Ophthalmic speculum with an air-flow system
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsMario Abraham, Michael Wittnebel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ophthalmic speculum includes arms, a locking mechanism, and an air-flow system. The arms include a first arm and a second arm. Each arm has a retractor shaped to conform to an eyelid of a pair of eyelids of an eye. The retractors are substantially symmetrical about a lateral axis. The locking mechanism is coupled to the arms. The locking mechanism moves the arms to allow the retractors to retract the pair of eyelids, and fixes the arms into place to maintain retraction of the pair of eyelids. The air-flow system is coupled to at least one arm, and moves air in a region disposed outwardly from a surface of the eye.
Claims18
An ophthalmic speculum comprising:
- a plurality of arms comprising a first arm and a second arm, each arm having a retractor shaped to conform to an eyelid of a pair of eyelids of an eye;
- a locking mechanism coupled to the arms and configured to:
- move the arms to allow the retractors to retract the pair of eyelids;
- and
- fix the arms into place to maintain retraction of the pair of eyelids;
- and
- an air-flow system coupled to at least one a of the plurality of arms, the air-flow system configured to move air in a region disposed outwardly from a surface of the eye in a laminar flow across a surface of the eye, wherein the laminar flow is generally in a direction from a first eyelid to a second eyelid of the pair of eyelids.
A method for moving air away from a surface of an eye, comprising:
- moving a plurality of arms to allow a plurality of retractors to retract a pair of eyelids, the plurality of arms comprising a first arm and a second arm, each arm having a retractor of the plurality of retractors, the retractor shaped to conform to an eyelid of the pair of eyelids of the eye;
- fixing, by a locking mechanism, the arms into place to maintain retraction of the pair of eyelids;
- and
- moving, by an air-flow system coupled to at least one arm, air in a region disposed outwardly from the surface of the eye, the air moved in a laminar flow that moves the air across the surface of the eye, wherein the laminar flow is generally in a direction from a first eyelid to a second eyelid of the pair of eyelids.
An ophthalmic speculum comprising:
- a plurality of arms comprising a first arm and a second arm, each arm having a retractor shaped to conform to an eyelid of a pair of eyelids of an eye;
- a locking mechanism coupled to the arms and configured to:
- move the arms to allow the retractors to retract the pair of eyelids;
- and
- fix the arms into place to maintain retraction of the pair of eyelids;
- an air-flow system coupled to at least one arm of the plurality of arms, the air-flow system configured to move air in a region disposed outwardly from a surface of the eye, the air-flow system comprising:
- one or more aspirators, each aspirator configured to move the air away from the surface of the eye;
- and
- one or more air blowers, each air blower configured to move the air across the surface of the eye;
- and
- a computer configured to:
- determine an air-flow pattern;
- and
- control the air-flow system to create the determined air-flow pattern, the airflow patterns comprising at least one of:
- a laminar flow across the surface of the eye;
- a low-pressure area that moves the air towards the surface of the eye and then away from the surface of the eye;
- and
- a rotational flow of air that moves the air away from the surface of the eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.