Improvements in and relating to Instruments for Treating and Operating on the Eyes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
Improvements in and relating to Instruments for Treating and
Operating on the Eyes.
I, JAMES BAINBRIDGE, of 18 Helen Street, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
<<
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to instruments for
treating and operating on the eyes, with the object of causing by what is known as
dry cupping" a proper amount of blood to circulate through the eyes, and restore
the diminished convexity of the cornea of the eyes, and thus cure long-sightedness,
dimness of vision, weakness of sight, short-sightedness and other diseases of the eyes.
And which instruments will be a great improvement over the ivory cup and india-
rubber ball appliances heretofore in use, as the suction, tension, and pressure equally
on both eyes can be regulated to the extent desired, while the cup attachments can be
placed on the cornea of the eyes in a more equal and reliable manner.
According to my invention I use two cups, of hollow conoidal or cylindrical shape,
with plain edges, or curved at their outer edges concavely to the convex shape of
the eye, and made of ivory, wood, vulcanite, horn, or other material, and I joint or
connect to the hollow stems of these, the ends of flexible tubes preferably of india-
rubber, and joint or connect the other ends of these flexible tubes to the duplex
branches of a central hollow or tubular mouthpiece, or the two flexible tubes might be
joined to one tube, provided with a mouth-piece.
The instrument thus formed, is used as follows;-the mouth-piece is placed in the
mouth, and the outer open edges of the hollow cups are placed air-tight over the eyes
to be dry cupped, and the person sucks the mouth-piece, the suction of which,
through the flexible tubes, will remove the air from the cups and cause a partial
vacuum and retain the cups on the eyes, and draw the cornea of the eye to the
proper convex or spherical form and feeling of comfort by the person, the tongue
acting as a valve on the end of mouthpiece to retain the suction. When desired
the new or improved instrument can be made for operating only on one eye at a time;
by using only one hollow eye-cup attached to a flexible tube with a mouth-piece
on the other end of tube.

page_text: The cups would be formed with stems and grooves for shipping into the flexible
tubes, and have a metallic conoidal ferrule for fitting over this to make it perfectly
tight, which ferrule might be engraved or ornamented.
When concave wood buttons are attached within the hollow cups by a light spiral
or coiled wire spring, by a further improvement of my invention the spring is guided
by being placed within a vertical tube or socket in the centre of the cup, and which
will keep the button attached to the upper end of spring always in position in the
centre of the cup to press truly and gently on the cornea of the eye, and shape it
to the desired convexity to suit more especially short sighted people.
In some cases, instead of mounting the concave button within the cup on the light
spiral spring, by a further improvement be mounted over a hollow central small
rubber or flexible close air tube or bag within the cup, that would press out and
lengthen light bent springs or toggle links, which would gently press out the button
against the cornea of the eye, proportionate to the suction within the cups and
sustainable with comfort by the patients exerting it themselves.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Instruments for Treating and
Operating on the Eyes.
I, JAMES BAINBRIDGE, of 18 Helen Street, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Shoot of Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to improvements in and relating to instruments for
treating and operating on the eyes, with the object of causing by what is known
as "dry cupping" a proper amount of blood to circulate through the eyes, and
rostore the diminished or propor convexity of the cornea of the eyes, and thus cure
long-sightedness, dimness of vision, weakness of sight, short-sightedness and other
diseases of the eyes. And which instruments will be a great improvement over the
ivory cup and india rubber ball appliances heretofore in use, as the suction, tension,
and pressure equally on both eyes can be regulated to the extent desired, while the
cup attachments can be placed on the cornea of the eyes in a more equal and reliable
manner.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended an
explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to indicato
corresponding parts in all the Figures where shown. Figure 1 is a perspective view
showing the new or improved instrument as applied to the eyes of a man for treating
and operating on same. Figure 2 is a sectional view of one construction of the
instruinent as suitable for restoring the cornea of the eye to its greater convexity
when flattened by age or weakness of the eye. While Figure 3 is a corresponding
view of the instrument as more suitable for treating and operating on short-sighted
people, for flattening the cornea of the eyes to make them more long sighted, and in
which spiral springs and curved buttons are used to press on the cornea of the eyes,
the springs being steadied by my improvements within a vertical tube or socket.
And Figure is a view showing a simpler and more inexpensive form of the
instrument shown in Figure 2.
Referring to these Drawings, according to my invention I use two cups A A, of
hollow conoidal or cylindrical shape, with plain or rounded and circular edges, to suit
the shape of the eye and made of ivory, wood, vulcanite, horn, or other equivalent
material, and I joint or connect to the perforated stems A' of these, the ends of
flexible tubes B B preferably of vulcanized india rubber, and joint or connect the
other ends of these flexible tubes B, as shown in Figure 4 to the duplex branches B' B¹
of a central hollow or tubular mouth-piece B³, or the two flexible tubes B might be
formed into or joined to one tube B", provided with a mouth-piece B', as shown in
Figures 1 to 3, in which is shown an enlarged or bag part at B³ for storing up
pressure of air or assisting the vacuum caused by the suction of the mouth within the
tubes to operate on the eyes as hereinafter described.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 4, the instrument thus formed, is used as follows:-
the mouth-piece B is placed in the mouth, and the outer open edges of the hollow
cups A A, are placed air-tight over the eyes to be dry cupped, and the person sucks

page_text: the mouthpiece B2, the suction of which, through the flexible tubes B B, will remove
the air from the cups and cause a partial vacuum and retain the cups on the eyes,
and draw the cornea of the eye to the proper convex or spherical form within the
cups A to any desired extent and feeling of comfort by the person, the tongue acting
as a valve on the end of mouth-piece B, to retain the suction or partial vacuum
within the cups and tubes A, B. When desired the new or improved instrument
can be made for operating only on one eye at a time by using only one hollow
eye-cup A, attached to one flexible tube B, with one mouth-piece B3 on the other end
of the tube B.
The cups A A are formed with stems and grooves at A' and corresponding stems B
are formed on the mouth-piece B2 for being inserted into the ends of the flexible
tubes B, and may have a metallic conoidal ferrule b for- fitting over these, to make
same perfectly tight, which ferrule might be engraved or ornamented.
When concave wood buttons A" are attached within the hollow cups A as shown
in Figure 3 by a light spiral or coiled wire spring A³, by a further improvement of
my invention the spring is guided by being placed within a vertical tube or socket A³,
in the centre of the cup A, and which will keep the button A", attached to the
upper end of spring A² always in position in the centre of the cup A to press
truly and gently on the cornea of the eye to the pressure of the spring and slightly
flatten or shape it to the desired convexity to suit more especially for short sighted
people to correct the focus of their eyes.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the fingers and thumb, pressing on opposite sides of
the bag B, when the end of the mouth-piece B' is sealed by the tongue after sucking
it, enables the person to regulate the pressure or vacuum within the caps A and
tubes B, and action on the eye to the greatest nicety-and feeling by the instrument,
although this may be done by the suction of the mouth alone in the same way as in
the simple form of the instrument shown in Figure 4..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the-same is to be perforined 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of instruments
for treating and operating on the eyes, substantially as and for the advantages herein
described and distinguished in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The constructing of instruments for treating and operating on the eyes,
with two eye cups and connecting tubes attached to one suction mouth-piece, sub-
stantially as and for the advantages herein described and distinguished in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The constructing of instruments for treating and operating on the eyes
provided with guide tubes or stems for the spiral springs which press the buttons
against the cornea of the eye or eyes, substantially as and for the advantages herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The constructing of instruments for treating or operating on the eye,
with one eye-cup, flexible tube and mouth-piece, substantially as and for the
advantages herein set forth.