Abstract:
This invention discloses methods and apparatus for providing a variable optic insert into an ophthalmic lens. An energy source is capable of powering the variable optic insert included within the ophthalmic lens. In some embodiments, an ophthalmic lens is cast molded from a silicone hydrogel.

Description:
FIELD OF USE 
       [0001]    This invention describes a device for dispensing liquids or mists into the eye, and, more specifically, in some embodiments, a device that dispenses a spray or mist into the eye based upon detection of a blink. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It has been known to dispense a liquid or a mist into an eye using many different devices. However, although many devices result with a liquid entering the eye, the experience of getting the liquid into the eye is generally less than satisfactory. 
         [0003]    Devices for self dispensing liquids typically require that a user hold the eyelids open to fight the blink reflex. This contention inhibits easy application of the desired fluids. Some automated devices pull down on one lid, or encapsulate the eye area to stop the lids from closing. This touch is damaging to makeup, and can lead to contamination of the device and the liquid entering the eye. 
         [0004]    The dose from the system should consistently, without great user effort, dispense into the user&#39;s eye, not upon the eyelid or other part of the users face, and optimally should not touch the face in a manner that damages makeup or contaminates the device. 
         [0005]    Some dispensing devices simulate a ‘gun’ and shoot a fluid in at the eye at a rate calculated to beat the blink reflex, however the speed and impact of the fluid seem to induce discomfort in the patient. 
         [0006]    Other devices force the lids open in different manners through touching the cheek below the lid, and the eyebrow range above the upper lid, then spray the fluid into the eye. This forcing open of the lids is uncomfortable, and the unit itself becomes large and unwieldy. Any makeup worn by the consumer is smudged during the process and sometimes contaminates the dispenser and/or the dispensed liquid. 
         [0007]    Misting of fluid over the entire eye or even the facial area is also feasible, but wets not only the eye, but undesirable surfaces such as the eyelid, forehead, and nose. Application of liquid to the eyelid is declared to also wet the eye by flowing into the eye, but results from this method are mixed, and the wetting of the lid itself is typically undesirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Accordingly, the present invention includes a device and methods for accurately and cleanly dispensing a liquid or mist into an eye. The present invention automatically senses a blink and dispenses the liquid in a timely fashion following the blink to allow the liquid to enter the eye before the eye may blink again. By using the window just after the blink, the present invention consistently provides enough time to dispense in to the eye and also dispense at a rate which is adequately slow application of fluid into the eye to maintain the inertial impact of the fluid on the eye at a comfortable level. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a dispensing device sensing a closed eye according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a dispensing device sensing an open eye according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates an eye with an alignment apparatus. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary apparatus for sensing a state of an open or closed eye. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates a controller that may be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention includes a device for dispensing a liquid or a mist into an eye. The device for dispensing a liquid or a mist into an eye includes a detection method to determine when a blink has been completed. Dispensing is timed to an interval based upon a determination of when an eye into which the liquid will be dispensed opens and closes, such as, for example, in a consciously induced eye blink or a natural eye blink. The blink is utilized to determine whether an eye is known to be open whereby a liquid can be dispensed before the patient closes the eye. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments the device includes features to minimize the need for facial contact during liquid application. Additional embodiments include alignment features to assure proper alignment of the device to the eye. For example, in some embodiments, the dispensing device includes protrusions that rest on the eyebrow, and have a small diameter hole for the user to look through. When the user is able to see through the hole, proper alignment has been achieved). 
         [0016]    Once the device is properly aligned with an eye, opening and closing of the eye is automatically determined by a sensor. A dispensing apparatus in logical communication with the sensor is programmed to dispense a liquid or mist into the eye according to the timing of an open cycle of a blink. The alignment process coupled with the blink detection eliminates the need for holding the lids open, touching the face, or contamination associated with regular facial touch. In addition, by dispensing based upon an opening motion of an eyelid, a dispenser according to the present invention, consistently wets the eye without wetting the eyelid or surrounding face. 
         [0017]    In the following sections detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention will be given. The description of both preferred and alternative embodiments are exemplary embodiments only, and it is understood that to those skilled in the art that variations, modifications and alterations may be apparent. It is therefore to be understood that said exemplary embodiments do not limit the scope of the underlying invention. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a liquid dispensing device  100  includes one or more electronic sensors  101  capable of sensing an open state or a closed state of an eye  105 . In some embodiments, the one or more sensors  101  include an emitter  102  and a detector  103 . The emitter  102  emits a beam  106  which reflects off of a reflecting point  104  and back to the detector  103 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the reflecting point  104  is on the eyelid  107  of the eye. The beam  106  may include, for example one or more of: infra red light, visible light, ultrasonic wavelengths, or other wavelengths. 
         [0019]    A processor,  109  may receive input from one or both of the emitter and the emitter  102  and the detector  103 . Executable software may cause the processor to be functional to calculate an amount of reflection of the beam  106 . The software may be stored in a digital storage that is in logical communication with the processor. In some embodiments, the storage may be inherent with a microcontroller including the processor. A first range of an amount of reflection may correlate with a closed eye state, and a second amount of reflection may correlate with an open eye state. 
         [0020]    In another aspect, a proximity sensor  108  may also include an emitter and a detector, and may be positioned such that a reflected beam may be used for the processor  109  to determine a relative distance between the liquid dispensing device  100  and a surface, such as the surface of an eye  105 . 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , an open eye  105  provides for a reflecting point  104  on an open portion  203  of the eye  105 , as opposed to the eyelid  107 . The open portion of the eye  203  can include, for example, reflection of off the sclera or other portion of the eye. In some embodiments, a wavelength of an emitted beam is correlated with physical characteristics of the reflecting point  104 . Reflection of the emitter beam  106  off of the eyelid will reflect back with a first set of reflection characteristics and reflection off of the open portion of the eye  203  with a second set of reflection characteristics. The reflection characteristics will be sensed by the detector  103 . 
         [0022]    In another aspect, of the present invention, alignment of the eye  105  with the liquid dispensing device  100  may be facilitated by a focal point of the emitter  102  being aligned with a predetermined portion of the eye, such as, for example: the sclera, iris, and pupil of the eye. Alignment can be accomplished, for example, via a line of sight  201 . In some embodiments, when a pupil  202  is aligned with the line of sight  201 , the sensor  101  is also properly aligned to sense an open state and a closed state of the eye  105 . For example, in some embodiments, a device body includes the sensor  101  and dispenser such that when a patient aligns to a tubular cutout in the body which forms the line of sight  201  in the dispensing device, a position of the liquid dispensing device  100  creates a coaxial alignment between the line of sight and the center of the tube. The alignment establishes an angular and X-Y location of the pupil relative to the dispensing device  100 . 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, a line of sight can be combined with a positioning device which includes one or more alignment legs which press against the face and/or forehead. 
         [0024]    In addition, in some embodiments, an audible signaling device may be included within a sensor or I electrical communication with the sensor. When the sensor measures a distance of the device from the eye the audible signaling device may signal (perhaps by click, tone, sound, or vibration,) that it is within an acceptable Z positional range from the eye for an optimal dose. It is expected that this range will be relatively wide (in the 2-5 mm range) so any of the sensors noted above as able to detect the blink could also be used to detect a distance from the eye to the dispensing device  100 . 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a dispensing nozzle  301  will dispense a liquid via sprays  302  or mist (not illustrated) when the sensor  101  senses that the eye  105  is in an open state. The open state is determined by the nature of the beam  106  sensed by the detector  103 . Preferred embodiments, dispense a liquid spray  302  based upon timing that indicates that the eyelid  107  is involved in an opening cycle. Dispensing sprays  302  during an opening cycle of an eye can be accomplished such that the patient cannot physically blink to close the eye before the liquid is dispensed. The spray may be a liquid stream or a mist. 
         [0026]    In another aspect, a liquid spray  302  may be dispensed based upon a range of distance of the proximity sensor from the eye  105 . 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an example of a sensing device used to detect an open state and a closed state of an eyelid is illustrated. During laboratory tests, the exemplary sensor  301  was connected to an oscilloscope (not shown) and positioned proximate to the eye. In some experiments, the sensor was positioned approximately 6 millimeters from the eye. The oscilloscope recorded that that the sensor  301  successfully provided a logic signal indicating that the sensor  301  accurately detected an open state versus a closed state of an eye. The detector  401  included an emitter  402  and a detector  403 . The sensor accurately detected transition from a first state of an eye, such as an open eyelid state to a second state of an eye, such as a closed eyelid state. 
         [0028]    According to the present invention, the detector  401  is placed in logical communication with an automated dispensing unit capable of dispensing a predetermined amount of a liquid into the eye. Dispensing units are currently known and available which can receive an electrical signal based upon the logic of a sensing device  101  and activates the dispensing of a dose of liquid into an eye positioned proximate to the dispensing unit. For example, an automated dispenser may include an electrically powered pump which dispenses a pulsatile liquid dose of a medicament into an eye. The electrically powered pump will respond quickly enough to allow a pulsatile dose to enter the eye before the eye can respond to the entry of the liquid into the eye. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 5  a controller  500  is illustrated that may be used in some embodiments of the present invention. The controller  600  includes a processor  610 , which may include one or more processor components coupled to a communication device  620 . In some embodiments, a controller  600  can be used to receive a logical indication that an eye is in a first state or a second state and transmit energy to liquid dispenser at a time appropriate to dispense a liquid or mist into the eye, based upon the transition from a first state to a second state. 
         [0030]    The controller can include one or more processors, coupled to a communication device configured to communicate energy via a communication channel. The communication device may be used to electronically control, for example, one or more of: timing of liquid dispensing; an amount of liquid dispensed; duration of a dispensing motion, tracking a number of dispensing actions, tracking chronological dispensing patterns or other actions related to the dispensing. 
         [0031]    The processor  410  is also in communication with a storage device  630 . The storage device  430  may comprise any appropriate information storage device, including combinations of magnetic storage devices (e.g., magnetic tape and hard disk drives), optical storage devices, and/or semiconductor memory devices such as Random Access Memory (RAM) devices and Read Only Memory (ROM) devices. 
         [0032]    The storage device  430  can store a program  440  for controlling the processor  410 . The processor  410  performs instructions of the program  440 , and thereby operates in accordance with the present invention. For example, the processor  410  may receive information descriptive of liquid to be dispensed, dispensing amounts, dispensing patterns, and the like. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0033]    The present invention, as described above and as further defined by the claims below, provides methods of providing a liquid dispenser with blink detecting mechanisms.