Missing lens detection system and method

• US 6,548,818 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Widman, Michael Francis, Tan, Chandra, Dehkordi, Peyman, Newton, Timothy P., Simmons, Robert Lee, Ross, Denwood F. III, Ebel, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORAN, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/420,569
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 250/458.1, 250/461.1, 250/341.8
• US Class Current: 250/461.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00951 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/008 packaging of contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets

Abstract

A system for determining the presence and optionally the position of an ophthalmic product such as a contact lens in a container is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting the presence of an ophthalmic product in a container comprising:

(a) a source of electromagnetic energy located relative to the container to direct electromagnetic energy at the container, said container comprising a reflective foil surface, said ophthalmic product being located between said source and said reflective foil surface;

(b) a detector disposed relative to the container and the source to detect electromagnetic energy from the source which is reflected by the product, the container, and the reflective foil surface; and

(d) a processor for determining the presence or position of the product in the container responsive to the fluorescence, absorption reflection of the electromagnetic energy by the product.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the product is a contact lens.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the contact lens contains an ultraviolet absorbing media which absorbs electromagnetic energy in the ultraviolet range.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, where in the source emits electromagnetic energy in the visible range and said contact lens contains a tint.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said lens includes a media which absorbs or reflects electromagnetic energy having a wavelength in a specified range and said detector is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation in the specified range.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of sources and a plurality of detectors disposed relative to each other for detecting the presence or position of a contact lens in a container.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the source emits electromagnetic energy having a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source emits pulsed electromagnetic energy having a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the source emits electromagnetic energy having a wavelength in the infrared range.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a lookup table.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a neural network algorithm.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the lens is a hygroscopic lens.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the product includes a media which absorbs or reflects electromagnetic energy of a wavelength in a specified range, and the container include s a receptacle for the product and is constructed from a material which absorbs or reflects the electromagnetic energy differently than the product.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said detector is a calorimeter.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said detector is a spectrometer.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a filter.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one to one hundred detectors.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one to twenty detectors.

19. An apparatus for detecting the presence of an ophthalmic product in a container comprising:

(a) a source of electromagnetic energy located relative to the container to direct electromagnetic energy at the container;

(b) a reflective surface located such that the container is displaced between the source and the reflective surface;

(c) a detector disposed relative to the container and the source to detect electromagnetic energy from the source which is reflected by the product, the container, and the reflective surface; and

(d) a processor for determining the presence or position of the product in the container responsive to the fluorescence, absorption or reflection of the electromagnetic energy by the product.

20. An apparatus for detecting the presence of an ophthalmic product in a container comprising:

(a) a source of electromagnetic energy located relative to the container to direct electromagnetic energy comprising electromagnetic energy in the visible range at the container;

(b) a reflective surface located such that the container is displaced between the source and the reflective surface;

(c) a detector disposed relative to the container and the source to detect electromagnetic energy from the source which is reflected by the product, the container, and the reflective surface; and

(d) a processor for determining the presence or position of the product in the container responsive to the fluorescence, absorption or reflection of the electromagnetic energy by the product, wherein said product is a contact lens and said contact lens comprises a tint.

21. A method for detecting the presence or position of an ophthalmic product in a container, the product including a media which fluoresces, absorbs or reflects the electromagnetic energy of a frequency in a specified range, the method comprising:

(a) providing a container having a reflective foil surface such that said container is displaced between a source of electromagnetic energy and the reflective foil surface;

(b) directing electromagnetic energy at the product and the container;

(c) detecting the absence of or reduction in electromagnetic energy of a frequency in range which passes through or is reflected by the product and the container; and

is reflected by said foil surface;

(d) processing the detected electromagnetic energy to determine the presence or position of the product in the container.

22. A method for detecting the presence or position of an ophthalmic product in a container, the product including a media which fluoresces, absorbs or reflects the electromagnetic energy of a frequency in a specified range, the method comprising:

(a) directing electromagnetic energy comprising electromagnetic energy in the visible range at the product and the container;

(b) providing a reflective surface located such that the container is displaced between a source of electromagnetic energy and the reflective surface;

(c) detecting the absence of or reduction in electromagnetic energy of a frequency in the visible range which passes through or is reflected by the product and the container; and

(d) processing the detected electromagnetic energy to determine the presence or position of the product in the container.