Eye dropper with light source

• US 4,515,295 A
• Filed: 09/06/1983
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: St Luke's Hospital
• Original Assignee: St Luke's Hospital
• Inventors: Dougherty, Delford O.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handren, Frederick R.
• Application Number:
  US06/529,357
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 222/113, 222/192, 222/420, 222/215, 604/294, 604/295, 604/300, 604/302, 604/20, 362/96, 362/198, 362/101, 362/190, 362/191, 362/200, 128/23
• US Class Current: 222/113
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00

Abstract

A device for illuminating an area immediate to the dispensing orifice of a compressible eye drop dispenser. A miniature light source is held in a fixed, predetermined relationship with respect to the dispenser and provides a collimated beam of light which projects onto, and illuminates, the dispensing orifice.

Claims

1. In combination, an eye drop dispenser including a compressible plastic container for the drops to be dispensed and an elongated, small diameter tubular dispensing member communicating with said container and having a dispensing orifice spaced therefrom,

and a device for illuminating said dispensing orifice, said device comprising:

(a) a body member,

(b) a self-contained energy source carried by said body member,

(c) a light source mounted to said body member at a position located away from said dispensing orifice to provide an unobstructed area along a major portion of said tubular dispensing member, said light source being capable of projecting a collimated beam of light,

(d) a switch carried by said body member, said switch being operable to selectively connect said energy source to said light source, and

(e) aligned surfaces forming a channel-way receiving said container to provide a stable orientation of said container with respect to said device while permitting shifting movement therebetween in a direction generally aligned with said tubular dispensing member.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein, said container is hand-held in said channel-way such that said container is slidable along said channel-way to align said beam with said orifice.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch is a mercury switch arranged on said body member so as to activate said light source when said device is in a drop dispensing orientation.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said body member includes resilient arm portions extending therefrom, said arm portions providing said aligned surfaces and surrounding at least a portion of said container to secure said container to said body member while allowing movement therebetween.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said light source is movably mounted to said body member.