GB2293770A

GB2293770A - Luminotherapy device and measuring instrument

Info

Publication number: GB2293770A
Application number: GB9519630A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Schreder
Original assignee: URBIS LIGHTING Ltd
Current assignee: URBIS LIGHTING Ltd
Priority date: 1994-09-28
Filing date: 1995-09-26
Publication date: 1996-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-26
Also published as: DE29514342U1; NL1001311C1; AT1235U1; FR2724848B3; GB9519630D0; BE1008646A7; GB2293770B; FR2724848A3

Abstract

The device, which is used to alleviate seasonal affective disorder by treatment via the eyes, comprises a lamp 2 mounted on a head support 3 such that, whatever the position of the head, light rays from the lamp form an angle alpha of at least 5 DEG with the median viewing plane of the subject's eyes. The support comprises straps 10, 11 and parallel arms (7, 8) on which the lamp is pivotally mounted, wing nuts being provided at the pivot points for adjustment of the angle alpha to, preferably, 45 - 85 DEG . Apparatus for determining distances X and Y, and thereby an optimum angle for treatment, comprises a foot 100 for placement against the lamp face 23, an arm 101 consisting of two parallel plates secured to the foot, a vertically movable slide 102 having means 103 for locking it on arm 101, a horizontally movable rod 104 extending through a bore in the arm and having an eyepiece 105, and a graduated arm 106 joined to the slide 102. <IMAGE>

Description

Title, LUMINOTHERAPY DEVICE This invention relates to luminotherapy devices for the treatment of living organisms, in particular human beings, via the eyes.

It is known that seasonal changes, the lack of sunlight, etc. causes various conditions, and in particular seasonal affective disorders.

In order to treat such disorders, it is known to prescribe to a patient to rest in front of a fixed luminous screen, the screen being in a plane perpendicular to the median viewing plane of the patient, that is to say that the light emitted is in the median viewing plane.

Such treatment is inappropriate for vision since the eyes are directly exposed to lighting and glare.

Furthermore, all the known devices do not take into consideration the physical shape of a patient's head for determining the adequate treatment applicable to the patient.

This invention aims to treat a patient's eyes by emitting light rays at an angle, for example fixed or nearly so or varying through a small range, relative to the median viewing plane of the eyes, and to maintain the relationship throughout the course of treatment.

According to the invention, there is provided a luminotherapy device for the treatment of a living organism via its eyes, said device comprising a lamp which is adapted to emit a luminous flux, a support adapted to fit over the head of a subject and means for mounting the lamp on the support in such a manner that, whatever the position of the head, light rays emitted from the lamp form an angle of at least 5 with the median viewing plane of the eyes of the subject.

Preferably, the device includes means for directing the luminous flux emitted by the lamp in such a manner that the rays form a substantially constant angle with the median viewing plane of the eyes.

Means may also be provided for adjusting the lamp with respect to the support.

The lamp is preferably pivotally mounted on the support. Where the device is built with separate lamps for the individual treatment of each eye, the lamps may be pivoted independently of one another.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the support comprises means for fitting on the head in such a manner that the centre of gravity of the device lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the median viewing plane and passes through or close to the centre of gravity of the head. The support preferably comprises at least one strap designed to pass under the back of the head.

If the aforementioned support is not fitted in the manner described above, the lamp has a tendency to slip away from the desired and predetermined position.

Fatigue will develop in the patient's neck muscles which must oppose the moment created by the lamp. Thanks to the support according to the invention, it is therefore possible to ensure correct, effective treatment of seasonal affective disorders.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support includes a pair of arms, each arm being pivotally connected to the lamp at one end. The other end of each arm is desirably connected to the other end of the other arm.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the arms are joined to a strap intended to fit over the head by means of links or connecting members which are located on an axis which is substantially parallel to the median viewing plane, passes through or close to a plane perpendicular to the median viewing plane and at or adjacent to a perpendicular plane passing through the centre of gravity of the head.

Each of the arms desirably comprises a forward limb extending between a link or connecting member and the lamp, and a rearward limb, the said forward limbs extending above the median viewing plane, whilst the said rearward limbs are located at least partially below the median viewing plane.

The device according to the invention is advantageously equipped with means (manual or automatic, for example controlled by a PC or processor chip) for adjusting the incident angle or the principal incident angle of the light emitted with respect to the median viewing plane of the eyes, between at least 450 and 85".

The device according to the invention allows the illuminated face of the lamp to be placed in a predetermined position, in particular, to be brought into a datum position parallel to the median viewing plane.

The invention also provides apparatus for determining the optimum angle of the light emitted from the lamp for obtaining adequate treatment by means of the above-mentioned device in which the apparatus comprises means for determining the setback of the eyes and means for determining the distance between the median viewing plane and the lamp.

Preferably, the said apparatus comprises a foot designed to be placed against an illuminated surface of the lamp, an arm connected to the foot and serving as a guide for a sliding scale and a rod passing through a bore in the arm and capable of being displaced towards the eye of a subject by which means the sliding scale can be adjusted so as to place the rod in line with one eye for determining the distance between the median viewing plane and the block and by which means the rod is then adjusted towards the eye in order to determine the setback of the eyes.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a luminotherapy device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a lamp forming part of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the lamp shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view of a device for determining the optimum settings for effective treatment of a patient; and Fig. 6 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, a luminotherapy device according to the invention comprises a lamp 2 designed to emit light rays, which are low in ultra-violet content, in a direction D and a support 3 intended to be placed on the head 4 of a patient on which the lamp 2 is mounted.

The lamp 2 is mounted on the support 3 in such a manner that, whatever the position of the head 4, the lamp 2 emits light rays essentially in direction D forming an angle a of at least 5 to the median viewing plane M, which is the horizontal plane passing through the eyes when the patient is in an upright vertical position. The direction D in this case is substantially perpendicular to an illuminated face 23 of the lamp 2.

In an advantageous manner, the light emitted falls at least partly in front of the eyes, for example on the patient's nose and not directly or solely into the eyes.

The lamp 2 is provided with two threaded studs 5, 6 which engage in and extend through holes in arms 7, 8 of the support. These threaded studs are located along an axis A-A. Wingnuts 9 are fitted on the threaded studs to force the sides of the support arm against the lamp 2 thereby acting as a means of adjusting or fixing the direction of the incident light rays or the principal rays. After loosening the wingnuts 9, the position of the lamp 2 may be manually adjusted about the pivot axis A-A, maintaining the new position while the wingnuts 9 are re-tightened.

The angle a may thus be varied, for example, between 45" and 85".

The support 3 includes two adjustable straps lO, 11, adjustment being achieved, for example, by means of "VELCRO" (Registered Trade Mark) fastenings designed to connect the two parts of each strap.

A first strap 10 is designed to pass around the patient's forehead, over the ears and around the back of the head, whilst the second strap 11 is designed to pass over the top of the head to link the parts of the strap 10 near the ears.

The arms 7 and 8 each comprise a forward limb 7A, 8A, extending between a fixing means 12 by means of which the straps 10 and 11 are secured to the arms and the lamp 2, and a rearward limb 7B, 8B. The forward limbs 7A, 8A are linked to each other by means of the lamp 2, whilst the rearward limbs are linked together by, for example, a connecting bar 13.

The fixing means 12 are situated along an axis B-B which is substantially parallel to the axis A-A of the lamp 2.

The centre of gravity G of the device is situated on the axis B-B and the straps 10, 11 are adjusted in such a manner that the point of gravity G is located in a plane C, perpendicular to the median viewing plane M and passing through the centre of gravity of the head CG. The axis B-B is located over the patient's ears.

The limbs 7A, 8A advantageously extend above the median viewing plane M, whilst the rearward limbs 7B, 8B have at least a part or end 14 located below the median viewing plane M.

The lamp 2 comprises an element 20, a reflector 21 for directing all or practically all of the light energy through a u.v. filter or anti-u.v. glass 22 and out through a protective PLEXIGLASS (Registered Trade Mark) cover 23. The filter 22 is mounted on two cushion pads, that is to say, on a material capable of absorbing or damping vibrations due to movements or gestures of the patient. The rating of the element 20 is that required, for example, to obtain a maximum luminous intensity of between 3,000 and 20,000 lux.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a device for determining the important parameters for the treatment of a patient. The head of each patient is different and the treatment to be carried out depends on the setback of the eyes and on the position of the light source or, put another way, the distance between the eyes and the light source.

The device according to the invention allows pivoting of the lamp 2 through a range P such that its illuminated face 23 can be brought parallel to the median viewing plane M.

The measuring device for determining the parameters of the patient illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 comprises a foot 100 which is designed to make contact with the illuminated face 23 of the light source and which is positioned substantially parallel to the median viewing plane M; an arm 101 consisting of two parallel plates some distance apart which are secured to the foot 100 and extend below the latter; a vertically displaceable slide 102 having a fixing means 103 for locking the slide in a predetermined adjusted position on the arm 101; a rod 104 extending through a bore in the arm 101 and having an eyepiece 105 at its free end, the rod 104 being horizontally displaceable parallel to the illuminated panel or the median viewing plane M in order to bring the eyepiece into position in front of a patient's eye; and an arm 106 joined to the slide 102 and marked with graduations 107.

The slide 102 is first displaced vertically to bring the eyepiece into line with a patient's eye in order to determine the distance "x" separating the illuminated panel 23 from the median viewing plane M.

The rod 104 is then displaced so as to bring the eyepiece towards the eye socket, in order to assess the setback 'liy" of the patient's eye.

Using the scale 107 marked on the arm 106 and an indicator mark 108 provided on the arm 101 for measurement of the vertical position of the slide 102, two important parameters are derived from which the appropriate incident light angle "a" for the treatment of a patient may be determined and an adequate light intensity "I" for treatment obtained (typically between 500 and 10,000 lux).

In an advantageous manner, the intensity of the lamp (W) is a constant and it is the value of the angle "a" which is varied (the angle ss=90 -a being the angle between the illuminated panel 23 and the median plane M) to alter the light intensity seen by the eyes.

The following tables indicate the values of the angle P (90-a) for obtaining an intensity of treatment (lux) as a function of the power of the lamp, the setback "y" and the distance "x" between the illuminated panel in the horizontal position at the median horizontal plane.

1. Measured illumination for a 5 Watt lamp.

3,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss ylx 3 4 5 6 7 3 100 15 200 25 35 4 15 20 20 25 35 5 25 25 25 30 40 6 30 30 30 35 40 8,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 45 55 - - 4 55 65 - - 5 65 75 - - 6 75 - - - 5,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 25 35 40 50 4 30 35 40 50 5 40 45 50 60 6 - - - -

10,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 70 - - - 4 70 70 - - 5 70 80 - - 6 - - - - 2. Measured illumination for a 7 Watt lamp.

3,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 0 0 0 5 10 4 5 5 5 10 10 5 10 10 10 10 15 6 15 15 15 15 15 8,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 35 35 40 50 65 4 40 45 45 55 65 5 50 50 55 60 65 6 70 70 70 75 80

5,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 15 15 20 25 35 4 20 20 25 30 35 5 35 35 35 35 40 6 40 40 40 40 45 10,000 lux Lumino inclination, ss y/x 3 4 5 6 7 3 40 45 50 60 75 4 50 55 60 70 80 5 60 65 65 70 6 80 80 80 -

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A luminotherapy device for the treatment of a living organism via its eyes, said device comprising a lamp which is adapted to emit a luminous flux, a support adapted to fit over the head of a subject and means for mounting the lamp on the support in such a manner that, whatever the position of the head, light rays emitted from the lamp form an angle of at least 5 with the median viewing plane of the eyes of the subject.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for directing the luminous flux emitted by the lamp such that it forms a constant angle with the median viewing plane of the eyes.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein means are provided for adjusting the lamp with respect to the support.
4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the lamp is pivotally mounted on the support.
5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support comprises means for fitting on the head in such a manner that the centre of gravity of the device lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the median viewing plane and passes through or close to the centre of gravity of the head.
6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support comprises at least one strap designed to pass under the back of the head.
7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support includes a pair of arms, each arm being pivotally connected to the lamp at one end.
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the other end of each arm is connected to the other end of the other arm.
9. A device according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the arms are joined to a strap intended to fit over the head by means of links or connecting members which are located on an axis which is substantially parallel to the median viewing plane, passes through or close to a plane perpendicular to the median viewing plane and at or adjacent to a perpendicular plane passing through the centre of gravity of the head.
10. A device according to claim 9, wherein each of the arms comprises a forward limb extending between a link or connecting member and the lamp, and a rearward limb, the said forward limbs extending above the median viewing plane, whilst the said rearward limbs are located at least partially below the median viewing plane.
11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided for adjusting the incident angle or principal incident angle of light with respect to the median viewing plane of the eyes between at least 45" and 85".
12. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided for bringing the light-emitting part of the lamp into a plane parallel to the median viewing plane of the eyes.
13. A luminotherapy device substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings.
14. Apparatus for determining the optimum angle of the light emitted from the lamp for obtaining adequate treatment by means of the device claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, said apparatus comprising means for determining the setback of the eyes and means for determining the distance between the median viewing plane and the lamp.
15. Apparatus according to claim 14 and comprising a foot designed to be placed against an illuminated surface of the lamp, an arm connected to the foot and serving as a guide for a sliding scale and a rod passing through a bore in the arm and capable of being displaced towards the eye of a subject by which means the sliding scale can be adjusted so as to place the rod in line with one eye for determining the distance between the median viewing plane and the block and by which means the rod is then adjusted towards the eye in order to determine the setback of the eyes.
16. Apparatus according to claim 14 or claim 15 and substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.