METHOD & SYSTEM FOR TRACKING THE WEARABLE LIFE OF AN OPHTHALMIC PRODUCT

• US 20060267768A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anton Sabeta
• Original Assignee: Anton Sabeta
• Inventors: SABETA, ANTON
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere

Abstract

A method for tracking the wearable life of an ophthalmic product, the method comprising the steps of: providing the ophthalmic product with at least one data carrier for carrying data related to the ophthalmic product, the data carrier having a first device operable in a magnetic and/or electrical mode; providing an activation signal from an external means; activating the first device with the activation signal to cause the first device to emit the data in response to the activating signal; recording the time the first device is interrogated, processing the received data to determine the wearable life of the ophthalmic product based on the lapsed time.

Claims

1. A method for tracking the wearable life of an ophthalmic product, said method comprising the steps of:

providing said ophthalmic product with at least one data carrier for carrying data related to said ophthalmic product, said data carrier having a first device operable in a magnetic and/or electrical mode;

providing an activation signal from an external means;

activating said first device with said activation signal to cause said first device to emit the data in response to said activating signal;

recording the time the first device is interrogated;

processing said received data to determine the wearable life of said ophthalmic product based on the lapsed time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said ophthalmic product is a contact lens, intra-ocular lens, lens for eyeglasses.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first device is an RFID tag.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said external means comprises a second device for emitting said activating signal in an electric and/or magnetic mode, said second device including a transmitter and/or receiver, wherein said second device is included with any of the following:

an ophthalmic product container, a mobile device, a handheld device, a computing device, a standalone transceiver, a standalone transceiver coupled to a network, a standalone transceiver coupled to a computer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said data comprises any of the following:

SKU, unique ID, manufacturer, logo, material of manufacture, composition, lot. no., batch no., warehouse related data;

promotional material (rebate for next pair purchase or free trials), lens features and benefits data, health warnings, data on potential risk or complications, insurance coverage data, regulatory data, authenticity data, fitting details, lens type data, lens care or handling information, recommended usage information such as wear schedule, filling pharmacy, health professional information, time, an ophthalmic product user'"'"'s personal details, prescription information, right eye/left eye identification data, expiration data, URI.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said external means issues an advisory signal based on a predetermined time threshold related to the lapsed time and/or the expiration data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said advisory signal is provided visually or auditorily.

8. A system for tracking the wearable life of an ophthalmic product, the system comprising:

said ophthalmic product having an a data carrier for carrying data related to said ophthalmic product, said data including temporal data, said data carrier having a first device operable in a magnetic and/or electrical mode to emit said data and temporal data in response to activation by an activating signal applied by an external means;

said external means having receiving means for receiving said emitted data, counter means for recording the time of activation, and logic means for processing said received data to determine lapsed time between said temporal data and time of activation,

wherein the wearable life of an ophthalmic product is based on the lapsed time.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said ophthalmic product is a prescription contact lens, prescription lens for eyeglasses, or intra-ocular lens.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first device is an RFID tag.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said temporal data is the expiration date.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said external means includes a second device for emitting said activating signal in an electric and/or magnetic mode, said second device including a transmitter and/or receiver, wherein said second device is included with any of the following:

a contact lens container, a mobile device, a handheld device, a computing device, a standalone transceiver, a standalone transceiver coupled to a network, a standalone transceiver coupled to a computer.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said tracking is automatic.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said counter means is reset upon interrogation of the ophthalmic product not previously interrogated by said external means.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein an advisory signal is issued in relation to a predetermined time threshold.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said data carrier includes any of the following:

SKU, unique ID, manufacturer, logo, material of manufacture, composition, lot. no., batch no., warehouse related data;

promotional material (rebate for next pair purchase or free trials), lens features and benefits data, health warnings, data on potential risk or complications, insurance coverage data, regulatory data, authenticity data, fitting details, lens type data, lens care or handling information, recommended usage information such as wear schedule, filling pharmacy, health professional information, time, an ophthalmic product user'"'"'s personal details, prescription information, right eye/left eye identification data, expiration data, URI.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein a commercial transaction for the purpose of ordering or purchasing an ophthalmic product is conducted via said transceiver coupled to a network

18. The system of claim 17 wherein data related to the ophthalmic product and contemporaneous data related to the recording activation time forms historical data related to the use of the ophthalmic product, wherein said historical data is stored in a computer readable medium, and/or transmitted to via said transceiver coupled to a network to a third party.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said third party issues advisory signals to the ophthalmic product user or issues an ophthalmic product based on the historical data, and/or is initiates a transaction when the ophthalmic product based on the historical data.

20. A system for automatically tracking the wearable life of an ophthalmic product, the system comprising:

said ophthalmic product having an data carrier for carrying expiration data related to said ophthalmic product, said data carrier being operable in a magnetic and/or electrical mode;

a reader for interrogating said data carrier to acquire said expiration data;

a clock for tracking time;

a processor for determining wearable life of said ophthalmic product based on the clock time and the expiration data, and providing advisory signals based on said determination; and

at least one output means for outputting said advisory signals.