Disposable tonometer cover with fluorescein dye

A disposable cover for removably mounting on an eye contacting applanation tip assembly for use in eye diagnosis to cover the tip and to prevent contact between the patient's eye and the tip thereby preventing transmission of infection between patients by the tip during use, the tip having a generally tapered shape with a larger end and a smaller eye contacting end, a circular optical lens surface formed on the smaller eye contacting end of the tip for viewing the patient's eye and for deforming the cornea surface of the patient's eye to measure the distortion of the eye and pressure within the eye, an optical path through the body of the tip and through the circular optical lens surface, said disposable cover comprising:

• a unitarily formed body of flexible material;
• a circular transparent portion on said body for contacting and for covering the circular optical lens surface of the tip, said circular transparent portion sized to correspond to the smaller eye contacting end of the tip, said circular transparent portion having an effective amount of a photoactive agent therein for enhancing the view of a calibration image for the pressure measurement;
• and
• a mounting portion means on said body for removably mounting said body in an interference fit on the tip and for retaining said circular transparent portion adjacent the circular optical lens surface of the tip, thereby improving the optical and contact interface between said circular transparent portion of said disposable cover and the circular optical lens surface of the tip so that distortions in the measurement of pressure within the patient's eye are minimized during use of the tip, said mounting portion means having a generally tapered shape with a larger end and a smaller end, the smaller end of said mounting means integrally formed with said circular transparent portion.

In combination, (a) a disposable cover for an eye contacting applanation tip assembly for mounting on an eye contacting applanation tip assembly for use in eye diagnosis to cover the tip assembly and to prevent contact between the patient's eye and the tip assembly thereby preventing transmission of infection between patients by the tip assembly during use and (b) a sterile packaging assembly for said disposable cover and for assisting in mounting said disposable cover on the tip assembly, the tip assembly having a generally tapered shape with a larger end and a smaller eye contacting end, a circular optical lens surface formed on the smaller eye contacting end of the tip assembly for viewing the patient's eye and for deforming the cornea surface of the patient's eye to measure the distortion of the eye and pressure within the eye, an optical path through the body of the tip assembly and through the circular optical lens surface, wherein

• said disposable cover comprises:
• a unitarily formed body of flexible material;
• a circular transparent portion on said body for contacting and for covering the circular optical lens surface of the tip assembly, said circular transparent portion sized to correspond to the smaller eye contacting end of the tip assembly, said circular transparent portion having an effective amount of a photoactive agent therein for enhancing the view of a calibration image;
• and a mounting portion means on said body, said mounting portion means having a generally tapered shape with a larger end and a smaller end, the smaller end of said mounting means integrally formed with said circular transparent portion, said mounting portion means for removably mounting said body in an interference fit on the tip assembly and for retaining said circular transparent portion adjacent the circular optical lens surface of the tip assembly, thereby improving the optical and contact interface between said circular transparent portion of said disposable cover and the circular optical lens surface of the tip assembly so that distortions in the measurement of pressure within the patient's eye are minimized during use of the tip assembly;
• and
• said sterile packaging assembly encloses said disposable cover, said sterile packaging assembly comprising:
• a base of a size and shape to conform to the exterior of said circular transparent portion of said disposable cover and to conform to at least a portion of the exterior of said mounting portion means of said disposable cover;
• and a removable cap closing said receptacle adjacent to the larger end of said disposable cover within said base of said receptacle whereby when the removable cap is of removed, said base of said receptacle may be used by inserting the tip assembly into said disposable cover to removably mount said disposable cover on the tip assembly and to force ambient gases from the interface between the tip assembly and said circular transparent portion of said disposable cover without handling said circular transparent portion of said disposable cover and without handling said mounting portion of said disposable cover.