Apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing soft contact lenses

• US 4,582,076 A
• Filed: 04/20/1984
• Issued: 04/15/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jacques E. Prat
• Original Assignee: Jacques E. Prat
• Inventors: Prat, Jacques E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US06/602,512
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 422/300, 422/301, 422/307, 422/38, 422/116, 134/56 R, 134/57 R, 134/59, 134/95, 134/105, 134/107, 134/113, 134/140, 134/143, 134/157, 134/158, 134/159, 134/162
• US Class Current: 134/57.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 12/04 Heat A61L12/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 13/008 Devices specially adapted for cleaning contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2200/02 Magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/901 Contact lens

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing soft contact lenses comprises a disinfection unit and a control unit. The disinfection unit comprises a receptacle for selectively containing a cleaning liquid and a sterilizing liquid, and a lens holder having perforate lens compartments. The lens holder is removably mounted in the receptacle and rotatable therein. The rotation of the lens holder effects enhanced cleansing action by turbulent flow of the cleaning liquid over the lenses. A heater is preferably mounted on the control unit in intimate heat transfer relation with the disinfection unit when the units are secured together (e.g. with permanent magnets) for heating the sterilizing liquid in the receptacle. The control unit controls the heater for providing alternating high temperature periods (not greater than about 60° C.) and lower temperature periods for sterilizing the cleaned lenses.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleaning and hot sterilizing hydrophilic, soft contact lenses comprising a first, disinfection unit including a receptacle adapted to be at least partly filled with a disinfecting liquid, a lens holder for accommodating two contact lenses, means for removably mounting said lens holder inside said receptacle, means for providing communication between liquid in said receptable and lenses accommodated in said lens holder, means for rotatably mounting said lens holder in said receptacle, means for rotating said lens holder in said receptacle for effecting cleansing action by turbulent flow of the disinfecting liquid over the lenses, means for heating the disinfecting liquid inside receptacle for hot sterilizing the lenses after cleaning, and a second, control unit for controlling said means for heating the disinfecting liquid for providing a series of alternating high temperature (not greater than about 60°

C.) and low temperature periods.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle is selectively adapted to be at least partly filled with and emptied of a rinsing liquid.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said lens holder comprises two compartments for accommodating the respective lens, said lens compartments being disposed radially offset relative to the axis about which said lens holder is adapted to be rotated for enhancing the cleansing action between the cleaning liquid on the lenses in said compartments.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for rotatably mounting said lens holder comprises bearing means, said lens holder having a shaft member journaled in said bearing means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said compartments are longitudinally spaced along said lens holder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said compartments each comprise a bottom and a cover hinged relative to said bottom, said means providing communication between liquid in said receptacle and lenses accommodated in said lens holder comprising perforations in said bottoms and said covers for effecting the cleansing action.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens holder comprises a shaft member at each end, said means for rotatably mounting said lens holder comprising a bearing in an endwall of said receptacle and another bearing in a removable plug adapted to be received in the other end of said receptacle.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said plug and other end of said receptacle are complementarily threaded for threaded engagement.

9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens holder is of one-piece molded plastic construction comprising shaft members at each end, a transverse spacer between each shaft member and an adjacent ones of said compartments, and another transverse spacer between said compartments.

10. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said lens holder is of one-piece molded plastic construction comprising shaft members at each end, a transverse spacer between each shaft member and an adjacent ones of said compartments, another transverse spacer between said compartments, each of said compartments having a bottom and a cover hinged to its respective bottom, the bottoms of said compartments interconnect said spacers, and the hinged cover of each of said compartments is adapted to be pivoted from an open position generally in the same plane as its associated bottom and a closed position overlying the associated bottom and extending between adjacent ones of said spacers.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the disinfecting liquid selectively comprises a cleaning liquid and a sterilizing liquid for respectively cleaning and sterilizing the lenses.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for heating is mounted in said control unit and arranged to be in direct heat transfer relation with said desinfection unit.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, and means for releasably securing said disinfection unit and said control unit together.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said disinfection unit comprises at least one temperature sensor adapted to be connected to control means of said control unit when said disinfection unit and said control unit are in operative engagement.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said means for releasably securing said disinfection unit and said control unit together comprise a permanent magnet affixed to one of said units and magnetizable material affixed to the other of said units.

16. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said receptacle has a base, said base being shaped to receive the configuration of said means for heating protruding from an adjacent portion of said control unit when said disinfection unit and said control are in operative engagement.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said lens holder has means for determining the correct position of said compartments relative to said control unit for sterilizing lens in said compartments.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle has an endwall adapted to support said receptacle for filling the same and a base for supporting said receptable in its operative position.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said lens holder comprises a micro motor, said micro motor being selectively operative for continuous and alternating operation.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises control means including an on-off switch, a sound alarm, a timer, a temperature sensing means, a control switch for fast or moderate sterilization, and switch means for controlling said means for rotating said lens holder.