Fogging prevention for surgical contact lenses
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorSteven T. Charles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact lens for use with a surgical microscope may be equipped with an anti-fogging device to prevent obscuring the view of a surgeon due to condensation during ophthalmic surgery. The anti-fogging device may deliver thermal energy to a surface of the contact lens to heat the contact lens above an ambient dew point. The thermal energy may be delivered by an air duct with a fan nozzle, a fluid duct in thermodynamic contact with the contact lens circulating a heat transfer fluid, or generated with electrical energy to an electrical heating element disposed on the surface of the contact lens. The thermal or electrical energy may be delivered via a handle for supporting the contact lens during surgery.
Claims20
A method for performing ophthalmic surgery, comprising:
- positioning a first optical axis of a surgical microscope along a second optical axis of an eye of a patient;
- viewing an interior portion of the eye using a contact lens in contact with the eye;
- and
- activating an anti-fogging device coupled to the contact lens, wherein the anti-fogging device delivers thermal energy to the contact lens.
A contact lens for ophthalmic surgery, the contact lens comprising:
- an anti-fogging device coupled to the contact lens, wherein the anti-fogging device delivers thermal energy to the contact lens while the contact lens is in use during ophthalmic surgery to view an interior portion of an eye of a patient using a surgical microscope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.