Eyelid care appliance
First Claim
1. An eyelid care appliance for removing debris from glands of an eyelid margin of an eyelid, the appliance comprising:
- a power supply, a motor, a drive system that transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate a head receiver, motor controls, a proximity system, and a proximity annunciator contained in a housing, the housing positioned along a first axis of the eyelid care appliance, anda bristlehead that is detachably mated with the head receiver and protrudes from the housing along a second axis of the eyelid care appliance, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the bristlehead comprising a mount having a polygonal post configured to removably couple with a corresponding socket of the head receiver, the post and the socket oriented along the second axis, wherein friction between the post and the socket is configured to keep the bristlehead coupled to the head receiver during use, the bristlehead configured to access the glands of the eyelid, wherein the bristlehead oscillates around the second axis when the motor is powered on, wherein said oscillation comprises repeating circular rotation up to a first angular amount in a first direction around the second axis, and circular rotation up to a second angular amount in a second opposite direction around the second axis such that the bristlehead does not make a full revolution.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an improved eyelid care appliance and method of using such appliance for preventing and treating blepharitis and mammalian meibomian gland dysfunction caused by gland obstruction. The method and apparatus of the invention enable restoration and maintenance of eyelid hygiene and the natural flow of secretions from the meibomian glands. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises an oscillating spongehead affixed to the distal end of the eyelid care appliance that is equipped with a video camera, near field communications link, and a display, thereby enabling a user to “fly” the spongehead onto an eyelid margin for self-administered cleaning of the user'"'"'s eyelid margins. The spongehead can be impregnated with topical pharmacologic or cleansing agents to better facilitate cleaning and therapeutic efficacy.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An eyelid care appliance for removing debris from glands of an eyelid margin of an eyelid, the appliance comprising:
- a power supply, a motor, a drive system that transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate a head receiver, motor controls, a proximity system, and a proximity annunciator contained in a housing, the housing positioned along a first axis of the eyelid care appliance, and
a bristlehead that is detachably mated with the head receiver and protrudes from the housing along a second axis of the eyelid care appliance, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the bristlehead comprising a mount having a polygonal post configured to removably couple with a corresponding socket of the head receiver, the post and the socket oriented along the second axis, wherein friction between the post and the socket is configured to keep the bristlehead coupled to the head receiver during use, the bristlehead configured to access the glands of the eyelid, wherein the bristlehead oscillates around the second axis when the motor is powered on, wherein said oscillation comprises repeating circular rotation up to a first angular amount in a first direction around the second axis, and circular rotation up to a second angular amount in a second opposite direction around the second axis such that the bristlehead does not make a full revolution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- a power supply, a motor, a drive system that transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate a head receiver, motor controls, a proximity system, and a proximity annunciator contained in a housing, the housing positioned along a first axis of the eyelid care appliance, and
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18. A method for removing debris from glands of an eyelid margin of an eyelid with an eyelid care appliance, the appliance comprising a power supply, a motor, a drive system that transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate a head receiver, motor controls, a proximity system, and a proximity annunciator contained in a housing, the housing positioned along a first axis of the eyelid care appliance, and a bristlehead, the method comprising:
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detachably mating the bristlehead with the head receiver such that the bristlehead protrudes from the housing along a second axis of the eyelid care appliance, the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the bristlehead comprising a mount having a polygonal post configured to removably couple with a corresponding socket of the head receiver, the post and the socket oriented along the second axis, wherein friction between the post and the socket is configured to keep the bristlehead coupled to the head receiver during use; accessing the glands of the eyelid with the bristlehead; and oscillating the bristlehead about the second axis by powering the motor on with the motor controls, wherein said oscillation comprises repeating circular rotation up to a first angular amount in a first direction around the second axis, and circular rotation up to a second angular amount in a second opposite direction around the second axis such that the bristlehead does not make a full revolution. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification