JPH10137324A - Sterilizing device for contact lens - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sterilizing device for contact lenses by which the contact lenses can be sterilized in a short time only by a general city water without requiring an exclusive chemical. SOLUTION: A sterilizing device is made up of a water vessel 2 in which contact lenses 1 are housed, three electrodes of a working electrode 3, a counter electrode 4, and a reference electrode 5, and a voltage applying device 6 which is connected to these electrodes; and the contact lenses 1 are immersed in the water vessel 2 and a prescribed voltage is applied to the working electrode 3, thereby the water inside the vessel 2 and the bacteria attached on the contact lenses 1 can be sterilized in a short time by an electrochemical sterilizing method.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sterilizing apparatus for contact lenses for sterilizing bacteria and the like that adhere to and propagate on contact lenses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Contact lenses are contaminated with airborne contaminants and microorganisms when worn, and are constantly in contact with tears during wearing. Therefore, proteins, lipids, minerals, and their components in tears Etc. adhere or adsorb. For this reason, when handling contact lenses, cleaning and sterilization before and after use are important. In such cleaning and disinfection of contact lenses, conventionally, especially for disinfection of contact lenses, a method of using a special chemical and immersing the contact lens in the chemical solution has been adopted.

[0003]

However, the conventional sterilization of contact lenses requires a special chemical, and it takes a considerable amount of time to complete the sterilization.
In addition, only the pharmacy can purchase this special medicine, and therefore, the user of the contact lens must always take care to keep the medicine.
Moreover, sterilization of the contact lens was not completed unless water and a special chemical were mixed, and the contact lens was immersed in the mixed solution for about 24 hours.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a contact lens sterilizing apparatus capable of sterilizing a contact lens in a short time by using only ordinary tap water without requiring a special chemical.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventor has found that the above problems can be solved by using an electrochemical sterilization method. That is, a contact lens is immersed in a container containing water, and a working electrode and a counter electrode, more preferably, a reference electrode are arranged in the container, and a predetermined potential is applied to the working electrode. It was found that bacteria attached to contact lenses can be sterilized in a short time.

Accordingly, a sterilizing apparatus for a contact lens according to the present invention comprises a container capable of accommodating a contact lens and injecting a liquid, a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode provided in the container. It comprises a potential applying device connected to each of the electrodes, and applies a predetermined potential to the working electrode to sterilize the liquid in the container and bacteria attached to the contact lens.

Further, the sterilizing apparatus for contact lenses according to the present invention comprises a container capable of accommodating a contact lens and into which a liquid is injected, a working electrode and a counter electrode disposed in the container, and each of these electrodes. And an electric potential applying device connected to the working electrode, wherein a predetermined electric potential is applied to the working electrode to sterilize the liquid in the container and the bacteria attached to the contact lens.

[0008] In the contact lens sterilizing apparatus, the potential applied to the working electrode is 0.5 Vv.
s. 1.5 V vs. SCE or more. It is characterized by being below SCE.

[0009] The sterilizing apparatus for contact lenses described above is characterized in that it has a sterilizing completion notifying means for emitting at least a sound or a light when the sterilizing is completed.

[0010] In the above-mentioned sterilizing apparatus for contact lenses, the container and the potential applying apparatus can be integrated with or separated from each other.

[0011]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a contact lens sterilizing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic configuration diagrams in the first and second embodiments, respectively.

First, referring to FIG.
The container 2 in which the contact lens 1 is placed only needs to be able to completely immerse the contact lens 1 in water, and the water used here may be ordinary tap water. A working electrode 3, a counter electrode 4, and a reference electrode 5 are provided in the container 2.
It is connected to the.

The potential applying device 6 has a function similar to a potentiostat in principle. That is, the voltage applied between the working electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 is kept constant by always keeping the potential of the working electrode 3 with respect to the reference electrode 5 at a set value.

Although the structure of the electrode is not particularly limited, it is particularly desirable that the working electrode 3 has a wide conductive surface for efficient sterilization. For example, FIG.
In, the working electrode 3 is formed in a substantially arc shape so that a relatively small water level can secure a wide electrode area. The material of the electrode is not particularly limited as long as it is inert within the range of the potential to be used. However, it is desirable that the electrode has good plasticity and moldability capable of forming a wide electrode as described above. For example, carbon, graphite, conductive polymers, gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, titanium and other metals or alloys thereof, and the like, or an electrode formed by coating a conductive material on the surface or the like can be used. May be.

In such an apparatus, the contact lens 1 is immersed in a container 2 filled with water, and a predetermined potential is applied to the working electrode 3 by a potential applying device 6, whereby the water in the container 2 and the contact lens 1 are applied to the contact lens 1. Sterilizes attached bacteria. The contact lens 1 may be held by the working electrode 3 or may be held by another lens holder.

Here, the voltage applied to the working electrode 3 is
0.5Vvs. 1.5 V vs. SCE or more. What is necessary is just to be in the range of SCE or less (SCE: saturated calomel electrode).
If the voltage is lower than 0.5 V, the bactericidal action is unlikely to occur. On the other hand, if the upper limit is 1.5 V, the sterilizing effect is sufficient, and if the applied voltage is higher than that, the device becomes complicated and the use conditions are restricted. If the applied voltage is within this range, the sterilization of the contact lens 1 is usually completed in about 20 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the container 2.

When bacteria contact the working electrode 3, the current flowing between the working electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 changes. That is, the current flowing between the working electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 differs depending on whether a large amount of bacteria is present in the water or not. Utilizing this characteristic, when the change in the current value between the working electrode 3 and the counter electrode 4 becomes constant, a means for detecting this and emitting one or both of sound and light is provided in the potential applying device 6. Thus, the user can be easily notified of the completion of the sterilization.

By using a three-electrode structure of the working electrode 3, the counter electrode 4, and the reference electrode 5 as in the first embodiment, the potential can be set with higher accuracy. Therefore, it was found that the time until the sterilization was completed could be made substantially constant. Here, as shown in the second embodiment of FIG. 2, even if the counter electrode 4 also serves as a reference electrode, the above sterilization treatment can be performed in the same manner. Such 2
With the electrode structure, the device can be made compact by simplifying the structure. In the second embodiment, the working electrode 3 is formed in a substantially L shape so that a wide electrode area can be secured even with a relatively small water level.

Further, the container 2 and the potential applying device 6 can have a separable structure as shown in FIG. 1 or an integral structure as shown in FIG. 2, as required. In the case where the contact lens can be separated, the contact lens can be sterilized using an appropriate container by bringing only the potential applying device 6 including each electrode even when going out.

[0020]

As described above, according to the sterilization apparatus for contact lenses of the present invention, the use of the electrochemical sterilization method eliminates the need for special chemicals whose availability is limited and can be used anywhere. The use of tap water alone can sterilize contact lenses in a very short time.
Therefore, simplification and cost reduction in sterilization of the contact lens can be achieved, and since the applied potential is small, the power consumption is small, the safety is high, and the device can be made more compact.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a contact lens sterilizing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram in a second embodiment of a contact lens sterilizer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact lens 2 Container 3 Working electrode 4 Counter electrode 5 Reference electrode 6 Potential applying device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A container capable of containing a contact lens and into which a liquid is injected, a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode provided in the container, and a potential application device connected to each of these electrodes. A sterilizing device for a contact lens, wherein a predetermined potential is applied to the working electrode to sterilize a liquid in the container and bacteria attached to the contact lens. 2. A container capable of containing a contact lens and into which a liquid is injected, a working electrode and a counter electrode disposed in the container, and a potential applying device connected to each of the electrodes. A sterilizing device for contact lenses, wherein a predetermined potential is applied to the working electrode to sterilize the liquid in the container and bacteria attached to the contact lens. 3. The electric potential applied to the working electrode is 0.5
Vvs. 1.5 V vs. SCE or more. The sterilization device for contact lenses according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sterilization device has an SCE or less. 4. The sterilizing apparatus for a contact lens according to claim 1, further comprising a sterilization completion notifying unit that emits at least a sound or a light when the sterilization is completed. 5. The sterilizing device for a contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the container and the potential applying device are integrated. 6. The contact lens sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the container and the potential applying device are separable.