Lens holder and sterilizer

In combination, a dry heat sterilizer unit for contact lenses, and a generally flat, horizontally elongate lens case for housing a pair of contact lenses in side-by-side relation and adapted for use with said sterilizer unit which includes a heating well for receiving the case and a heater support surface upon which the lens case will rest, said lens case comprising a base section and a cover section, means on said base and cover sections for affixing one to the other to define the assembled condition for said case and provide an enclosed space for a sterilizing solution, said base section including separate, side-by-side lens support arrangements, each for receiving one of a pair of lenses, each said lens support arrangement including a convex support surface facing outwardly of said base section and adapted to have a lens support thereon, with the concave surface of the lens engaging said convex support surface, and a concave cover member adapted to overlie said convex support surface in spaced relation thereto to retain a lens therebetween, said cover member including aperture means for permitting the flow of sterlizing solution to the lenses, such that both said lenses will be oriented in the same manner with respect to said base section, and means on said lens case and sterilizer unit permitting only said cover section to be received in said sterilizer unit heating well and engaged with said heater support surface, thus insuring that when said lens case is disposed in said heating well, the contact lens support means will be disposed in an inverted position, with said inverted position permitting said lenses to be supported on the concave cover members, so that the concave surfaces of the lenses will be exposed directly to the sterilizing solution, and the length of the heat transfer path through the case material is maximized thereby to prevent against the possibility of overheating of the lenses.

A lens case for a pair of contact lenses adapted for use in the storage, cleaning, sterilization or the like, of said lenses, said case comprising separate contact lens supporting arrangements, at least one of said arrangements being comprised of, a convex support surface for a lens, a cover member pivotally mounted with respect to said convex support surface and including a concave portion, said cover member being movable between an open and a closed position such that when in the closed position the concave portion thereof will overlie said convex support surface in spaced relation with respect thereto, providing a space within which a lens may be disposed for storage, cleaning, sterilization or the like, said concave portion of the cover member including an opening disposed generally central thereof and of sufficient size to permit a portion of the convex surface of the lens to extend into said opening should the lens adhere to said cover member, said opening being smaller than the effective diameter of said lens so that said lens will not inadvertently pass therethrough, such that during opening of the cover member to remove a lens, a user may prevent the lens from adhering to the cover by placing a finger over said opening thereby engaging the convex surface of a lens which may have adhered to the cover member, and thereby displacing said lens from said cover structure, thus insuring that said lens will be disposed on said convex support surface upon opening of said cover structure.