DE2701016A1 - Support for soft contact lens - has annular bead to hold lens for cleaning - Google Patents

Abstract

The cleaning appliance consists of a mushroom shaped holder to receive the lenses. Its resting face has a convex curvature. The holder's effective face is formed by a projecting annular head (8) whose contour (8b) has a convex curvature at least on the inwardly facing region of the ring. The dia. of the bead is smaller than the dia. of the contact lenses. The support face of the holder can be curved to match the pupil of the eye. It can consist of a hemisphere. The support face can have on its rear side a cylindrical projection used to fit it in a housing.

Description

Dr.-lng. H.-J. Biommer
75 Karlsruhe 1

AmalienstraO «28 P.O. Box 40 26

Alois Lekan

8952 Schlieren (Switzerland)

Mühleackerstrasse J1 Cleaning device for soft contact lenses

The invention relates to a cleaning device for soft contact lenses, in particular made of plastic, for the mechanical removal of deposits on the line surface.

The critical point in using contact

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lentils is their compatibility with the eye. Basic requirement for good tolerance is the absolute cleanliness of the lens.

During use, the lens is exposed to constant contamination from body salts, proteins, dust particles and other things. Dadurdh not only reduces the transparency of the lens, but it also leads to burning eyes and reddening of the conjunctiva.

With soft contact lenses, with which the present invention is concerned, occurs even more aggravating the fact that in the porous material structure Build up foci of bacteria that are difficult to remove and cause lasting damage of the eye. Chemical or thermal sterilization is only successful if if a thorough cleaning has been carried out beforehand.

For this reason, thorough, daily mechanical cleaning is urgently indicated in the relevant specialist literature and also in the instructions for use (compare, for example, "Die Kontaktlinse", 1975, No. 5, page 13 / H). Mechanical cleaning is according to the instructions of the cleaning fluids - to be fitter by hand, in which the lens between two fingers or between a finger and the palm of the hand and adding of cleaning liquid is rubbed - manufacturers as well as contact lenses.

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In order to improve the tolerance of the soft contact lenses and the above-mentioned disturbing ones Eliminating phenomena are numerous proposals for new, more effective cleaning fluids been made. Although the cleaning effect could be improved as a result, the previous one must Cleaning method can be viewed as problematic, since the cleaning effect depends largely on the Skill and cleanliness of the respective person and is therefore individually different.

The invention is based on the object of the cleaning effect of mechanical cleaning for the To secure lens wearer regardless of his skill u.

to improve. In particular, a cleaning device is to be constructed that meets the increased requirements that does justice to soft plastic lenses.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the cleaning device consists of a mushroom-shaped holder consists of a lens mount, the supporting surface of which is convexly curved and of a separate cleaning stamp, the active surface of which is provided by a protruding one Annular bead is formed, the contour of which at least in a cross-sectional area running from the inside downwards and outwards of the ring is convex, and its diameter is smaller than the contact lens diameter 1st.

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The invention is based on the knowledge that the previous purely manual cleaning not only because of the different levels of skill, but above all because of the risk of re-contamination the cleaned lens on the hand itself is problematic, so that one is making contact with the hand Must keep to a minimum. The cleaning device according to the invention makes the contact lens placed with a known suction cup on the convex support surface of the holder and there automatically held by adhesive and capillary forces. the The soft lens nestles flat against the convex contact surface, the contour of which is roughly that of the eyeball is replicated. The cleaning stamp, however, can due to its protruding annular bead and its recessed center only in line contact with the other side of the contact lens be brought, so that a good contact pressure (high surface pressure) adjusts without the Risk of sticking.

The cleaning stamp drizzled with the cleaning fluid is used several times over the upper line surface rubbed away, the lens remaining stationary on the mushroom-shaped holder. The rubbed off Dirt particles are finally sprayed off with the usual rinsing liquid. Turning the contact lens the other surface is cleaned using a suction device known per se.

The advantages achieved with the invention beetehen in that the lenses can be completely freed from deposits regardless of their size, even if the lens wearer has rough and / or dirty hands due to their job, such as

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also by women with long fingernails that scratch the surface of soft lenses can. Deformation or damage to the lens due to excessive kinking when rubbing is excluded, and the lens becomes evenly clean in the center and on the edge. Since the diameter of the Ring bead smaller than the lens diameter is, the punch can be moved quite a bit over the lens surface without his Effective area comes out beyond the edge of the lens.

Further features of the invention emerge from the subclaims. Claims 4 and 5 offer the advantage that the support surface of the holder and the annular bead of the cleaning stamp are easily replaceable Plug elements are present.

Through the claims 7 and 8 there is the advantage of a handy shape for the cleaning device, wherein By dividing the container into two parts, the lower part of the container is also used for cleaning and cleaning Collects flushing liquid so that cleaning can be carried out at any location.

Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the following description of an exemplary embodiment based on a drawing; It shows:

Fig. 1 the lower part of the container of the cleaning device, but without mushroom-shaped Holder;

Fig. 2 the container lid

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Pig. 3 a top view of the inside of the lid

Pig. 4 the cleaning stamp, but without an annular bead;

5 shows the annular bead designed as a plug-in element and

Pig. 6 the mushroom-shaped support surface.

The container bottom shown in Figure 1 consists of a circular disk 1 with a cylindrical side wall 2 molded onto it. In the center of the container bottom sits a hollow cylinder 3, in whose inner bore 3a a holder for receiving the contact lens to be cleaned can be inserted. The upper edge of the container bottom is provided with a cutout 2a onto which the container lid 4 shown in FIG. 2 can be slipped. This also consists of a circular cover with cylindrical side walls molded onto it, which have a milled recess 4a on their edge that matches the milled recess 2a. In its interior, two radially extending W _a are ndteilte arranged 5 and 6, which are each provided with a cutout 5a and 6a, the first for receiving the cleaning plunger shown in Figure 4 and 5, the second serves for receiving a nipple, not shown, . Both parts are held in place by the cutouts as in a clamp connection.

Figures 4 and 5 show the design of the two-part cleaning stamp, consisting of one Holder 7 and an annular bead 8. The holder 7 has

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an inner bore 7a into which the cylindrical

Port set 8a, which is arranged centrally on the back of the annular bead 8, is inserted. The actual Annular bead 8b then lies with its rear shoulder on the face of the same dimensions Holder 7. The contour of the annular bead 8b runs convexly in the shape of a circular arc from the inside to the outside and is therefore suitable for contact lenses of different dimensions and curvatures. A particular advantage of the Cleaning stamp consists in the fact that the annular bead is always along a length regardless of the lens shape Circular line rests, so that the local surface pressure is not so high that it scratches the lens surface can come, but also not too low, so that the cleaning effect is in question were. In addition, the linear contact has the advantage that the lens is not by capillary or Adhesion forces are taken away from the cleaning stamp.

Figure 6 shows the mushroom-shaped holder 9, which is inserted from above into the inner bore 3a of the container bottom will. Its bearing surface has the shape of a hemisphere and is with respect to the radius of curvature approximately adapted to the eyeball.

While any materials for the container, in particular Plastics come into question is the annular bead 8 and the hemisphere 9 most appropriate Silicone rubber, as this material is physiologically harmless and sufficiently temperature-resistant

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is solid for sterilization.

In summary, the advantage of the invention is that it is thoroughly cleaned on all sides of the lens achieved and damage to the lens surface or impermissibly high deformations avoided will.

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Claims (9)

Fatentane claims Cleaning device for soft contact lenses, in particular made of plastic for the mechanical removal of deposits on the lens surface, characterized, that it consists of a mushroom-shaped holder ¹ (9) for lens mounting, the bearing surface of which is convexly curved and of a separate cleaning stamp (7), the active surface of which is formed by a protruding annular bead (8), the contour (8b) of which at least in one from the inside downwardly and outwardly running cross-sectional area of the ring is convex and whose diameter is smaller than the contact lens diameter. 2. Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bearing surface of the holder (9) has a curvature corresponding to the eyeball. 3. Cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bearing surface of the holder consists of a hemisphere. 4. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing surface a cylindrical port on its back 809828/0437 ORIGINAL INSPEGTBO Set (9a) carries, by means of which it can be fixed in a replaceable manner in a housing (1). 5. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular bead (Θ) of the cleaning plunger has a pin extending backwards in its recessed center (8a) which is interchangeable with a handle (7) is connected. 6. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing surface (9) of the holder and the effective surface (8) of the cleaning stamp are made of silicone rubber 7. Cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (9) and the cleaning stamp (7, 8) in one joint Housing (4) are housed. 8. Cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that the housing as a two-part container is executed, in the lower container part (1, 2) of the holder (9) rigidly attached in the center is, while the cleaning ram (7, 8) in a locking connection with the other container part (4) sits. 9. Methods for cleaning soft contact 809828/0437 - w -3 lenses with a device according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lens on the with
Liquid-wetted mushroom-shaped holder (9) is placed and rubbed on its surface with the cleaning stamp (7, 8), that the lens is then placed with its other side on the possibly cleaned holder (9) and rubbed on its other surface, each Cleaning liquid is added and the cleaned lens surface is finally rinsed off with rinsing liquid and the lens is placed and transferred with a suction device known per se. 809828/0437