Patent ID: 9724230
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A61F,A61H,A61M

Claim:
1. A treatment assembly for dry eye syndrome, comprising: an upper strip configured to adhere to an underlying region of skin of an upper eyelid of a subject such that the treatment assembly is configured to allow for the subject to blink naturally without restriction from the upper strip, wherein the upper strip has an upper curved or arcuate periphery which is configured to extend and follow a superior border of the meibomian glands of the upper eyelid and a lower periphery which is configured to extend and follow a free margin of the upper eyelid such that an outer boundary of the upper strip is configured to be contained by an underlying tarsal plate of the upper eyelid; a lower strip configured to adhere to an underlying region of skin of a lower eyelid of the subject, wherein the lower strip has an upper periphery which is configured to extend and follow a free margin of the lower eyelid and a lower curved or arcuate periphery which is shaped to extend and follow an inferior border of one or more meibomian glands of the lower eyelid such that an outer boundary of the lower strip is configured to be contained by an underlying tarsal plate of the lower eyelid; and a controller in communication with the upper and lower strips, wherein the controller is programmed to control one or more parameters of the treatment assembly, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one heating parameter, wherein the upper and lower strips each has a thickness of up to 3.175 mm, wherein the upper and lower strips each further comprise a heating mechanism configured to be in thermal communication with the respective regions of skin of the upper eyelid and of the lower eyelid and is configured to emit thermal energy to the underlying regions of skin while the subject is unhindered from blinking during a heat treatment, and wherein the heating mechanism of the upper strip substantially extends the entire length of the upper strip and the heating mechanism of the lower strip substantially extends the entire length of the lower strip such that at least a portion of the heating mechanism of the upper strip is configured to follow the superior border of the meibomian glands of the upper eyelid and at least a portion of the heating mechanism of the lower strip is configured to follow the inferior border of the one or more meibomian glands of the lower eyelid.