HK1260342A1 - Contact lens blister package, base member for a contact lens blister, sealing member for a contact lens blister and related methods - Google Patents

Description

Contact lens blister packages, base members for contact lens blisters, sealing members for contact lens blisters, and related methods

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of contact lens containers. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention provides a contact lens blister package for use with a contact lens comprising an electronic device.

Background

Recent advances in microelectronics have led to renewed interest in the concept of incorporating electronic devices into contact lenses. One problem that needs to be addressed with this technology is how to provide power to electronic devices.

In the manufacture of commercial grade contact lenses, particularly disposable contact lenses, there can be a significant delay between the lens leaving the manufacturing facility and its use by the end user. During this time, the charge stored in the battery or capacitor contained within the contact lens may dissipate. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an improved method and apparatus for providing power to electronic components positioned inside a contact lens.

Disclosure of Invention

Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for providing a supply of energy to an electronic device or component positioned inside a contact lens.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a contact lens blister package comprising (i) a chamber for storing a contact lens; and (ii) a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device forming a portion of a contact lens stored in the chamber.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of providing an electrical charge to an electronic device included within a contact lens, the method comprising sealing the contact lens in a bubble package, the bubble package comprising a charging circuit configured to charge the electronic device.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a packaged electronic contact lens, the method comprising: placing a contact lens (e.g., a hydrogel contact lens or a silicone hydrogel contact lens) including one or more electronic components in a chamber of a blister package, the blister package comprising a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device; and then sealing the blister pack with the contact lens contained within the chamber.

In addition, the present invention provides a base member and/or a sealing member for a contact lens blister package that includes an electrical circuit configured to function as a charging circuit for any other aspect.

It will be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the invention. For example, any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention may be incorporated into the method of the invention, and vice versa. Moreover, additional embodiments and aspects will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and claims. As will be apparent from the foregoing description and the following description, each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, and each and every combination of one or more values that define a range, are included within the scope of the present invention, assuming that the features included in the combinations are not mutually inconsistent. Furthermore, any feature or combination of features or any value defining a range may be explicitly excluded from any embodiment of the invention.

Drawings

Examples of the method and apparatus of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a portion of a blister pack according to a first example embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the first embodiment of contact lenses stored in the blister package; and

fig. 3 shows a circuit diagram used in the first embodiment.

Detailed Description

Embodiments are described herein in the context of improved methods and improved systems for manufacturing contact lenses comprising electronic components.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following detailed description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following detailed description to refer to the same or like parts.

As previously mentioned, a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a contact lens blister package. The blister pack includes a chamber for storing a contact lens. The bubble package further comprises a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device forming a portion of a contact lens stored in the chamber. More power sources and/or larger power sources may be included in the bubble package than in contact lenses, and this may facilitate designs in which the power sources in the bubble package may store more charge over a longer period of time than the power sources positioned in the contact lenses.

Contact lens blister packages (also known as blister packs) are one form of contact lens primary package known in the art. The blister pack is used to store the contact lens after the lens is manufactured and before the lens is used for the first time. Contact lenses are typically stored in bubble packages for periods of months or years (e.g., 0 to 7 years). Contact lenses are typically stored in a liquid, such as a buffered saline solution, in a sealed chamber in a blister package. WO2008/070782 describes an example blister package, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Another form of blister pack is described in WO 03/016175. It will be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to blister packages having a wide range of shapes and configurations.

The bubble wrap includes a base member. The base member may include a recess sized to receive a contact lens. The recess may at least partially form a chamber in which the contact lens is stored. The base member may further include a flange portion extending outwardly from the groove. The bubble package may comprise a sealing member arranged to close the recess and provide a liquid-tight seal against a contact lens positioned in the chamber. Thus, when closed by the sealing member, a cavity of the blister pack may be formed by the groove. The sealing member is removably attached to the base member, such as a flange. The sealing member may comprise a foil lid. The blister pack may be configured to be disposable.

A plurality of blister packages may be coupled together to form an array of contact lens blister packages. The array of blister packs may for example consist of two, three, four, five, six or more blister packs arranged in a strip.

Bubble packages are examples of primary contact lens packages. A plurality of blister packs may be contained in the secondary package. The secondary package may be arranged to receive a plurality of sealed blister packages, such as a plurality of sealed blister packages arranged in an array. The secondary containers may comprise cartons.

The charging circuit may include a power source. The power supply may be arranged to supply current to the induction coil. The power source may include a battery, a solar storage device (e.g., an energy storage device co-located with a photovoltaic cell), or other element configured to hold an electrical charge.

The charging circuit may include a DC/AC converter configured to convert direct current from a power source to alternating current. Where the power source is a battery, the charging circuit may include a DC/AC converter arranged to convert direct current from the battery to alternating current.

The charging circuit may be configured to wirelessly charge the electronic device.

The charging circuit may include an antenna (e.g., a first induction coil) configured to generate an alternating electromagnetic field. The inductive coil may be arranged to receive current from a power source and wirelessly provide power to the electronic device. The induction coil may be positioned in the blister pack such that, in use, a contact lens received in the chamber will experience an electromagnetic field generated by the coil. The induction coil may be positioned in (e.g., attached to or incorporated into) the base member. The induction coil may be positioned in (e.g., attached to or incorporated into) the sealing member.

The induction coil may extend around at least a portion (e.g., a majority, such as substantially all) of a perimeter (e.g., an edge) of a chamber in which the contact lens is stored in use. Where the contact lens is stored, in use, within a recess formed in a base member of the blister package, the induction coil may extend around at least a portion (e.g., a majority, such as substantially all) of a perimeter of the recess. Thus, in the case of a chamber having a circular or frusto-circular perimeter, the induction coil may be either a full or partial ring.

The charging circuit may include a second inductive coil electromagnetically coupled to the first inductive coil. The first and second induction coils may have the same resonant frequency.

The charging circuit may comprise a switch arranged to control operation of the charging circuit. The switch may be arranged such that, when the switch is in the closed position, the circuit is operable to wirelessly charge an electronic device contained within a contact lens stored in the blister pack. When the switch is in the closed (on) position, current may flow from the battery to the induction coil. When the switch is in the open (off) position, current is prevented from flowing from the battery to the induction coil. The switch may include a tab and/or a button. The switch may comprise a detachable portion arranged such that detaching the portion from the blister pack initiates charging of the electronic device.

The base member of the bubble wrap may comprise at least part of the charging circuit. The base member may include all of the charging circuit. Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention may provide a base member including at least part (e.g., all) of a charging circuit.

The sealing member of the bubble wrap may comprise at least part of the charging circuit. The sealing member may include all of the charging circuit. In case a single member forms the sealing member for a plurality of blister packs, the single member may comprise at least part of the charging circuit for the plurality of blister packs and/or may share some elements of the charging circuit between the plurality of blister packs. Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention may provide a sealing member comprising at least part (e.g. all) of a charging circuit for one or more blister packs.

The base member of the present package may be made of various materials, such as plastic materials, e.g., thermoplastic materials. In certain embodiments, the base member is an injection molded polyolefin material. For example, some base members (including the illustrated base member) are formed of polypropylene. The base member may be made by any conventional technique. In the illustrated embodiment, the base member is an injection molded element. In other embodiments, the base member may be thermoformed.

A contact lens including an electronic device may be positioned within the chamber of the bubble package.

The contact lenses used with the blister packages of the present invention may include one or more electronic components. The electronic components of the contact lens may form part of an electronic device. The electronic device may comprise a receiving circuit arranged to receive power from a charging circuit forming part of the blister pack.

The receiving circuit may comprise a contact lens power supply arranged to provide power to an electronic component positioned within the contact lens. The contact lens power supply may comprise a battery, capacitor, or other element arranged to store power received from the charging circuit. The power supply for the contact lens may have a smaller capacity for storing charge than the power supply for the blister pack. The power source of the blister pack may store a greater amount of charge than the power source of the contact lens. The power supply of the blister pack can maintain a given charge for a longer period of time than the power supply of the contact lens. The power source for the contact lens has a higher leakage rate than the power source for the bubble pack.

The receiving circuit may comprise a receiving inductive coil arranged to receive power from each of the or each of the inductive coils of the charging circuit. An alternating current may be induced in the receiving induction coil by an alternating magnetic field, the alternating magnetic field being generated by the or each of the induction coils of the charging circuit.

The receiving circuit may include an AC/DC converter. The AC/DC converter may be arranged to convert alternating current generated by the receive induction coil to direct current stored by the contact lens power supply.

A second aspect provides a method of providing charge to an electronic device included within a contact lens. The method includes sealing a contact lens in a bubble package, the bubble package including a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device.

A third aspect provides a method of manufacturing a packaged electronic contact lens. A contact lens (e.g., a hydrogel contact lens or a silicone hydrogel contact lens) including one or more electronic components is placed in a chamber of a blister package that includes a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device. The blister package is sealed with the contact lens contained within the chamber.

The charging circuit may include a power source, as discussed above. The method may include charging the power source after the contact lens has been sealed in the blister package.

There may be a significant delay between sealing the contact lens in the bubble package and charging of the power source, such as a delay of several weeks or a small number of months (e.g., 1 or 2 months). Thus, the step of charging the power source may occur more than one month after sealing the blister pack. Charging of the power source may occur immediately prior to dispensing the contact lens to the end user.

There may be a significant delay between the charging of the power source and the charging of the electronics positioned within the contact lens, such as a delay of several weeks or a small number of months (e.g., 1 to 4 months). For example, charging of an electronic device positioned within a contact lens may occur more than one month (e.g., more than two months) after charging of the power source. The power source may be charged in the manufacturing facility of the sealed blister pack. The power source may be charged at a power distribution center forming part of a distribution chain downstream of the manufacturing facility.

The method may include the step of activating a charging circuit (e.g., closing a switch) to charge the electronic device. There may be a significant delay between charging of the power source and activating the charging circuit, such as a delay of several weeks or a small number of months (e.g., 1 to 4 months). Thus, the step of activating the charging circuit (i.e., charging the electronic device) may occur more than one month after charging the power source.

The bubble package and contact lens can be arranged such that charging of the contact lens power source takes a small number of hours (e.g., 1-12 hours, for example 2-6 hours). Thus, the end user may activate the charging circuit in the evening to prepare the contact lens for use the next morning.

The contact lenses of the invention are understood to include any ophthalmic lens that can be worn directly on the eye. The contact lens according to the invention may be a corrective contact lens, for example for the treatment of a condition selected from myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia and achromatopsia. Alternatively or in addition, the contact lens may be cosmetic, i.e. designed to change the appearance of the eye, such as colour. Alternatively or additionally, the contact lenses of the invention may be therapeutic contact lenses, such as contact lenses for protecting damaged or diseased corneas. The contact lenses of the invention may be sensors, such as detecting health or biological signals of the wearer. It will be appreciated that the present method may also be used to manufacture other types of ophthalmic lenses, with appropriate modifications.

The contact lenses of the invention can be hydrogel contact lenses. The hydrogel contact lenses can be silicone hydrogel contact lenses or non-silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The contact lenses of the invention can be disposable and/or single use lenses. The contact lenses of the invention can be silicone elastomer contact lenses.

Referring to the drawings, figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a portion of a bubble package 1 according to an example embodiment of the invention. The blister pack 1 comprises a plastic substrate 2, the plastic substrate 2 appearing rectangular when the upper surface is viewed in plan view in figure 1. A bowl-shaped lens recess 4, which appears as a truncated circle when viewed in plan view in fig. 1, is formed towards the first end of the substrate 2. The other end of the substrate has a substantially flat surface area 2 a. The battery unit 6 positioned in the flat surface area of the substrate is connected to the input side of the DC/AC converter 10 through two conductive paths 8, the DC/AC converter 10 also being positioned in the flat surface area. The tab switch 12 is positioned between the battery 6 and the converter 10 on one of the conductive paths 8. An annular transmission induction coil 14 extends around the periphery of the lens recess 4 and is connected to the output side of the DC/AC converter 10 through two conductive paths 8. A foil lid (not shown in fig. 1) extends over the upper surface of the blister pack and is heat sealed to the surface such that the recess 4 and lid together form a chamber in which the contact lens 20 can be stored. The dashed lines in the groove 4 in fig. 1 indicate the position of the contact lens 20.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the contact lens 20 stored in the bubble package 1 of the first embodiment. The electronic device 22 is positioned within the contact lens 20. The electronic device comprises an electronic component 23 powered by a battery 24. The electronic device 22 further includes an AC/DC converter 26. The battery 24 is connected to an AC/DC converter 26, which AC/DC converter 26 is in turn connected to an annular receiving induction coil 28 that extends circumferentially around a peripheral portion of the lens 20.

Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram for the bubble package and contact lens of the first embodiment. The circuit diagram shows a charging circuit 3 (positioned in the bubble package 1, not shown in fig. 3) and a receiving circuit 5 (positioned in the contact lens 20, not shown in fig. 3). The charging circuit comprises a battery 6, a switch 12, a DC/AC converter 10 and an inductor 14. The battery 6, the switch 12, and the DC/AC converter 10 are connected in series. The inductor 14 is connected to the output of the DC/AC converter 10. The receiving circuit includes a battery 24, an AC/DC converter 26, and an inductor 28. The battery 24 and the AC/DC converter 26 of the receiving circuit are connected in series. The inductor 28 is connected to the input of the AC/DC converter 26. It will be appreciated that other elements may be included in both the charging circuit and the receiving circuit.

In use, the battery cell 6 is charged shortly before the sealed blister pack is distributed to the end user. Prior to use of the contact lens 20, such as the night before the contact lens 20 is used, the end user presses the tab switch 12 to begin charging the contact lens battery 24. Closing the switch 12 allows direct current to flow from the bubble-packaged battery 6 to the converter 10. The converter then outputs an alternating current to the transmission coil 14, which causes the coil to generate an alternating electromagnetic field. As the coil 14 extends around the periphery of the recess 4, the field generated by the antenna 14 extends across the chamber in which the contact lens 20 is stored. The electromagnetic field generated by the transmission coil 14 induces an alternating current in the receiving coil 28 of the contact lens 20, which is then converted to a DC current by the AC/DC converter 26 before being stored in the contact lens battery 24. The lens 20 may be left to charge overnight. Once the contact lens battery 24 is charged, the user can unseal the blister package 1 by removing the foil lid and then use the lens 20, with the contact lens battery 24 powering the electronic components 23 of the electronic device 22.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, those of ordinary skill will appreciate that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Integers or elements are mentioned in the foregoing description having known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. The reader will also appreciate that integers or features of the invention that are described as required do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Further, it will be understood that such optional integers or features, while having possible benefits in some embodiments of the invention, may be undesirable in other embodiments and thus may not be present.

Claims (19)

1. A contact lens blister package comprising (i) a chamber for storing a contact lens; and (ii) a charging circuit configured to charge an electronic device forming a portion of a contact lens stored in the chamber.

2. The contact lens bubble package of claim 1, wherein the charging circuit includes a power source.

3. The contact lens bubble package of claim 2, wherein the power source is a battery and the charging circuit includes a DC/AC inverter arranged to convert direct current from the battery to alternating current.

4. The contact lens bubble package of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the charging circuit is configured to wirelessly charge the electronic device.

5. The contact lens bubble package of claim 4, wherein the charging circuit includes a first induction coil arranged to receive current from a power source and wirelessly provide power to the electronic device.

6. The contact lens blister package of claim 5, wherein said first induction coil extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of said chamber.

7. The contact lens bubble package of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the electronic device includes a second induction coil electromagnetically coupled to the first induction coil, the first and second induction coils preferably having the same resonant frequency.

8. The contact lens bubble package of any preceding claim, wherein the charging circuit includes a switch arranged to control operation of the charging circuit.

9. The contact lens blister package of any preceding claim, wherein the blister package comprises a base member, wherein the base member comprises at least a portion of the charging circuit.

10. The contact lens blister package of any preceding claim, wherein the blister package comprises a sealing member, wherein the sealing member comprises at least a portion of the charging circuit.

11. The contact lens blister package of any preceding claim, a contact lens comprising an electronic device positioned within the chamber.

12. A base member for the contact lens bubble package of any one of claims 1-10, the base member comprising an electrical circuit configured to function as a charging circuit.

13. A sealing member for the contact lens bubble package of any one of claims 1-10, the sealing member comprising an electrical circuit configured to function as a charging circuit.

14. A method of manufacturing a packaged electronic contact lens, the method comprising: placing the contact lens including one or more electronic components in a chamber of a blister package, the blister package comprising a charging circuit configured to charge the electronic device; and then sealing the blister package, wherein the contact lens is contained within the chamber.

15. A method of providing an electrical charge to an electronic device included within a contact lens, the method comprising sealing the contact lens in a bubble package comprising a charging circuit configured to charge the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charging circuit comprises a power source, and the method comprises charging the power source after the contact lens has been sealed in the blister package.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of charging the power source occurs more than one month after sealing the blister pack.

18. The method of any one of claims 15-17, wherein the method comprises activating the charging circuit to charge the electronic device.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 when dependent on claim 16 or 17, wherein the step of activating the charging circuit occurs more than one month after charging the power supply.