GB2337699A

GB2337699A - Optical aid for fitting contact lenses

Info

Publication number: GB2337699A
Application number: GB9811206A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Hennegan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-05-27
Filing date: 1998-05-27
Publication date: 1999-12-01
Also published as: GB9811206D0

Abstract

The aid comprises a concave glass or acrylic mirror having a radius of curvature 100-250mm mounted in a round or rectangular frame of typically 15-80mm width and intended to prevent the eye into which a lens is to be inserted from seeing past the mirror during the insertion. A pair of hinged lids 15 may close the aid when not in use. The device can be provided with a flexible neck for mounting on a suction cup or stand.

Description

2337699 Optical Device The present invention is an optical device, devised

to assist a user of contact lenses.

The wearing of contact lenses has increased significantly in recent years as their quality has developed and as the spectacle wearing public have increasingly accepted their use. 'Nowadays they are widely worn both for aesthetic reasons by people of all ages and by participants in a wide range of sporting activities.

However fitting a contact lens into position in the eye can be a difficult exercise. Even when a user has learnt the practice of inserting a contact lens, he may have the problem of needing to see the eye from a side angle view, in order to observe the contact lens being placed on the eye and to avoid touching the eye, thus reducing any risk of involuntarily infecting the eye, or indeed, to assist him if need be in inserting the contact lens directly onto the iris of the eye without any visual obstruction.

Mirrors and enlarging mirrors such as are available are of some assistance in this regard but are not in their very nature suitable for the user to see a side view of the eye and the contact lens without any visual obstruction at the point of inserting the contact lens into the eye.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical device which can assist the wearers of contact lenses to see a side view of both the eye and the contact lens, without any visual obstruction, on the point of inserting the contact lens into the eye.

The optical device according to the present invention comprises a plano-coneave lens silvered on one side to produce an enlarging mirror. Surrounding the mirror is a wide frame.

By means of this simple device the user is made able to see a side view of both his eye and the contact lens in sufficient detail to assist him in inserting a contact lens into the eye, or replacing one, without any visual obstruction from the user's own finger or the contact lens.

The plano-concave lens performs the function of an enlarging mirror, and its purpose is to compensate for or correct the user's vision close up to the mirror. The radius of the curviture of the mirror will be influenced greatly by its specific chosen enlarging characteristics. Typically it may lie within the range of 10Omm to 250mm. However for a range of different user's the preferred radius of cur.viture of the mirror is 175mm.

M.

I.e lens may be of glass or plastics material.

The frame comprises a generally flat circular frame surrounding the mirror. Its function is to vitiate the vision completely, of the eye the user intends to insert the contact lens into. This allows the user to see with his other eye at close quarters, a positive, angular or side view reflection of the intended eye and the contact lens.

In order to vitiate the vision completely of the eye the user intends to insert the lens into, the width of the frame should be such as to obstruct the vision of the intended eye, that is the eye the user intends to insert the lens into, from seeing past the outside of the frame whilst inserting the contact lens. Typically it may lie within the range of 15run to 8Omm.

However for a range of different user's the preferred width is 5Omm from the outside edge of the mirror to the outside edge of the frame. The frame may be of metal or plastics material.

In one form of the optical device according to the present invention, the mirror is held within a generally square frame, of which the overall dimensions are not significantly greater than the diameter of the mirror. Thus its maximum dimension may lie within the range of 8Omm to 11Omm. Two hinged lids could be provided, which when open could function the same as the first preferred form of the device (paragraph 20 and 25, page 2), and when closed would protect the surface of the mirror. The dimensions of the device may be sufficiently small to allow it to be carried in a pocket or a handbag.

In its preferred form and also in its portable form, the device may be provided with a separate flexible neck and suction cup, to enable it to be suspended from any suitable surface so as to leave both hands of the user free, or may be provided with a separate stand with the same end in view.

The device affords assistance to both short-sighted and long-sighted user's of contact lenses, and allows the user to see a magnified look at the lens to ensure that it is free of airborne dust before it is inserted.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two preferred embodiments of the optical device according to the present invention and wherein:- Figure 1 is a view of the first embodiment ofthe device from the front; Figure 2 is a view of the device of Figure 1 from the side; Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view in the same direction as that of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view of the second embodiment of the device from the front; Figure 5 is a view of the device of Figure 4 from the side; and with the hinged lids closed, Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view in the same direction as that of Figure Referring to the drawing on page 1 of 2, Figs 1 to 3 the first preferred form, of the device comprises a piano-concave lens 10, which is retained within a base 11, and is surrounded by a frame 12. m-he lens 10 is of a clear acrylic material in the illustrated example, and has one concave face towards the front of the device and one convex face towards the base 11. The radius of the curviture of the lens 10 is 175mm and is approximately 75r,nn in diameter. The lens 10 is silvered on either the convex or concave side, to produce an enlarging mirror as viewed from the concave side.

The frame 12 is of a plastics material, and comprises a generally flat circular frame with a round hole in the centre approximately 73mm in diameter. The overall diameter of the frame 12 is approximately 172mm. It is preferable that the face of the frame has a anti-reflective or matt finish surface.

The base 11 is also circular and it is approximately 78mm in diameter to accomodate both the lens 10 and frame 12. The base 11 is also made of plastics material and has a lug 13 at the back centre of the base 11, to fix a separate flexible neck to (not shown).

Referring to the drawing on page 2 of 2, the other preferred form of t-he device, Figs 4 to 6 comprises the same lens 10 and base 11 referred to on drawing page 1 of 2, and a generally square frame 14 which as two hinged lids 15 that close in the centre of the mirror, A small stop 16 is moulded onto the outside centre of each lid to facilitate opening the lids 15 and to keep them parallel when open. The approximate diameter of the frame 14 is 86mm with the lids 15 in the closed position, and with the lids 15 open, the overall diameter is approximately 172n,- The device becomes better understood as to its advantage over other visual devices, when the user tries the device with a contact lens, and it will require a little practice, but to begin with he may close the eye into which he wishes to place the contact lens and use the other, open eye to obtain a clear, focused view of the closed eye. When that eye is then opened, and with a slight turn of his head, he will have a good view, from the side of the eye and the contact lens if desired, to enable him to observe the contact lens being placed on the eye, he will also see that the iris of the intended eye is not turned towards the mirror, but rather it is turned away from the mirror, this allows him to place the contact lens onto the iris of the eye and be seen to do so.

Claims

1 An optical device comprising a silvered plano-concave lens and a wide frame, the radius of the curviture of the reflective lens focussing the eye so close as to enable the user to focus the iris of the intended eye at an acute angle to the opposite eye in order to observe a contact lens being applied onto the iris of the intended eye by the opposite eye without any visual hindrance by the contact lens or the user's own finger, a frame fitted around or at both sides of the reflective lens in order to obstruct the vision of the intended eye one by one, and to allow the user to see a positive view of the intended eye by the opposite eye at close quarters.

2:In optical device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on the base of the device to fix a separate flexible neck and suction cup, or a separate stand.

3 An optical device substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-6 of the accompanying drawings.