Reflective device and method for viewing one's own facial areas

A three mirror arrangement for an observer viewing himself from a direction offset from the line of sight and a method of so viewing with manipulation of a contact lens is disclosed. The mirrors may be held in a collapsible arrangement and the two mirrors generally facing the observer may be curved.

The present invention relates in general to the art of self observation by 
means of a plurality of mirrors, and it relates in particular to a new and 
improved system of mirrors which enables the observation of one's own eyes 
and adjacent facial areas as well as to a method of using a system of 
mirrors to observe one's own eyes during for example, the manipulation of 
an opthalmic contact lens in one's own eye. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Manipulation of contact lenses in the eyes during insertion of the lenses 
but more particularly during removal of the lenses requires considerable 
dexterity, and unless performed properly, can easily scratch and otherwise 
damage the external surface of the cornea or schlera. For example, the 
standard procedure recommended by eye care specialists for removing soft 
contact lenses from the eyes involves pulling down the lower eyelid with 
the middle finger, and looking up to elevate the pupil while 
simultaneously using one index finger to slide the lens downwardly off the 
cornea and onto the schlera portion of the eyeball. Then, while still 
looking up and holding the lower eyelid down the wearer must squeeze the 
opposite side edges of the lens between his thumb and index finger to 
cause the lens to buckle outwardly thereby to break the suction between 
the eye and the lens. The lens may then be removed with the index finger 
and thumb. This is a relatively difficult procedure when performed in 
front of a simple mirror inasmuch as the wearer's hand is necessarily 
within the line of sight of the eye and close to the eye, wherefor it 
causes the eyelids to blink in a reflex action. Moreover, since the normal 
effect of blinking is to cause the pupil to return to its central or 
straight ahead position, the chance of damage to the eyeball is 
accentuated. Although most people can train themselves in a matter of 
weeks to avoid blinking during this procedure, many persons can never do 
so, and moreover, reflex blinking with the concomitant danger of 
scratching the cornea and/or schlera is almost always a problem for 
persons who are learning to wear contact lenses. 
I have also found that reflex blinking which is occasioned by positioning 
one's hand or the like in proxmity to the eye and close to the line of 
sight thereof makes it difficult for many persons to apply eye cosmetics, 
such as masccara to the eyelashes and eye liner to the eyelids. While the 
possibility of eye damage is not so great as when manipulating lenses in 
the eyes, such uncontrolled blinking does present a serious inconvenience 
for many people. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly, there is provided in accordance with one aspect of the present 
invention a new and improved method of self observation of the eyes which 
facilitates the manipulation of contact lenses on the eyeball and which 
facilitates the application of cosmetics to the eyelids and closely 
adjacent facial areas. This method involves the use of three mirrors which 
are oriented relative to the eye in such a way that the eye is observed 
from a direction which is angularly displaced from the line of sight of 
the eye. When using this method to look at one's own eye, a contact lens 
can be easily manipulated with the fingers inasmuch as the fingers do not 
obstruct the line of sight of the eye, and reflex blinking does not occur. 
In like manner mascara and other eye makeup can easily be applied because 
the problem of uncontrolled blinking is alleviated. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a new 
and improved device including a plurality of mirrors arranged in a manner 
for use in carrying out the heretofore discussed method of self 
observation of the eyes and adjacent facial areas. This device is 
relatively small and compact, and thus portable, may be collapsible for 
convenient storage when not in use, may be positioned in proximity to the 
eyes of the user to minimize the effects of inherent visual impairments of 
the user such as myopia, and has a relatively large viewing area to permit 
the user to adjust the effective distance between the eyes and the area 
being viewed to accommodate for other inherent visual impairments such as 
hyperopia and to provide adequate room, for example, for positioning the 
fingers for manipulaton of a lens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an instrument for viewing the 
facial areas in the vicinity of one's own eyes is generally identified by 
the reference character 10 and includes a pair of body members 12 and 14 
which are hingedly connected together on a shaft 16. A detent type closure 
18 is provided between the body members 12 and 14 at the end opposite the 
shaft 16. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the instrument 10 is shown in the closed 
storage condition with the body members 12 and 14 snapped together. The 
body members 12 and 14 respectively include interfitting apertured lug 
portions 20 and 22 through which the shaft 16 extends and a pair of 
abutment surfaces 24 and 26 which precisely position the body members 12 
and 14 in predetermined angular relationship when the body members are 
fully opened with the abutting surfaces 24 and 26 in juxtaposed 
relationship. 
A mirror support plate 30 is mounted at an angularly adjustable position 
within the body member 12 by any suitable means such for example, as a 
ball and socket connector 32 and side brace members 33 which frictionally 
abut the side edges of the plate 30. A mirror 34 is mounted to the lower 
face of the mirror support plate 30 as viewed in FIG. 2 whereby its 
position is adjustably fixed within the body member 12. 
Fixedly mounted within the cover member 14 between a pair of upstanding 
ribs 36 and 38 is a mirror 40. A second mirror support platform 42 
carrying a mirror 44 between a pair of ribs 46 and 48 is hingedly mounted 
to the body member 14 on a shaft 50. More particularly, a plurality of 
integral lugs 52 are provided on the interior of the body member 14 
adjacent to the left hand end as viewed in FIG. 2 and are provided with 
aligned apertures through which the shaft 50 extends. The mirror support 
42 is provided with an elongated hole through which the shaft 50 extends. 
The rib 38 on the body member 14 and a lug portion 54 on the mirror 
support 42 hold the mirror 44 in displaced relationship from the mirror 40 
when the unit is in the collapsed condition. An interference fit is 
provided between the lugs 52 and the adjacent portion of the mirror 
support 42 so that the resiliency of the lugs 52 hold the mirror support 
in the set position as shown, for example, in FIG. 3. The mirror support 
42 is provided with an abutment shoulder 56 which in the fully open usable 
position of the instrument engages the inner end wall of the cover 14 to 
set the mirror 42 in the precise predetermined position relative to the 
mirrors 40 and 34 for the reasons described in greater detail hereinafter. 
In order to use the instrument 10 to observe one's own eyes and adjacent 
facial areas the body member 12 is opened so as to position the shoulder 
24 against the shoulder 26, and the body member 14 is positioned in the 
relatively upright position as illustrated in FIG. 3. With the mirror 
support 42 in the fully opened position, as also shown in FIG. 3, the 
entire device 10 is positioned relative to the eyes A of the user such 
that rays of light emanating from the lower portion of the schlera are 
reflected from the mirror 34 to the mirror 42 and are from there reflected 
to the mirror 40 to the pupil of the eye. By positioning the instrument 10 
somewhat above the straight ahead line of vision of the eye A the pupil is 
positioned at the top of the eye as required in the normal placement and 
removal of contact lenses therein and the eye is observed from an apparent 
position well below the eye. Preferably, the line of sight is displaced 
from the line of observation by an angle of between about 30.degree. and 
35.degree.. Consequently, when the fingers are placed in proximity to the 
eye for manipulating a contact lense or eye makeup applicator they are not 
in the direct line of vision of the eye and do not, therefore, cause the 
reflex blinking heretofore described. Although the fingers may and will 
normally be in the overall field of vision of the eye A i.e., in the path 
from the schlera to mirror 34, the other eye nevertheless sees the fingers 
and the lens or cosmetic applicator throughout the process. 
An important feature of the present invention is that the rays of light 
which are directed to the pupil of the eye A from the mirror 40 have been 
reflected at acute angles from each of the mirrors 34, 44 and 40. 
Consequently, the vertical field of vision is not appreciably 
foreshortened as would be the case if the reflective angles were obtuse 
angles. Also, the mirror 34 which initially collects the light from the 
eye A and adjacent facial areas is the largest, the mirror 44 being the 
second largest and the mirror 40 being the smallest. It will be understood 
that these mirrors all have the same width which may be approximately two 
and one-half inches which is sufficient to provide an adequate horizontal 
field of vision for observing one eye and its adjacent facial areas with 
the other eye. 
With reference to FIG. 5, I have found that assuming an average vertical 
field of view of ten degrees for the normal eye, a mirror 40 having a 
vertical dimension of about one and one-half inches, a mirror 44 having a 
front to rear dimension of about one and three quarter inches, and a 
mirror 34 having a front to rear dimension of about three inches provides 
a good proportional sizing of the mirrors to enable the normal user to 
position the instrument sufficiently far from the eye as to provide 
adequate space in which to place the hands for manipulation of lenses or 
eye makeup applicators. In this regard the mirrors 40 and 42 should be 
positioned at a relative included angle of about 58.degree. and the 
included angle between the planes of the mirrors 40 and 34 should be 
between 37.degree. and 42.degree.. It will be understood that these angles 
may be changed to some extent but the tests I have made to date indicate 
these are the optimum angles where a sufficiently large field of view of 
the eye and adjacent facial area is to be provided for the normal person. 
In order to enable the observation of a relatively large facial area with a 
relatively small instrument, either or both of the mirrors 34 and 40 can 
be concave magnifying mirrors. It must be understood, however, that the 
use of such magnifying mirrors will introduce some distortion, but for 
some applications this distortion may be acceptable This is the case, for 
example, where the instrument is to be used by persons having hyperopia. 
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an embodiment of the invention which 
incorporates means for facilitating the proper positioning of the 
instrument relative to the eye to be observed. As shown, a reference mark 
60 in the form of an X is provided near the bottom of the center of the 
mirror 34 and a loop 61 descends from the left hand side of the foreward 
edge of the mirror 44. A second reference mark 63 in the form of a dot is 
provided in the left hand upper corner of the mirror 40. 
In use, the mark 60 is placed about four inches from the nose of the user 
and using the left eye only, the mark 63 is lined up with the opening in 
the loop 61. With the instrument 10 thus located, the eye and adjacent 
facial areas will be observed in the manner described above. 
Again referring to FIG. 3, the purpose for providing limited angular 
adjustment of the mirror 34 is shown. As may there be seen, the angular 
position of the mirror 34 relative to the mirrors 40 and 44 may be changed 
to enable the distance between the eye and the mirror 34 to be changed to 
accommodate for acute myopia and hyperopia. The solid line position of the 
eye in FIG. 3 provides a focused image for a normal eye. The dotted line 
position of the eye provides a focused image for acutely nearsighted eyes. 
It will be seen from FIG. 3 that the line of sight and the direction of 
observation remain substantially the same as the angle of the mirror 34 is 
adjusted and the position of the eye is changed accordingly. 
The ball and socket connector 32 also enables the mirror 34 and its 
associated support plate 30 to be readily snapped out of the body member 
14 and replaced with a magnifying mirror where desired. 
While the present invention has been described in connection with 
particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in 
the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing 
from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is 
intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and 
modifications which come within the true spirit and scope of this 
invention.