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US 12,310,883 B2Granted
Continuous thermal therapy
AssigneeOcuSci, Inc.
InventorDavid McMahon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-invasive thermal therapy for the eye dynamically maintains a treatment temperature at the working tip of the instrument. Methods described herein pre-heat the instruments serving to reduce instrument setup time, increase battery life, reduce the weight of the handheld device, and reduce total procedure time. Related apparatuses are also described.
Claims20
A non-invasive thermal-based eyelid treatment method comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of types of thermal therapy instruments having an identically-shaped base portion, and wherein each type of thermal therapy instrument comprises a unique distal working end;
- (b) providing a battery-powered handheld device, the handheld device comprising a handle and a distal socket adapted to detachably engage the base portion of each type of thermal therapy instrument, and adapted to dynamically control heat to the distal working end of each thermal therapy instrument through thermal conduction;
- (c) pre-heating the plurality of thermal therapy instruments, wherein the pre-heating is performed by an electric heater including a plurality of heated ports, wherein a thermally conductive insert is arranged in one of said plurality of heated ports, and wherein the thermally conductive insert comprises a hole for receiving and engaging the base portion of the thermal therapy instrument, and during the pre-heating step, heat is transferred from the port, through the insert and to the thermal therapy instrument;
- (d) installing a first type of pre-heated thermal therapy instrument in the handheld device;
- and
- (e) performing a first thermal therapy on the eyelid using the distal working end of the first type of pre-heated thermal therapy instrument.
3 more elements
A method for heating instruments for thermal therapy comprising:
- inserting a tubular-shaped insert into a heater port of a heater;
- inserting a base portion of an instrument into a cavity in the insert,
- activating the heater to pre-heat the instrument;
- and
- exchanging an instrument previously-installed in a handheld device with the pre-heated instrument in the heater, without charging the handheld device.
2 more elements
A non-invasive thermal-based eyelid treatment method comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of types of thermal therapy instruments having a key-shaped base portion, and wherein each type of thermal therapy instrument comprises a unique distal working end;
- (b) providing a battery-powered handheld device, the handheld device comprising a handle and a distal socket adapted to detachably engage the base portion of each type of thermal therapy instrument, and adapted to dynamically control heat to the distal working end of an installed thermal therapy instrument through thermal conduction;
- (c) pre-heating at least one thermal therapy instrument, wherein the pre-heating is performed by an electric heater including a plurality of heated ports, and wherein each port is adapted to receive and engage the key-shaped base portion of one of said plurality of thermal therapy instruments, and during the pre-heating step, heat is transferred from the port to the one thermal therapy instrument engaged in the port;
- (d) installing one pre-heated thermal therapy instrument of the pre-heated thermal therapy instruments in the handheld device;
- and
- (e) performing thermal therapy on the eyelid using the distal working end of the pre-heated thermal therapy instrument.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.