair of rounded, concave or dished, upper cleaning pad receptacles 26,26; and a pair of lower, base mounted cleaning pads 48,48, each to be assembled with one of the pair of rounded convex or domed, lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22.
• Each of the pads 46,46 and 48,48 are partially defined by opposed, spaced-apart, roughly parallel, working surfaces 44,44. A first of these working surfaces of each pad is a cleaning surface 50, and a second of the surfaces is a handling surface 52.
• the cleaning surfaces 50 of upper pads 46,46 are on the bottom and the cleaning surfaces 50 of the pads 48,48 are on the top so that when the upper pads 46 are assembled to the upper cleaning pad receptacles 26 and the lower cleaning pads 48 are assembled to the lower cleaning pad receptacles 22, the cleaning surfaces 50 will be in facing relationship to each other.
• the pads may be put into assembled relationship with respect to their pad receptacles using a roughened handling surface 52 and a roughened interior surface of the cleaning pad receptacles 26 or 22; or an adhesive can be placed on the handling surface of the pad or into the receptacle to insure that the pads stay in place during the cleaning operation.
• Hook and eye fasteners, cylindrical ridges or rims built into the periphery of the cleaning pad receptacles, or any other usual or preferred means of maintaining the pads in place during cleaning can be used.
• the pads can initially have an at least slightly domed or dished contour such as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. This will lessen the problem in maintaining the pads in position in the pad receptacles during the cleaning operation.
• a further, and preferred, means of maintaining the pads in position is illustrated best in FIG. 7 wherein the handling surface 52 of the pad 48 is covered with a fluid impervious substrate 56, and this substrate can carry a releasable pressure sensitive adhesive 57 thereon. While these pads are being stored before they are used, a removable protective skin 58 will cover the adhesive 57 on the substrate 56. In FIG. 7, this skin 58 is shown in the process of being removed from handling surface of the cleaning pad preparatory to use in cleaning a contact lens.
• a resilient means such as a compression coil spring 60 is firmly seated and held on a base compression spring boss 62 and extends upwardly within the base 16 when the cover 18 is open, and the upper cleaning pad motion plate 24 is clear of the base.
• a tapered downwardly extending motion plate boss 64 moves inside of the upper end of the coil spring 60 more precisely aligning the cleaning upper pad receptacles 26,26 to be concentric with the lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22.
• This spring 60 has the furthe function of nominally holding the upper cleaning pad motion plate 24 up against the underside of the cover 18 thus insuring that when the cleaning process has been completed, the upper motion plate cleaning pads 46,46 will be spaced from the contact lenses 14,14 so that when the cover 18 is removed, these lenses 14 will remain undisturbed on the center portion of the lower, base mounted cleaning pads 48,48 for easy access to the wearer.
• resilient means can be used instead of spring 60 within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims which follow.
• a block of sponge rubber or other resilient foam can be fastened either to a motion plate boss or to the center part of the base 16; and it will then become the resilient means.
• liquid be used in performing the cleaning of contact lenses.
• These liquids can have several purposes including the control of deleterious matter such as dust, protein build-up, bacteria, fungi, yeast and Acanthamoeba, for example.
• such liquid will serve as a lubricant to reduce the friction between the cleaning pads and the lenses during the use of the apparatus.
• This invention is not concerned with the character of the liquids used as long as such liquids do not take the apparatus and method outside of the scope of the claims which follow.
• Such liquids are characterized herein as any "liquid suitable for cleaning contact lenses" or "suitable cleaning liquid.”
• the pads can be made of any usual or preferred material which will not have an abrading action on the lenses. Also, preferably, at least the portion of the pad adjacent to the cleaning surface will be made of absorbent material 65; and, except for the pad immediately adjacent the handling surface, it is preferred that the entire pad be absorbent.
• the apparatus of the invention includes a suitable cleaning liquid 66 which has been injected or otherwise permeated into the absorbent portion 65 of the pads 46, 46, 48 and 48 at least in adjacent relationship to the cleaning surface of the pad.
• the suitable cleaning liquid 66 is indicated to have been impregnated into the absorbent portion of the cleaning pad 48 on the right-hand side of the figure, while the left-hand side of that pad is illustrated as being of absorbent material but not yet impregnated with the fluid 66.
• the cover 18 of the lens cleaning case 14 is pivoted from the position as seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to an open position (not specifically shown). This will bring the portion of the cover in adjacent relation to the motion plate movement limiting opening 28 into contact with the underside of the cap 34, and this will cause the motion plate 24 to be raised away from the lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22 of the base 16. It is to be understood that the cover 18 could be removed entirely, and then the motion plate 24 lifted clear of the base 16 and of the compression coil spring 60 without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of some of the claims which follow.
• Two fresh upper cleaning pads 46,46 will be chosen, and if not already fully impregnated with suitable cleaning liquid 66, these pads will be so impregnated. They will then be installed within the dished upper cleaning pad receptacles 26,26 in any usual or preferred manner which will cause them to stay in position in those receptacles. A preferred manner of accomplishing this will be detailed below.
• Lower, base mounted cleaning pads 48,48 having been impregnated with suitable cleaning liquid 66, will be prepared for releasable pressure sensitive adhesion to the domed lower cleaning pad receptacles 22,22 by manual removal of the protective skin 58 from the liquid impervious substrate 56 of the handling surface 52 of these cleaning pads 48,48.
• Each such pad will then be installed on a top central portion of its respective lower cleaning pad receptacle 22, and will thereafter resist relative movement with respect to such lower cleaning pad receptacles until the pads are pulled from the receptacles after they have been used for their intended purpose and are to be discarded.
• the cleaning surfaces 50 of the upper pads are in facing relation to the cleaning surfaces 50 of the lower pads, or will be when the cover is closed.
• the contact lenses 14,14 to be cleaned are carefully placed on the very top center portions of the cleaning surfaces of the pads 46,46.
• the cover 18 is now brought back into place to the position as seen in FIG. 1, to position the various elements of the invention and the contact lenses as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.
• a pressure and movement means is now used to consummate the cleaning action.
• This means in the form of the invention as shown, includes the upper cleaning pads 46,46, the upper cleaning pad motion plate 24 and its upwardly extending boss 30 including its upper cap portion 32.
• This pressure and movement means is now activated by manually exerted downward pressure on the finger receiving upper surface 40 of the upper cap portion 32 to apply pressure on the lenses 14,14 by pushing the upper pads 46,46 down against the lower pads 48,48.
• the finger applying this pressure is used to move the upper cap portion 32 relatively with respect to the cover 18, thus moving the upper pads 46,46 with respect to the lower pads 48,48.
• the finger applying the manual pressure and movement can move, carrying the upper surface 40 of the cap 34 of the upper cap portion 32 with it, to prescribe a "figure 8" motion as schematically indicated in FIG. 8.
• the pads 46 and 48 having been positioned firmly in the receptacles 22 and 26, respectively, it is necessary only that the coefficient of friction between the pads and the r -. eptacle exceed the
• the pads 46 and 48 are of similar or identical materials; and it is expected that the upper and lower surfaces of the contact lenses themselves will have substantially equal coefficients of friction whether in touch with the cleaning surface of the upper pad or the cleaning surface of the lower pad.
• both lenses 14 are being cleaned at the same time and since the liquid 66 is in intimate contact with both surfaces of both lenses, the lenses can be left in the apparatus (possibly with a weight replacing the finger on surface 40 of the cap 34) until any recommended period for exposure to a cleaning or disinfectant liquid 66 being used has expired.
• the moving finger or weight
• the compression coil spring 60 acting on the downwardly extending motion plate boss 64, will cause the motion plate 24 to again move to its central position, and the spring will also cause the motion plate and its upper cleaning pad receptacles 26,26 to carry the upper pads 46,46 away from the contact lenses 14,14.
• the cover 13 can now be raised moving the motion plate and its attached upper cleaning pads 46,46 away from the lenses. Using sterile techniques, the now disinfected and cleaned lenses 14,14 can be reinserted into the eyes of the wearer.
• the thumb and index finger can then be moved with respect to each other, and the contact lens will be cleaned using the method of the invention and without any possibility of deleterious substances on the hands of the operator " causing any difficulties in disinfecting, neutralizing or cleaning the lens.
• the index finger will be lifted away from the thumb, and the cleaned lens will be ready to be reinserted into the eye of the wearer.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Eyeglasses (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=23179741

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1990
  • 1990-01-28 IL IL9319190A patent/IL93191A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1990-01-30 CA CA002075958A patent/CA2075958A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1990-01-30 WO PCT/US1990/000516 patent/WO1990008604A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1990-01-30 AU AU51052/90A patent/AU651792B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1990-01-30 EP EP19900903571 patent/EP0575310A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1990-02-02 ZA ZA90794A patent/ZA90794B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events