Protective eye shield for surgical patients

A protective eye shield for patients during surgery comprises a flexible face mask, preferably soft, foamed plastic, for lying across the patient's brow or forehead, around the eyes and upper cheeks, and across the nose bridge, and having a pair of openings covered by transparent eye covers secured to the mask member, and a contact adhesive inner surface for securing the periphery of the mask to the face of the patient.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
During surgical procedures, especially where general anesthesia is used, 
the patient is often lying on his or her back, with the eyes and face 
exposed. The patient's eyelids may not be fully closed during the surgery, 
and, in a number of procedures, it is desirable to have the eyelids open 
in order to observe the eyes in monitoring the effects of anesthesia. 
However, it is not uncommon for the patient to sustain some eye injury 
during the surgery from the various apparatus and monitoring devices 
located near the head and back. The most common such injury is corneal 
abrasion, which may be painful, and, if not treated, may lead to serious 
eye infection and possible permanent corneal injury. The abrasive eye 
injury may be caused by instruments, fingers, arms, dressings, face masks, 
apparatus tubing or other materials inadvertently contacting the delicate 
surface of the eye. In other cases, various liquids utilized during 
surgery may inadvertently be dripped into the eyes, or blood may flow into 
the eyes, particularly during a tonsillectomy and the like, all of which 
may be very injurious or toxic to the delicate eye membranes. It is to the 
elimination of these problems that the present invention is directed, 
whereby the eyes are protected both from contact by abrasion causing 
materials as well as from liquids or other foreign objects which may 
contact the eye thereby causing injury. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, 
inexpensive, and disposable shield for use on patients during general 
anesthetic surgery. It is another object to provide an efficient eye 
shield which may be secured substantially entirely around the eyes whereby 
fluid drainage into the eyes is prevented. It is still another object to 
provide an eye shield having transparent eye covers through which the 
condition of the patient's eyes may be observed during a surgical 
procedure under general anesthesia. These objects are met by the device of 
the present invention, comprising a base member in the form of a flexible 
face mask which may be secured substantially entirely around the patient's 
eyes, across the forehead, temples, upper cheeks and nose bridge, and 
which includes transparent eye covers through which the patient's eyes may 
be observed, which covers are secured to the mask base. Such features of 
the device in achieving the aforesaid as well as other objects and further 
characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following 
detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As is shown in FIG. 1, the protective eye shield 10 of the invention 
comprises a face mask member 12 having two substantially identical 
opposite portions 13 and 17, respectively, joined by a bridge portion 11. 
The mask member acts as a base for the eye cover and has an opening 17 and 
18 directly over each eye. Preferably, at each end of the face mask member 
there are enlarged portions 14 and 15 for overlying the patient's temples 
as shown in FIG. 4. The mask is also preferably provided with a notch 16 
extending upwardly into bridge 11 between openings 18 and 19 and through 
which the upper portion of the patient's nose extends with the mask 
secured. The width of the notch is not so important nor is its length into 
the bridge so long as it provides sufficient space for the nose without 
rubbing or otherwise causing irritation. In a preferred mask, an enlarged 
upper portion 21 is provided to overlie a larger portion of the patient's 
forehead. Thus, the enlarged area affords more surface for being secured 
to the relatively smooth flat forehead above the eyebrows and nose bridge. 
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-section illustrating a preferred eye shield 
embodiment wherein the face mask member 12 comprises a flexible, soft, 
sponge-like material, such as foamed or expanded synthetic resins, which 
are soft and resilient. Particularly useful are the flexible polyurethane 
(polyether), polyethylene, and polystyrene foams. Such materials are 
lightweight, inexpensive, flexible, and relatively soft thereby providing 
excellent mask base material for being comfortably secured to a patient. 
One of the openings, 18, is shown between upper and lower mask portions 22 
and 24, respectively, which directly overlies the patient's eyes. 
Covering each opening 18 and 19 is a transparent cover 20 which may be 
secured in any suitable way to the mask member. For example, it may be 
bonded to the outer mask surface utilizing any suitable bonding technique, 
such as adhesive, or it may be similarly secured to the inner surface as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. For example, an adhesive or other bonding agent is 
used between the flange 28 and the inner (or outer) mask surface to secure 
the eye cover. The cover should preferably be convex in shape, protruding 
outwardly to allow room for movement of the patient's eyelids and 
eyelashes. The covers preferably comprise a thin, transparent plastic cup 
having a flange 28 therearound for being secured to the mask surface as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. 
In the embodiment shown, a tape 31 is optionally used around the edge of 
the eye cover 20. The tape is secured around the periphery of the flange 
28 and to the inner mask surface thus overlying the cup edge. The purpose 
of the tape is to prevent a sharp surface of the eye cover from being 
exposed to the patient. This is particularly advantageous should the cover 
become cracked or split at the cup edge thereby presenting a sharp corner 
of material which could cause injury to the skin or eyes of the patient. 
The tape would prevent such injury as well as further securing the eye 
cover to the mask. The tape may, but need not be transparent and 
preferably has a contact adhesive on both surfaces for bonding it to the 
mask and to the patient. 
The type of plastic used for the transparent covers is preferably somewhat 
hard or rigid. Flexibility is not a requirement where the cup is of a 
design as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Instead, some rigidity is important so 
that the cup is able to withstand pressure from materials or the like 
which may fall on the mask during the surgical procedure. Preferred 
materials are the cellulosics such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate 
butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, polypropylene, polyethylene, and 
polyvinyl chloride. Acrylic resins such as Lucite or Plexiglas may be used 
as may any plastic which is transparent or translucent and lightweight, 
and rigid enough to withstand at least moderate pressure without 
collapsing. 
Again, observing FIG. 4, the face mask member is designed to be secured to 
the patient's face, substantially entirely around the patient's eyes, 
including the forehead or brow, temples, and nose bridge. For this 
purpose, it is necessary to utilize a means for securing the shield to the 
patient's face. Most suitably, a contact adhesive is coated on inner 
surface 26 of the flexible face mask member 12, at least around the 
periphery so as to fully secure the mask to the patient's face by applying 
slight pressure. Alternatively, an adhesive backed tape may be applied to 
the mask surface. With the contact adhesive around the periphery of the 
inner surface of the mask, it will be secured to prevent liquid from 
leaking between the skin and mask and into the eye. However, even more 
preferably, the adhesive is present entirely around the inner surface of 
the mask member so that any areas of contact with the skin will cause the 
mask to adhere thereto, thereby even further positively securing the 
device to the patient's face and avoiding problems of liquid entry. Any 
contact adhesive may be used on the inner mask surface, preferably an FDA 
approved medical grade adhesive. The adhesive may be in the form of a 
composition applied to the mask surface or a layer of skin of tape having 
adhesive on both sides. 
Another mask embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the front of the 
mask comprises a transparent sheet secured to the mask base. Transparent 
sheet 25, shown peeled back for the purpose of illustration, is bonded to 
the exterior surface of the flexible foam base member 12 and which sheet 
includes integral eye covers 27 and 29. In such an embodiment the eye 
covers are convex protruberances or cups formed in the transparent plastic 
sheet 25 made of one of the previously mentioned eye cup materials. 
However, in this form, the transparent plastic sheet should be a material 
flexible enough so that the mask can be formed to the patient's face 
including the temples at the enlarged end areas 14 as illustrated in FIG. 
4. If the transparent plastic sheet were too rigid, although the mask and 
sheet may be pre-formed to generally fit over the areas of the patient's 
face, there may be problems in keeping the enlarged end portions 14 and 15 
secured against the patient's temples. Thus, a plastic sheet having a 
significant "memory" property may be used if it is subjected to a 
pre-forming or molding process with the end areas angled to lie flat 
against the temples. FIG. 3 further shows the inner surface 26 which is 
coated with a contact adhesive and covered with a protective liner 28 to 
prevent drying or other deterioration of the adhesive prior to use. The 
liner will normally be peeled off immediately before the shield is secured 
on a patient. For this purpose, a paper or similar material treated so as 
to be easily removed from the adhesive without otherwise deteriorating the 
adhesive properties is used. 
FIG. 5 illustrates still another embodiment of an eye shield of the 
invention. In the device shown, there are a pair of eye cover members 30 
and 32, joined by a bridge member 36, the latter being a ductile or 
malleable material such as aluminum or a similar soft metal or alloy. The 
cover members 30 and 32 are preferably a flexible foamed plastic each 
having an opening over which are secured transparent cups 37 and 39, as 
previously described. Again, these transparent cups may be secured in any 
suitable way, either to the interior or exterior surfaces of the eye cover 
members 30 and 32 as previously described. These cover members also 
include enlarged sections 34 and 35 for being secured to and overlying the 
temples of the patient as previously described. The interior surface of 
the covers are also coated with the contact adhesive for securing the 
device to the patient's face. 
The malleable or ductile bridge member 36 may be formed to any desired 
shape to fit a particular patient. The device is simply placed on the 
patient's face and the bridge formed by use of one's fingers to either 
flatten or bow the bridge to achieve the desired space and separation 
between the cover members. The bridge 36 may be secured to the cover 
members by the use of enlarged tabs or nipples 38 which are integral with 
and part of the cover members and extend through small openings at each 
end of the bridge. Other alternative means for securing the bridge to 
these cover members such as rivets or adhesives and the like may be used. 
In using the eye shield and regardless of the embodiment used, the surgeon 
or anesthesiologist simply first peels off the protective lining covering 
the inner adhesive surface and places the eye shield on the patient's 
face, centering it properly so that the nose extends through the notch and 
the openings and eye covers are properly located over the patient's eyes. 
Light pressure is then exerted around the exterior surface of the eye 
shield, by pressing the soft, flexible foam mask member against the 
patient's forehead, around the eyes, temples and nose bridge so that it is 
firmly secured. The device remains on the patient during the surgery and 
thereafter is simply peeled off and discarded. Naturally, the adhesive 
used on the inner surface of the mask for securing it to the patient's 
face must properly prevent any substantial openings therebetween through 
which fluid could leak into the patient's eyes, but should not be so tacky 
or stiff as to be difficult to remove. If the adhesive is too sticky or 
tacky, it may pull eyebrows and skin and otherwise cause discomfort to the 
patient during removal which is not satisfactory. 
The limitations described herein as well as other embodiments and 
modifications of the eye shield within the purview of the invention will 
be evident to those skilled in the art.