WO2008043128A1

WO2008043128A1 - Contact lens case with counter

Info

Publication number: WO2008043128A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/001461
Authority: WO
Inventors: Prince Antony
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-11
Filing date: 2007-10-04
Publication date: 2008-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-11

Abstract

A contact lens container having a body portion with a pair of storage containers for storing a pair of contact lenses, a display for indicating a number of wears of the contact lenses remaining, and a counter button adapted for pressing by a wearer of the contact lenses each time the contact lenses are worn so as to reduce the number of wears indicated on the display by one each time the counter button is pressed and thereby track the number of wears of the contact lenses remaining.

Description

CONTACT LENS CASE WITH COUNTER

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a contact lens container, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a contact lens container with a display for indicating when contact lenses contained in the container are due for replacement.

Background of the Invention

It has been previously proposed to provide a contact lens container with a separate storage compartment for each contact lens. This kind of contact lens container is widely used, however it has the problem that it is difficult for the contact lens wearer to keep track of the number of times the contact lenses have been worn, and thus the time at which replacement of the contact lenses is due. This problem can lead to the user wearing the contact lenses more than the number of prescribed times, which may result in damage to the wearer's eyes. Many contact lens wearers do not wear their contact lenses every day, and this compounds the problem of keeping track of the due time for replacement of the contact lenses.

United States Patent No. 5,699,900 discloses a contact lens case with automatic counter which is intended to count the number of days that the contact lenses have been worn. However the applicant has identified that an automatic counter may present a problem in that the counter is dependent on the number of times the case is opened and closed, which may result in inaccuracy due to the counter being updated more often than the contact lenses are worn as the user does not have control over the counter independent of opening/closing the case cover.

Examples of the present invention seek to provide an improved contact lens container which overcomes or at least alleviates one or more disadvantages associated with previous contact lens containers. Smnmarv of the Invention

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a contact lens container having a body portion with a pair of storage containers for storing a pair of contact lenses, a display for indicating a number of wears of the contact lenses remaining, and a counter button adapted for pressing by a wearer of the contact lenses each time the contact lenses are worn so as to reduce the number of wears indicated on the display by one each time the counter button is pressed and thereby track the number of wears of the contact lenses remaining.

Preferably, the contact lens container includes a reset button for resetting the display to a start number when the wearer begins using a new pair of contact lenses. More preferably, the contact lens container includes a plurality of reset buttons for resetting the display to different start numbers depending on the prescribed total number of wears of the type of contact lenses being used. Even more preferably, one reset button resets the display to the number 14 for fortnightly contact lenses, and another reset button resets the display to the number 30 for monthly contact lenses. In one example, the reset buttons operate only when the number on the display is at zero.

Preferably, the contact lens container includes an alarm which is activated when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to indicate to the wearer that the contact lenses require replacement.

Preferably, the display shows an indicator when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to indicate to the wearer that the contact lenses require replacement. More preferably, the indicator is the word "REPLACE" or the like.

Preferably, the contact lens container is adapted to communicate with a contact lens supplier when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to order more contact lenses. Preferably, the display is mounted on the body between the storage containers. More preferably, the counter button is mounted on the body between the storage containers and beneath the display.

Preferably, the display is electronic. More preferably, the display is a digital display.

In a preferred example, the number of wears is displayed numerically on the display.

Preferably, the display includes a light which illuminates the display for a predetermined period of time on pressing any one of the buttons.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of tracking a number of remaining wears of contact lenses including the steps of: providing a contact lens container having a body portion for storing the contact lenses; pressing a counter button of the contact lens container each time the contact lenses are worn; and viewing a display of the contact lens container which indicates a number of remaining wears of the contact lenses, responsive to the pressing of the counter button.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a contact lens container in accordance with an example;

Figure 2 is a front view of the contact lens container of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the contact lens container of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the contact lens container of Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 is an end view of the contact lens container ύf Figures 1 to 4; and

Figure 6 is a rear view of the contact lens container of Figures 1 to 6.

Detailed Description

A contact lens container 10 in accordance with an example of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings.

The contact lens container 10 has a body portion 12 with a pair of storage containers 14, 16 for storing a pair of contact lenses. More specifically, the contact lens container 10 is provided with a left-hand storage container 14 for a left-hand contact lens, and a right-hand storage container 16 for a right-hand contact lens. A display 18 is provided for indicating a number of remaining wears of the contact lenses, and a counter button 20 adapted for pressing by a wearer of the contact lenses each time the contact lenses are worn so as to reduce the number of remaining wears indicated on the display by one each time the counter button is pressed to thereby track the number of remaining wears of the contact lenses.

Accordingly, each time the wearer uses the contact lenses (eg. at the time of removing the contact lenses from the contact lens container 10 or storing the contact lenses in the contact lens container 10) the counter button 20 is pressed so as to incrementally reduce the number of remaining wears indicated on the display 18. Advantageously, if the wearer opens the storage containers 14, 16 by removing the threaded lids 22, 24 but then decides not to wear the contact lenses, he/she can simply place the contact lenses back into the storage containers 14, 16 and close the threaded lids 22, 24 without altering the value indicated on the display 12.

The contact lens container 10 includes a pair of reset buttons 26, 28 for resetting the display 18 to different starting values depending on the prescribed total number of wears of the type of contact lenses being used. More specifically, a first reset button 26 resets the display 18 to represent the number 14 for fortnightly contact lenses, and a second reset button 28 resets the display 18 to represent the number 30 for monthly contact lenses.

In the example of the contact lens container 10 shown in the drawings, the reset buttons 26, 28 operate only when the number represented on the display is at zero, to avoid accidentally resetting of the display 18 during counting back to zero.

The contact lens container 10 has an alarm which is sounded through a speaker 30 in a rear of the body portion 12 which is activated when the number of remaining wears indicated on the display 18 reaches zero, so as to indicate to the wearer that the contact lenses need replacing. On reaching zero, the display 18 may also show an indicator in the form of a word such as "REPLACE" so as to also indicate visually to the wearer that the contact lenses require replacement. In advanced examples of the invention, the applicant has foreseen that it may be advantageous for the contact lens container 10 to be adapted to communicate, for example by way of Bluetooth or mobile telephone network transmission, with a contact lens supplier when the number of remaining wears indicated on the display reaches zero so that further contact lenses can be ordered automatically.

The display 18 is preferably in the form of a digital electronic display mounted on the body portion 12 between the storage containers 14, 16, with the counter button 20 conveniently mounted on the body portion 12 beneath the display 18. In this way, the wearer is able to easily operate the counter button 20 while having the contact lens container 10 with the front surface facing upwardly, and accidental operation of the counter button 20 (for example while the contact lens container 10 is in a handbag) may be avoided by virtue of the contact button 20 being lower in profile than the storage containers 14, 16. The reset buttons 26, 28 are located in a top surface of the body portion 12 for convenient operation by the wearer's index fingers while holding the contact lens container 10. A section of the body portion 12 on which the reset buttons 26, 28 are located is narrowed to prevent accidental operation of the reset buttons 26, 28, and also to provide an aesthetically pleasing design.

On pressing either the counter button 20 or the reset buttons 26, 28, a light which illuminates the display 18 is activated for a predetermined period of time of approximately 3 seconds such that the display 18 can be read in the dark. The counter button 20 may also serve as an on/off button when held down for a few seconds to enable saving battery life, or may simply serve as an on (not off) button for initial switching on of the display 18. The body portion 12 may be configured to allow replacement of the battery, or may be sealed such that the contact lens container 10 is disposable when the battery expires.

While an example of the present invention has been described above, it should be understood that it has been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by the above described example.

For example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the number of remaining wears of the contact lenses may be displayed numerically on the display 18, or by other graphic means such as by a bar which reduces in length corresponding to the number of wears left.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A contact lens container having a body portion with a pair of storage containers for storing a pair of contact lenses, a counter button adapted for pressing by a wearer of the contact lenses each time the contact lenses are worn and a display for indicating a number of remaining wears of the contact lenses, responsive to the pressing of the button.

2. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 1, arranged whereby pressing the button reduces the number of remaining wears indicated on the display by one each time the counter button is pressed to thereby track the number of remaining wears of the contact lenses.

3. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, including a reset button for resetting the display to a start number when the wearer begins using a new pair of contact lenses.

4. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 3, including a plurality of reset buttons for resetting the display to different start numbers depending on the prescribed total number of wears of the type of contact lenses being used.

5. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 4, wherein one reset button resets the display to the number 14 for fortnightly contact lenses, and another reset button resets the display to the number 30 for monthly contact lenses.

6. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the reset buttons operate only when the number on the display is at zero.

7. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, including an alarm which is activated when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to indicate to the wearer that the contact lenses require replacement.

8. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 1, wherein the display shows an indicator when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to indicate to the wearer that the contact lenses require replacement.

9. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the indicator is the word "REPLACE" or the like.

10. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the contact lens container is adapted to communicate with a contact lens supplier when the number on the display reaches zero, so as to order more contact lenses.

11. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the display is mounted on the body between the storage containers.

12. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 11, wherein the counter button is mounted on the body between the storage containers and beneath the display.

13. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the display is electronic.

14. A contact lens container as claimed in claim 13, wherein the display is a digital display.

15. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the number of wears is displayed numerically on the display.

16. A contact lens container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the display includes a light which illuminates the display for a predetermined period of time on pressing any one of the buttons.

17. A method of tracking a number of remaining wears of contact lenses including the steps of: providing a contact lens container having a body portion for storing the contact lenses; pressing a counter button of the contact lens container each time the contact lenses are worn; and viewing a display of the contact lens container which indicates a number of remaining wears of the contact lenses, responsive to the pressing of the counter button.

18. A contact lens container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.