JP2008534150A - Contact lens container and applicator and method of use - Google Patents

Abstract

Contact lens containers and applicators and methods of use thereof are provided.
A contact lens container and applicator include a lens cup and a lid that covers the lens cup and forms a contact lens chamber. The lens cup has a drain member such as a mesh member or a perforated plastic sheet, and the physiological saline solution is discharged through the drain member. In the first orientation, the chamber is substantially filled with saline solution, and in the second orientation, the saline solution in the chamber is substantially emptied. The lid that covers the lens cup is movable between a closed position where the contact lens is hidden and an open position where the user can access the contact lens to wear the contact lens directly on the user's eye.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

Disclosure details

[Related applications]
This application is the present application of US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 667,138, filed provisionally on March 31, 2005.

(Field of the Invention)
The present invention relates to a container for storing and transporting contact lenses. More particularly, the present invention relates to a contact lens container that has an internal drain system that can separate a physiological saline solution from the contact lens when the contact lens is removed from the container, and that can be used as an applicator for a contact lens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Soft contact lenses have become increasingly popular since they were first introduced in the 1970s. With the ongoing reduction in manufacturing costs, soft contact lenses are now one of the economically attractive options for consumers. Such contact lenses may be changed frequently (eg, basically daily or weekly) by the consumer, but do not need to be cleaned or disinfected as often as is done with conventional contact lenses. . Of course, it is desirable for the consumer to keep at hand the number of contact lenses proportional to the frequency with which the contact lenses are replaced. For this reason, due to consumer demand for disposable contact lenses, disposable contact lens containers that are easy to use and inexpensive are required. Such contact lens containers should be configured so that the contact lenses can be safely stored and transported. It is also desirable that individual contact lens containers be kept as small as possible so that they can be stored and carried easily and without distractions.

  Contact lenses are usually contained in a container and stored in a hydrated state and need to be sealed in a container filled with a storage solution. One widely used contact lens container is a blister pack, which generally contains a flat top surface and a contact lens in a volume of storage solution. A rigid plastic container with a concave well for the purpose. The well is covered with a flexible cover that is sealed along the periphery of the upper surface portion. Blister packs are packaged for transportation and storage until the consumer needs contact lenses. The consumer then removes the flexible cover from the blister pack to expose the contact lens. Thereafter, the consumer pours the contact lens with saline solution into his hand and places the contact lens on the tip of the finger for wearing on his eyes.

  A contact lens container system that contains a physiological saline solution for storage and transportation of contact lenses so that the consumer does not need to touch the physiological saline solution, such as handling the physiological saline solution, when the contact lens is removed from the container. There is a need for a contact lens container system that can separate a saline solution from a contact lens. There is also a need for a contact lens container system that allows consumers to wear the contact lens directly on their eyes without having to touch the contact lens with their fingers.

[Summary of the Invention]
A contact lens container according to one aspect of the present invention includes a lens cup and a lid that covers the lens cup and has a lid that is sized and shaped to receive a contact lens. A contact lens container between a first direction in which the chamber is substantially filled with a liquid such as a physiological saline solution and a second direction in which the liquid in the chamber is substantially empty A handle portion. Preferably, the lens cup has a drain member through which liquid flows out into a second chamber in the contact lens container. The drain member preferably comprises a mesh member or a plastic sheet having a hole extending through itself. The handle portion and the receiving portion are preferably symmetrical with respect to a common longitudinal axis, and the handle portion preferably has a ridge on its outer surface and is substantially conical. The handle is dimensioned so that the consumer can grip the handle between the consumer's fingers.

  A contact lens applicator according to another aspect of the invention includes a lens cup and a lid that covers the lens cup to form a sized and shaped chamber for receiving the contact lens. And a handle for operating the contact lens applicator. The lid is movable between a closed position where the contact lens is hidden and an open position where the consumer can access the contact lens to wear the contact lens directly on his eye. The lens cup is preferably dimensioned and shaped to hold the contact lens so that the peripheral portion of the contact lens is exposed to the outside of the lens cup when the lid is in the open position. .

Detailed Description of the Invention
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the following detailed description of the invention is referred to and considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 show a preferred embodiment of a contact lens container 2 according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the contact lens container 2 includes a contact lens housing portion 4 and a handle portion 6 fitted to the contact lens housing portion 4. The contact lens housing portion 4 includes an outer shell portion 8 and a lid portion 10 that is hingedly attached to the outer shell portion 8 by a hinge 12.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, the outer shell 8 includes an inner cavity 14 having a peripheral edge 16. A drain member 18 such as a mesh member or a perforated plastic sheet is fixed in the inner cavity 14, thereby defining a first chamber 20 in the inner cavity 14, and the drain member 18 and the outer shell. A lens cup 22 is defined which is formed from the peripheral edge 16 of the portion 8 and the portion 24 of the outer shell 8 located between the drain member 18 and the peripheral edge 16. The lens cup 22 is dimensioned and shaped so that it can hold the contact lens 26 with the peripheral edge 28 of one contact lens 26 exceeding the peripheral edge 16 (see FIG. 3). The lid portion 10 has a peripheral portion 30 that is dimensioned and shaped to be attached in proximity to the peripheral edge portion 16 of the outer shell portion 8 so that the lid portion 10 and the lens cup 22 are Forming a second chamber 32 sized and shaped to accommodate the contact lens 26. The sealing piece 34 can fix the outer shell portion 8 and the lid portion 10 to each other and can form a liquid-tight seal at a place where the outer shell portion 8 is in contact with the lid portion 10. As described above, the contact lens housing 4 is detachably attached. Preferably, the volume of the second chamber 32 is smaller than the volume of the first chamber 20 sized to accommodate a given amount of saline solution 36. Further, referring to FIG. 2, the handle portion 6 is manufactured as a conical hollow part having an open end 38. The contact lens housing portion 4 includes a stopper 40 at the end 42 of the contact lens housing portion 4 located on the opposite side to the lid portion 10. The plug 40 is dimensioned and shaped so that it can be fitted with frictional force when inserted into the open end 38 of the handle portion 6. 6 can be fixed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact lens container 2 has the handle 6 at the top, and the contact lens 26 is completely immersed in the physiological saline solution 36 in the second chamber 32. Shipped or stored. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the consumer has contact lenses so that the saline solution 36 can pass through the drain member 18 and flow out into the chamber 14 when the lid 10 is at the top. Invert container 2. Thereafter, the consumer can access the contact lens 26 by peeling off the sealing piece 34 and opening the lid 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Since the peripheral edge 28 of the contact lens 26 extends beyond the peripheral edge 16 of the outer shell 8, the consumer directly contacts the contact lens 26 with his / her eye rather than moving the contact lens 26 with a finger. The contact lens container 2 can be used as an applicator for moving the lens. The handle portion 6 may include a raised portion 44 so that the consumer can firmly hold the handle portion 6 while operating the contact lens container 2 and moving the contact lens 26 to his / her own eye.

  By discharging the physiological saline solution 36 into the first chamber 20, the contact lens 26 not immersed in the physiological saline solution 36 remains. Therefore, it is preferable that the drain member 18 is configured so that the physiological saline solution 36 can be quickly and completely discharged from the lens cup 22 into the first chamber 20. For this reason, the drain member 18 is preferably a coarse mesh member as in FIG. 4, but instead, a perforated sheet of a hydrophobic plastic material can also be used as in FIG.

  The contact lens container 2 of the present invention can be manufactured with a lens cup 22 having a diameter of about 2 cm to about 3 cm, and the minimum size of the lens cup is limited only by the size of the contact lens to be stored. Is done. Similarly, the minimum volume of the first chamber 20 is limited only by the volume of physiological saline solution 36 supplied. For ease of handling, the total length of the contact lens container 2 may be about 6 cm to about 10 cm. By reducing the overall size of the contact lens container 2 as a result, the contact lens container 2 can be carried easily and without getting in the way. The contact lens container 2 may be configured to give the same appearance and feel as a general container having substantially the same dimensions as a colon container or the like.

  It is understood that the embodiments described in this specification are merely illustrative and that many changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Should be done. For example, the handle portion 6 and the outer shell portion 8 may be manufactured as an integral part in which the outer shell portion 8 is opened toward the inside of the handle portion 6. In another embodiment, the contact lens housing portion 4 may be fixed to the handle portion 6 by means other than a stopper. The lid portion 10 does not need to be fixed to the outer shell portion 8 by the sealing piece 34, but can be fitted to the outer shell portion 8 with a frictional force. Instead, the outer shell portion 8 and the lid portion 10 may be screwed so as to be screwed together. All such changes and modifications, including the embodiments discussed in the detailed description, are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Embodiment
Embodiments of the present invention are as follows.
(1) In a contact lens container,
A receiving portion including a lens cup and a lid that removably covers the lens cup to form a first chamber sized and shaped to receive a contact lens;
A contact lens housed in the first chamber;
A predetermined amount of liquid housed in the housing section;
The contact lens container is between a first orientation in which the first chamber is substantially filled with the liquid and a second orientation in which the liquid in the first chamber is substantially empty. A handle portion for operating the contact lens container so as to be movable;
A contact lens container.
(2) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The contact lens container includes a second chamber configured to receive the entire amount of the predetermined amount of liquid when the storage portion is in the second direction.
(3) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (2),
The lens cup includes a drain member,
The contact lens container, wherein the liquid flows out from the first chamber to the second chamber through the drain member.
(4) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (3),
The drain member separates the lens cup from the second chamber.
(5) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (4),
The drain lens member is a contact lens container including a mesh member.

(6) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (4),
The drain member includes a plastic sheet,
The contact lens container, wherein the plastic sheet has a hole penetrating itself.
(7) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The lens cup and the lid are dimensioned and shaped to fit together,
The contact lens container further includes a sealing element that is removably attached to the housing portion so as to form a liquid-tight sealing structure between the lens cup and the lid portion.
(8) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The contact lens container is sized and shaped so that the lid is fitted to the lens cup to form a liquid tight seal structure.
(9) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The said cover part is a contact lens container attached to the said lens cup by hinge type.
(10) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The contact lens container, wherein the handle portion and the accommodating portion are in a symmetrical relationship with respect to an axis common to the handle portion and the accommodating portion.

(11) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (10),
The contact lens container has a substantially conical shape.
(12) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (10),
The contact lens container has an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending along the outer surface.
(13) In the contact lens container according to the embodiment (1),
The handle portion is a hollow member defining an opening;
The accommodating portion has a fitting plug, and is configured to be fitted to the handle portion with a frictional force when the fitting plug is inserted into the opening of the handle portion. A contact lens container.

(14) In a contact lens applicator,
A housing comprising a lens cup and a lid covering said lens cup to form a chamber dimensioned and shaped to house a contact lens;
The lid is movable between a closed position where the contact lens is hidden and an open position where a user can access the contact lens to wear the contact lens directly on his eyes;
A containment section;
A handle for operating the contact lens applicator;
An applicator for contact lenses, including:
(15) In the contact lens applicator according to the embodiment (14),
The lens cup is sized and shaped to hold the contact lens such that a peripheral portion of the contact lens is exposed to the outside of the lens cup when the lid is in the open position. Being
Contact lens applicator.
(16) In the contact lens applicator according to the embodiment (15),
The handle portion and the accommodating portion are in a symmetrical relationship with respect to an axis common to the handle portion and the accommodating portion,
The handle portion has an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending along the outer surface.
Contact lens applicator.

(17) In a method for wearing a contact lens using an applicator,
The applicator includes a lens cup, a lid that covers the lens cup to form a lens chamber sized and shaped to receive a contact lens and an amount of liquid, and a handle portion. Have
The method
Positioning the applicator in a first orientation such that the lens chamber is substantially filled with the liquid;
Disposing the contact lens container in a second orientation such that by operating the handle portion, the liquid in the lens chamber is substantially emptied;
Allowing the user to access the contact lens by moving the lid to an open position;
By operating the handle portion, wearing the contact lens on the user's eyes;
Including a method.
(18) In the method according to embodiment (17),
Discharging the liquid from the lens chamber through a drain member to a collection chamber in the applicator;
Further comprising a method.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a contact lens container according to the present invention sealed for transport and storage. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the contact lens container of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the contact lens container of FIG. 1 set | placed vertically and made into the open state. It is sectional drawing which shows the contact lens container of FIG.

Claims (18)

In contact lens containers,
A receiving portion including a lens cup and a lid that removably covers the lens cup to form a first chamber sized and shaped to receive a contact lens;
A contact lens housed in the first chamber;
A predetermined amount of liquid housed in the housing section;
The contact lens container is between a first orientation in which the first chamber is substantially filled with the liquid and a second orientation in which the liquid in the first chamber is substantially empty. A handle portion for operating the contact lens container so as to be movable;
A contact lens container. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The contact lens container includes a second chamber configured to receive the entire amount of the predetermined amount of liquid when the storage portion is in the second direction. The contact lens container according to claim 2,
The lens cup includes a drain member,
The contact lens container, wherein the liquid flows out from the first chamber to the second chamber through the drain member. The contact lens container according to claim 3,
The drain member separates the lens cup from the second chamber. The contact lens container according to claim 4,
The drain lens member is a contact lens container including a mesh member. The contact lens container according to claim 4,
The drain member includes a plastic sheet,
The contact lens container, wherein the plastic sheet has a hole penetrating itself. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The lens cup and the lid are dimensioned and shaped to fit together,
The contact lens container further includes a sealing element that is removably attached to the housing portion so as to form a liquid-tight sealing structure between the lens cup and the lid portion. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The contact lens container is sized and shaped so that the lid is fitted to the lens cup to form a liquid tight seal structure. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The said cover part is a contact lens container attached to the said lens cup by hinge type. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The contact lens container, wherein the handle portion and the accommodating portion are in a symmetrical relationship with respect to an axis common to the handle portion and the accommodating portion. The contact lens container according to claim 10,
The contact lens container has a substantially conical shape. The contact lens container according to claim 10,
The contact lens container has an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending along the outer surface. The contact lens container according to claim 1,
The handle portion is a hollow member defining an opening;
The accommodating portion has a fitting plug, and is configured to be fitted to the handle portion with a frictional force when the fitting plug is inserted into the opening of the handle portion. A contact lens container. In contact lens applicators,
A housing comprising a lens cup and a lid covering said lens cup to form a chamber dimensioned and shaped to house a contact lens;
The lid is movable between a closed position where the contact lens is hidden and an open position where a user can access the contact lens to wear the contact lens directly on his eyes;
A containment section;
A handle for operating the contact lens applicator;
An applicator for contact lenses, including: The applicator for contact lenses according to claim 14,
The lens cup is sized and shaped to hold the contact lens such that a peripheral portion of the contact lens is exposed to the outside of the lens cup when the lid is in the open position. Being
Contact lens applicator. The applicator for contact lenses according to claim 15,
The handle portion and the accommodating portion are in a symmetrical relationship with respect to an axis common to the handle portion and the accommodating portion,
The handle portion has an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending along the outer surface.
Contact lens applicator. In a method for wearing a contact lens using an applicator,
The applicator includes a lens cup, a lid that covers the lens cup to form a lens chamber sized and shaped to receive a contact lens and an amount of liquid, and a handle portion. Have
The method
Positioning the applicator in a first orientation such that the lens chamber is substantially filled with the liquid;
Disposing the contact lens container in a second orientation such that by operating the handle portion, the liquid in the lens chamber is substantially emptied;
Allowing the user to access the contact lens by moving the lid to an open position;
By operating the handle portion, wearing the contact lens on the user's eyes;
Including a method. The method of claim 17, wherein
Discharging the liquid from the lens chamber through a drain member to a collection chamber in the applicator;
Further comprising a method.

Images