Passive photonic eye delivery system

• US 6,235,046 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empirical Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Empirical Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Gerdt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulcahy, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARAH, AHMED M
• Application Number:
  US09/234,921
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 606/7-9, 607/88-92, 128/898, 128/395, 362/103-106, 600/26-27
• US Class Current: 607/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0648 the light being directed to the eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment

Abstract

A device for the application of artificial light to a user'"'"'s retina is disclosed. A light source leads to a light focusing member that generates a light stream at, at least one transmission angle, to the user'"'"'s retina, preventing the light from coming in contact with the user'"'"'s fovea. In one embodiment, the light focusing member is a light ring containing a plurality of apertures around an outer periphery with light exiting through the apertures in a plurality of streams at a transmission angle. A vision aperture within the light ring has a periphery less than the outer periphery and is on a direct axis with the user'"'"'s fovea to enable the user to maintain vision during chronotherapy. The light source can be distanced from the light focusing member and connect by a light transfer member, such as a optic fiber. In another embodiment, the light focusing member can be the frame of a pair of eyeglasses having lenses to enable user vision. The light source can be either proximate the apertures around the frame or distanced from the glasses with the light being transmitted from the light source to the glasses by a transfer member.

Claims

1. A chronotherapy device for the application of artificial light to a user'"'"'s eye, said device having a light source and a light directing member proximate a user'"'"'s eye, said light directing member transmitting a light stream, said light stream capable of being directed at, at least one predetermined transmission solid angle, to the retina of the user'"'"'s eye, said angle preventing said light from scattering as well as from coming in contact with the user'"'"'s fovea.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said transmission angle is the angle formed by the center line of said light stream and the surface of said directing member.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said light directing member is a light ring containing a plurality of apertures around an outer periphery, light from said light source exiting through said plurality of apertures in a plurality of streams, each of said plurality of streams being at one of said at least one transmission solid angle.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising a vision aperture, said vision aperture having a periphery less than said outer periphery and being on a direct axis with said user'"'"'s fovea, thereby enabling said user to maintain vision during said chronotherapy.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said light focusing member is a frame of a pair of eye glasses and said vision aperture are the lenses of said glasses, said lenses enabling visual equity about equal to standard glasses.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein said light source is distanced from said light directing member, said light being transmitted from said light source to said directing member through at least one light transfer member, a first end of said light transfer member being proximate said light directing member and a second end of said light transfer member being proximate said light source.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said light transfer member is at least one optic fiber, said optic fiber having a core and cladding.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said optic fiber is split, thereby enabling one fiber to transmit light to multiple apertures.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein said transmission angle is created by a lens positioned at said aperture.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein said light stream angle is determined by the formula

11. The device of claim 7 wherein said fiber optic is a single clad fiber positioned adjacent said apertures, said cladding being removed from said fiber proximate said apertures.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said light source is proximate said apertures around said light directing member.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein said light source is distanced from said glasses, light being transmitted from said light source to said light directing member by a light transfer member.

14. The device of claim 4 wherein said light source is moveably affixed to a first end of a rail and said second end of said light transfer member is affixed to a second end of said rail, said light source moving along said rail in relation to said second end of said light transfer member.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising filters, said filters being between said light source and said second end of said light transfer member.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said filters are removably affixed to said rail.

17. A chronotherapy system for the application of artificial light to a user'"'"'s retina, said system having:

a light directing member, said light directing member generating a light stream, said light stream capable of being directed at, at least one transmission angle, to the retina of the user'"'"'s eye, said angle preventing said light from coming in contact with the user'"'"'s fovea, said light stream angle being determined by the formula

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said light-directing member is a light ring containing a plurality of apertures around an outer periphery, light from said light source exiting through said plurality of apertures in a plurality of streams, each of said plurality of streams being at least one of said transmission angles and a vision aperture, said vision aperture having a periphery less than said outer periphery and being on a direct axis with said user'"'"'s fovea, thereby enabling said user to maintain vision during said chronotherapy.

19. A method of chronotherapy through the application of artificial light to the retina of a user'"'"'s eye comprising the steps of applying an artificial light to a user'"'"'s eye, said artificial light being produced by a remote light source and transmitted to a light directing member by a cladded optic fiber, said light directing member generating a light stream directed at, at least one transmission angle, to the retina of the user'"'"'s eye, said angle preventing said light from scattering as well as from coming in contact with the user'"'"'s fovea, wherein said application of said light to said retina prevents damage to said fovea while providing chromotherapeutic benefits and enabling said user almost normal vision.

20. The method of phase shifting a user'"'"'s circadian clock through the use of a chronotherapy system, said system having;

a light application device, said light application device having a light source and a light directing member, said light directing member generating a light stream directed at, at least one transmission angle, to the retina of the user'"'"'s eye, said angle preventing said light from coming in contact with the user'"'"'s fovea,

light filtering device, said light filtering device filtering out a narrow melatonin producing wavelength from a user'"'"'s eyes to inhibit the production of melatonin comprising the steps of;

placing said light application device proximate a user'"'"'s eyes

positioning said light application device to enable said light streams to contact said user'"'"'s retina,

exposing said user'"'"'s retina to said light for a predetermined period of time based on known chronotherapy procedures,

placing said light filtering device proximate said user'"'"'s eyes to inhibit production of melatonin for a predetermined period of time based on known chronotherapy procedures,

wherein alternating said application of said light and said filtering device based on known chronotherapy procedures causes said user'"'"'s circadian dock to phase shift, thereby relieving problems associated with a lack of synchronicity between said user'"'"'s circadian clock and natural day/night cycles.