Ultrasonic contact lens cleaning device
AssigneeRobert J. Pace
InventorsJohn J. Erickson, Drew D. Erickson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic contact lens cleaning device has a housing with a hemispherical cover hingedly affixed to it. A container for a lens cleaning solution is mounted in the housing. An acoustic resonant structure in the housing is coupled to the container. The structure has piezoelectric components. A frequency modulated power circuit in the housing is electrically connected to and drives the acoustic resonant structure and provides a controlled level of ultrasonic cleaning energy.
Claims13
An ultrasonic cleaning device for cleaning an item having surfaces desired to be kept free of scratching and the like, said device comprising
- a liquid holding container having a cleaning solution therein, said container having means for holding an item in said cleaning solution;
- acoustic resonant structural means having piezoelectric components and operatively coupled to said container;
- and
- frequency modulated power means electrically connected to and driving said acoustic resonant structural means and providing a controlled level of ultrasonic cleaning energy, said power means including timing circuits for controlling the level of applied energy to a first determined power level for a first determined period of time followed by a second determined power level less than the first power level for a second determined period of time longer than the first period of time thereby preventing overheating and harm to said item due to excess heat or caviation.
An ultrasonic contact lens cleaning device, comprising
- a liquid holding container having a lens cleaning solution therein, said container having means for holding a lens in said cleaning solution;
- acoustic resonant structural means having piezoelectric components and operatively coupled to said container;
- and
- frequency modulated power means electrically connected to and driving said acoustic resonant structural means and providing a controlled level of ultrasonic cleaning energy, said power means including timing circuits for controlling the level of applied energy to a first determined power level for a first determined period of time followed by a second determined power level approximately half the first power level for a second predetermined period of time approximately three to four times longer than the first period of time thereby preventing overheating and harm to said lens due to excess heat or cavitation.
An ultrasonic contact lens cleaning device, comprising
- a housing;
- a hemispherical cover hingedly affixed to said housing;
- a container for a lens cleaning solution mounted in said housing, said container having means for holding a lens in said cleaning solution in said container;
- acoustic resonant structural means in said housing coupled to said container, said structural means having piezoelectric components;
- and
- frequency modulated power means in said housing electrically connected to and driving said acoustic resonant structural means and providing a controlled level of ultrasonic cleaning energy, said power means including timing circuits for controlling the level of applied energy to a first determined power level for a first determined period of time followed by a second determined power level less than the first power level for a second determined period of time longer than the first period of time thereby preventing overheating and harm to said lens due to excess heat or cavitation.
An ultrasonic method of cleaning an item having surfaces desired to be kept free of scratching and the like, said method comprising the steps of
- operatively coupling acoustic resonant structural means to a liquid holding container having a cleaning solution therein;
- holding item in said cleaning solution in said liquid holding container;
- driving said acoustic resonant structural means with frequency modulated electrical power to provide a controlled level of ultrasonic cleaning energy;
- controlling the level of energy applied to said acoustic resonant structural means to a first determined power level for a first determined period of time;
- and
- controlling a second determined power level to less than the first power level for a second determined period of time longer than the first period of time thereby preventing overheating and harm to said item due to excess heat or cavitation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.