Ophthalmologic drape and method

• US 5,213,114 A
• Filed: 10/25/1990
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul F. Bailey Jr
• Original Assignee: Paul F. Bailey Jr
• Inventors: Bailey, Paul F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US07/603,523
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 128/849-856, 128/20
• US Class Current: 128/849
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0231 for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/00 Surgical drapes

Abstract

A drape for eye examination and surgery is provided for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids. The drape includes a retainer, which in its preferred form is generally annular in shape. The retainer is insertable beneath the upper and lower eyelids and fits generally within the upper and lower palpebral sulci. A sheet of thin membrane material is attached to the retainer and extends peripherally outwardly from the retainer. When the retainer is in place on the eye, the sheet of membrane material covers the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids and simultaneously folds back the eyelashes. In the preferred embodiment of the drape the annular retainer is adjustable in size. Alternative shapes for the sheet of membrane material are disclosed. A method is also provided for installing and using the drape to cover the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids.

Claims

1. A drape for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball during examination and surgery, comprising:

an expanse of flexible sheet material having a central opening therein through which eye examination and surgery is conducted,

a retainer extending around said central opening and attached to said flexible sheet material for fitting beneath the upper and lower eyelids along the upper and lower palpebral sulci, said retainer being in the form of an elongated, curved member having ends which extend adjacent one another, the size of said retainer being adjustable by changing the relative positions of said ends of said curved member thereby changing the circumferential dimension of the retainer, wherein said expanse of flexible sheet material extends beneath and covers the underside of the eyelids when said retainer is in place beneath the upper and lower eyelids, such that said flexible sheet material projects the eyeball from contaminates on the underside of the eyelids, and

a positioning arm attached to said retainer adjacent one end of said curved member and extending radially outwardly therefrom beneath said flexible sheet material.

2. A drape for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball during examination and surgery, comprising:

a sheet of flexible material for covering portions of a body surface surrounding the eye, said sheet having a central opening therein through which eye examination and surgery is conducted, said flexible sheet material including a first annular region extending upward from said central opening to a section of said sheet material having a planar surface geometry, said first annular region including additional flexible sheet material for extending beneath and covering the underside of the eyelids and said section having a generally planar surface geometry being outside said first annular region, and

a retainer extending around said central opening and attached to said first annular region of said sheet material for fitting beneath the upper and lower eyelids along the upper and lower palpebral sulci, whereby said retainer holds said sheet material in place beneath the eyelids for spreading outwardly from the eyeball to cover the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids.

3. A drape for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball during examination and surgery, comprising:

retaining means insertable beneath the upper and lower eyelids for fitting generally within the upper and lower palpebral sulci, said retaining means being an elongated, curved member having ends which extend adjacent one another to form an expandable loop which is adjustable in length to change the size of said retaining means, the length of said retaining means being adjusted by changing the relative positions of said ends to change the circumferential dimension of said loop, and including means for locking the ends of the curved member in selected positions relative to one another whereby the size of said retaining means is selectively fixed,

an expanse of flexible sheet material surrounding said retaining means and attached thereto for completely covering the underside of the eyelids when said retaining means is in place beneath the upper and lower eyelids, whereby said flexible sheet material protects the eyeball from contamination originating on the interior surfaces of the eyelids, and

a positioning arm attached to said retaining means adjacent one end of said curved member and extending radially outwardly therefrom beneath said flexible sheet material.

4. A drape for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball during examination and surgery, comprising:

retaining means insertable beneath the upper and lower eyelids for fitting generally within the upper and lower palpebral sulci, said retaining means being annular in shape, and

an expanse of flexible sheet material surrounding said retaining means and attached thereto for completely covering the underside of the eyelids when said retaining means is in place beneath the upper and lower eyelids, whereby said flexible sheet material protects the eyeball from contamination originating on the interior surfaces of the eyelids, said flexible sheet material including a central opening and first annular region adjacent said central opening which includes additional flexible sheet material for extending beneath and covering the underside of the eyelids, said flexible sheet material further including a generally planar surface geometry outside said first annular region.

5. In eye examination and surgery, a method of draping an eye to protect the eyeball, comprising:

installing a retainer which is annular in shape and attached to a drape made of flexible sheet material which extends around the retainer such that the retainer surrounds the eyeball and fits beneath the eyelids generally along the upper and lower palpebral sulci, such that the drape completely covers the underside of the eyelids when the installing step is completed and the retainer is in place beneath the upper and lower eyelids, whereby the flexible sheet material protects the eyeball from contamination originating on the interior surfaces of the eyelids, and then

spreading the drape radially outwardly from the eye, thereby covering both the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids.

6. A method as in claim 5 in which the retainer of the drape is adjustable in size to change the circumferential length of the retainer, the step of installing the drape including inserting the retainer beneath the upper and lower eyelids while the retainer is sized smaller than its final adjusted size and then increasing the size of the retainer to ensure that the retainer fits snugly beneath the eyelids along the upper and lower palpebral sulci.

7. A method as in claim 6 in which the retainer is in the form of an elongated, curved member having ends which extend adjacent one another, further including locking means for locking the ends of the curved member in selected relative positions and including a positioning arm attached to the retainer adjacent one end of the curved member and extending outwardly therefrom, said step of increasing the size of the retainer includes holding the retainer in a selected position with the positioning arm, expanding the retainer by pulling the curved member near the end opposite said one end, and engaging said locking means when the retainer has reached the correct size.

8. A method as in claim 6 in which the retainer includes a positioning arm extending radially outwardly therefrom, said step of installing the drape further including positioning the drape around the eyeball with the positioning arm located generally over the outer canthus.

9. In eye examination and surgery, a method of covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball, comprising:

determining, for the eye to be examined, the approximate dimensions of an annular pathway extending around the eyeball, extending within the upper and lower palpebral sulci and extending over the inner and outer canthi,

selecting a drape having a central opening and an annular retainer attached to the drape along the edge of the central opening from a plurality of said drapes, each drape in the plurality of drapes having a retainer of a different size, wherein each drape is formed of flexible sheet material, and the drape selected in the selecting step has a retainer which generally corresponds in its dimension to the dimensions of the annular pathway,

installing the retainer attached to the selected drape beneath the upper and lower eyelids generally along the upper and lower palpebral sulci, and

spreading the drape radially outwardly from the eye, thereby covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids.