Eye treatment method and apparatus

• US 6,083,251 A
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kohei Shindo
• Original Assignee: Kohei Shindo
• Inventors: Shindo, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US09/190,928
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 607/53, 607/59, 607/139, 607/140, 607/141, 607/63
• US Class Current: 607/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye

Abstract

An eye treatment method and apparatus. The method including fitting a pair of electrodes to the temples around both the eyeballs. The temples are electrically stimulated by repeatedly imposing low-frequency signals having an output level that gradually increases from a substantial zero level and returns to the substantial zero level directly after reaching a maximum level each prescribed time on the electrodes. The apparatus includes a low-frequency signal generating means for generating low-frequency signals for electrically stimulating the ciliary muscle. Output control means is provided for causing the low-frequency signal generating means to repeatedly output the low-frequency signals in an output mode in which an output level gradually increases from the substantial zero level and returns to the substantial zero level directly after reaching the maximum level each prescribed time. The low-frequency signals are supplied to a pair of electrodes which may be fitted to the temples.

Claims

1. An eye treatment method, comprising the steps of:

fitting a pair of electrodes to the temples around both eyeballs; and

electrically stimulating the temples by repeatedly imposing a low-frequency signal on the electrodes, the low frequency signal having an output level that gradually increases from a substantially zero level to a maximum level and directly returns to said substantially zero level each prescribed time.

2. An eye treatment method according to claim 1, further including the step of generating low-frequency signals including a sinusoidal wave of 10-40 Hz having an amplitude that gradually increases from a substantially zero level to a maximum level and directly returns to said substantially zero level each prescribed time of 3-10 seconds.

3. An eye treatment method according to claim 1, further including the step of attaching the pair of electrodes are attached to a head band to be set to the head of a patient at the positions confronting both the temples.

4. An eye treatment apparatus, comprising:

low-frequency signal generating means for generating low-frequency signals for electrically stimulating the ciliary muscle;

output control means for causing said low-frequency signal generating means to repeatedly output the low-frequency signals in an output mode in which an output level gradually increases from a substantially zero level to a maximum level and directly returns to said substantially zero level each prescribed time; and

at least a pair of electrodes which are fitted to the temples and to which the low-frequency signals are supplied.

5. An eye treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the low-frequency generating means and said output control means includes a computer and a recording medium that can be read by the computer, the recording medium including a program for causing the personal computer to generate and control the low-frequency signals for electrically stimulating the temples.

6. An eye treatment recording medium according to claim 5, further including an output adapter for amplifying the low-frequency signals supplied from earphone output terminals of the personal computer, the output adapter supplying amplified outputs to the pair of electrodes.

7. An eye treatment recording medium according to claim 5, wherein low-frequency signals are supplied from speaker output terminals of the personal computer to the pair of electrodes.

8. An eye treatment apparatus comprising:

low-frequency signal generating means for generating low-frequency signals for electrically stimulating the ciliary muscle, said low-frequency generating means being composed of a microcomputer for generating digital signals corresponding to a gradually increasing amplitude in a low-frequency cycle, a D/A converter for converting the digital signals to analog and a lowpass filter for extracting a sinusoidal wave of the low-frequency cycle from the thus converted analog signals;

output control means for causing said low-frequency signal generating means to repeatedly output the low-frequency signals in an output mode in which an output level is lowered each prescribed time; and

at least a pair of electrodes which are fitted to the temples and to which the low-frequency signals are supplied.

9. An eye treatment system comprising:

a computer;

program data generating means for generating program data for causing the the computer to function as low-frequency signal generating means for generating a low-frequency signal for electrically stimulating the ciliary muscle, and causing the computer to function as an output control means, the computer causing an output level of the low-frequency signal to gradually increase from a substantially zero level to a maximum level and directly returns to said substantially zero level each prescribed time;

transmission control means for transmitting the program data through a communication line so that the program data is read by the computer; and

a pair of electrodes adapted to be fitted to the temples and operatively connected to the computer, the pair of electrodes supplying the low frequency signal to the temples.