Safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of eyelids

Abstract

This invention, as a safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of eyelids, includes a wearable component, a magnetic element, a physiological sensor, a magnetic actuator, a control module, and a release button. The wearable component is attached to the user's face. The magnetic element can be placed on an abnormal upper eyelid. The physiological sensor is located on the wearable component to detect changes in the user's eye opening and closing or related muscles around the eye socket and generate a detection result signal. The control module controls the magnetic actuator to be magnetically attracted or demagnetized based on the detection result signal. When magnetically attracted, the magnetic actuator and the magnetic element attract each other to assist in opening or closing the abnormal eyelid. The invention includes a release button on the control module, which can forcibly interrupt the mutual attraction between the magnetic actuator and the magnetic element, preventing the user from being injured by abnormal eyelid pulling and improving safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention is an auxiliary device for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, specifically an auxiliary device for improving ptosis and incomplete eyelid closure. Prior Technology

[0002] Facial nerve palsy is not a rare disease. Main symptoms include weakness at the corner of the mouth, asymmetrical smiling, and inability to close the eyelids. If left untreated, inability to close the eyelids can lead to complications such as keratitis, corneal ulcers, and even blindness. Current treatments for inability to close the eyelids include metal implantation, eyelid suturing, medial canthoplasty, medication, and supportive therapy. Some studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the facial nerve or orbicularis oculi muscle and nerve repair catheters can improve eyelid closure, but these methods are not yet suitable for practical clinical application.

[0003] Car accidents, complications from eye surgery, and diseases of the nervous, muscular, autoimmune, and congenital systems can cause ptosis (drooping eyelids). Although corrective surgeries are available, they often require multiple procedures, causing inconvenience to patients and raising concerns about other complications.

[0004] Currently, there are few practical devices that can improve incomplete eyelid closure and ptosis, causing considerable inconvenience to these patients in their daily lives. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a safe magnetic control device that assists in controlling the opening and closing of the eyelids. For users with abnormal eyelids, it can help improve the opening and closing movements of the abnormal eyelids.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the safety magnetic control device for assisting in the opening and closing of the eyelids proposed in this invention includes a wearable component, a magnetic element, a physiological sensor, a magnetic actuator, a control module, and a manual magnetic release button.

[0007] The wearable device can be attached to a user's face; the magnetic element is attached to an abnormal eyelid of the user; the physiological sensor is attached to the wearable device to detect changes in the muscles around the user's eye socket and generate a detection result signal; the magnetic actuator is attached to the wearable device and corresponds to the magnetic element, and is magnetically attracted or demagnetized according to control, and can attract each other with the magnetic element when the magnetic actuator is magnetic; the control module is electrically connected to the physiological sensor and the magnetic actuator through a signal line, and controls the magnetic actuator to be magnetically attracted or demagnetized according to the detection result signal; the release button is located on the control module, and when the release button is manually triggered, the control module forces the magnetic actuator to demagnetize.

[0008] The magnetic element in this invention can be attached to an abnormal upper eyelid. The physiological sensor can detect muscle changes in the user's normal eyelids or other facial areas and provide a detection result signal for the control module to determine whether the user wants to open or close their eyes. When the eye movement is determined, the magnetic actuator can be controlled to be magnetic or not magnetic. When the magnetic actuator is magnetic, it can attract each other with the magnetic element, thereby controlling the abnormal eyelid to open or close. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1: Circuit block diagram of the first embodiment of this invention. Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the appearance of the first embodiment of this invention. Figure 3: Schematic diagram of the appearance of the second embodiment of this invention. Figure 4: An application illustration of this creation. Figure 5: Circuit block diagram of the third embodiment of this invention. Figure 6: Schematic diagram of the appearance of the third embodiment of this invention. Figure 7: Schematic diagram of the appearance of the fourth embodiment of this invention. Implementation

[0010] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. This invention is a safe magnetic control device for assisting in controlling eyelid movement, comprising: a wearable device 10, a physiological sensor 20, a magnetic actuator 31, a control module 40, a magnetic element 50, and a release button 60.

[0011] In this embodiment, the wearable device 10 is exemplified by an eyeglass frame, which can be worn by a patient. The wearable device 10 mainly includes a first frame 11 and a second frame 12 on the left and right sides, a first temple 14 pivotally connected to the side of the first frame 11, a second temple 15 pivotally connected to the side of the second frame 12, and a support frame 16 mounted on the upper edge of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12. For ease of understanding, in the following description, the first frame 11 corresponds to the user's normal eyelid; the second frame 12 corresponds to the user's abnormal eyelid, that is, an eye with abnormal eyelid opening and closing. A central beam (not shown in the figure) connects the first frame 11 and the second frame 12. In one embodiment, the entirety or part of the wearable device 10 can be manufactured using 3D printing technology, and several receiving slots can be made to accommodate the physiological sensor 20, the magnetic actuator 31, etc., so that the physiological sensor 20 and the magnetic actuator 31 are hidden inside the wearable device 10, avoiding the user being looked at differently.

[0012] The physiological sensor 20 is used to detect changes in the muscles around the eye socket or changes in blinking images when the eyes are open / closed, and outputs a detection result signal. In this embodiment, the physiological sensor 20 is an optical sensor, which can be an infrared sensor consisting of an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver. It is preferably located on the side corresponding to the user's normal eye, for example, on the support frame 16 above the first frame 11; or, as shown in FIG3, the physiological sensor 20 is located on the temple of the lens on the side corresponding to the user's normal eye, that is, on the inner side of the first temple 14, and adjacent to the first frame 11. The physiological sensor 20 is located approximately one centimeter behind the outer canthus of the eye. The infrared emitter periodically emits a reference light of a fixed wavelength to the muscles around the eye socket, such as the muscles at the posterior margin of the outer canthus, to detect changes in the muscles around the eye socket when the eyes are open or closed. The infrared receiver receives a reflected light from the muscles around the eye socket, such as the reflected light from the muscles at the posterior margin of the outer canthus, and outputs a reflected light signal as a reference for comparing with the reference light. In this embodiment, the detection result signal is the reflected light signal.

[0013] The magnetic actuator 31 (Electro Permanent Magnet) includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, and is mounted on the wearable device 10 and located on the side corresponding to the eyelid abnormality. In this embodiment, the magnetic actuator 31 is movably attached to the support frame 16 above the second frame 12 and is electrically connected to the control module 40 via a signal line. The signal line can be embedded, for example, in the internal channel of the support frame 16 and any temple, such as inside the first temple 14, but is not limited to the above method. The magnetic actuator 31 can be mounted on the support frame 16 via a corresponding combination of a slider and a slide rail, for example, fixed on a slider 32, which is attached to a slide rail 33 on the support frame 16, allowing the magnetic actuator 31 to be adjusted and moved within the support frame 16.

[0014] The control module 40 is portable and can be attached to a garment, for example, with a clip or placed in a garment pocket. It is electrically connected to the physiological sensor 20 and the magnetic actuator 31 via a signal line. The control module 40 receives detection signals from the physiological sensor 20 and controls the magnetic actuator 31 to either attract or de-attract. A release button 60 is located on the control module 40. When the release button 60 is pressed, it forces the magnetic actuator 31 to de-attract, preventing the magnetic actuator 31 from attracting the magnetic element 50.

[0015] Referring to Figure 4, the magnetic element 50 is designed to be attached to the user's abnormal eyelid, for example, using double-sided adhesive. When the magnetic actuator 31 is not magnetically attracted, there is no attraction between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31. Conversely, when the magnetic actuator 31 is magnetically attracted, the magnetic element 50 can be attracted. In another preferred embodiment, the magnetic element 50 is implanted in the abnormal eyelid; the magnetic element 50 is a thin metal sheet, such as a magnetic sheet composed of iron, nickel, or cobalt.

[0016] One application of the release button 60 is for professionals such as doctors to adjust the relative position between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31. Because the position of the magnetic actuator 31 on the wearable device 10 may need to be changed during the adjustment process, the attraction between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31 needs to be interrupted. At this time, the release button 60 can be pressed to avoid improper pulling of the user's eyelids.

[0017] Another application of the release button 60 is for user operation. For example, if the wearable device 10 shifts and the magnetic actuator 31 still attracts the magnetic element 50, the user's eyelids will be pulled. In this case, the user can press the release button to release the attraction between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31 to avoid injury.

[0018] Please refer to Figures 5 and 6 for another embodiment of this invention. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is the inclusion of a vibration sensor 70, which is electrically connected to the control module 40 and mounted on the wearable device 10. For example, it may be positioned on the side corresponding to the user's abnormal eyelid, above the second frame 12 on the support frame 16 and adjacent to the second temple 15, or on the second temple 15. The vibration sensor 70 continuously senses and outputs a vibration sensing signal to the control module 40. The control module 40 compares whether the vibration sensing signal is greater than a preset vibration threshold. If it is greater than the preset vibration threshold, it will force the magnetic actuator 31 to demagnetize, causing the magnetic actuator 31 to stop functioning and not attracting the magnetic element 50. Therefore, when the user wears this invention, in the event of an accident such as a collision or fall, even if the wearable device 10 shifts, the user's eyelids can still be prevented from being pulled and injured.

[0019] One application of this invention is to assist users with ptosis (drooping eyelids). Referring to Figure 4, when the user wears this invention, the magnetic actuator 31 is positioned above the second frame 12 on the side of the drooping eyelid, near the eyebrow on that side; while the magnetic element 50 is positioned on the drooping upper eyelid. For users with ptosis, their eyelids are in a drooping, semi-closed state without external intervention. To allow users to see normally in daily life without being obstructed by the eyelids, the magnetic actuator 31 is controlled to be in a magnetically attracted state most of the time, causing the magnetic element 50 to attract the magnetic actuator 31. The magnetic element 50 is attracted by the magnetic actuator 31, allowing the drooping eyelid to open fully.

[0020] With the eyelid still, the physiological sensor 20 continuously detects the muscles around the eye socket on the side of the normal eyelid and generates a detection result signal. For example, an infrared emitter continuously emits a reference light at a fixed frequency to the muscles around the eye socket of the normal eyelid; then an infrared receiver receives a reflected light reflected by the muscles around the eye socket and outputs the reflected light signal to the control module 40.

[0021] The control module 40 receives the detection result signal, such as the reflected light signal and compares the wavelength values ​​of the reference light and the reflected light. If the wavelength of the reference light is equal to that of the reflected light, it is determined to be an open-eye mode, and the control module 40 does not perform any action. If the user blinks, the muscles around the eye socket will vibrate, causing the wavelength of the reflected light to change. If the wavelength of the reference light is not equal to that of the reflected light, it is determined to be a blinking mode.

[0022] When the control module 40 determines that the blinking mode is active, it controls the magnetic actuator 31 to de-magnetize, causing the electromagnet inside the actuator 31 to generate a repulsive force on the internal permanent magnet. This causes the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31 to lose their attractive force, allowing the abnormal eyelid to close naturally and easily. After a preset time, the control module 40 can further control the magnetic actuator 31 to re-magnetize. Unless the physiological sensor 20 detects that the user is intentionally closing their eyes, the magnetic actuator 31 will re-attract the magnetic element 50. The abnormal eyelid will open due to the attraction between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31, completing the blinking action and allowing the abnormal eyelid to open fully. During continuous blinking, data such as blinking speed and blinking frequency can be recorded simultaneously. The preset time can be adjusted according to the user's habits and comfort.

[0023] In another embodiment of this invention, the physiological sensor 20 is a lens that continuously captures images of the user's eye or the muscles around the eye socket on the side of the normal eyelid at fixed intervals, and generates a detection result signal. This detection result signal can be an image signal generated after the lens captures the image, and the image signal is output to the control module 40. The control module 40 can use an artificial intelligence image recognition model to determine whether the user is in an open-eye or blinking mode from the image signal, and then the control module 40 executes the control operations described above.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 7, which shows the fourth embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, the support frame 16 of the wearable device 10 is mounted on the lower edge of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12. The magnetic actuator 31 is disposed on the support frame 16 corresponding to the second frame 12 and is located inside the second frame 12. Using the structure of this embodiment, users with incomplete eyelid closure can be assisted in treatment. Its application is described below.

[0025] When the user wears this device, the magnetic actuator 31 is mounted below the second frame 12 on the side of the abnormal eyelid, near the eye bag on that side. The physiological sensor 20 is located on the central beam between the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 to detect changes in the auxiliary muscles for opening and closing the eyes near the user's brow, or to detect changes in the muscles around the eye socket or changes in the blinking image when the physiological sensor 20 is placed on the upper edge of the normal eye socket. The magnetic element 50 is also located on the abnormal eyelid. For users with incomplete eyelid closure, the magnetic actuator 31 is controlled to be in a magnetic state most of the time, so that the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31 attract each other. The magnetic element 50 is attracted by the magnetic actuator 31, so that the eyelid on the affected side can be completely closed.

[0026] With the eyelids still, the physiological sensor 20 continuously detects the assistive muscles for opening and closing the eyes above the normal eyelid or near the patient's brow, and generates a detection result signal. For example, an infrared emitter continuously emits a reference light at a fixed frequency to the periorbital muscles of the normal eyelid; then an infrared receiver receives a reflected light reflected from the periorbital muscles and outputs the reflected light signal to the control module 40.

[0027] The control module 40 receives the detection result signal, such as the reflected light signal, and compares the wavelength values ​​of the reference light and the reflected light. If the wavelength of the reference light is equal to that of the reflected light, it is determined to be in non-eye-opening mode, and the control module 40 does not perform any action.

[0028] If the user opens their eyes slightly, the brow muscle that assists in opening the eyes will vibrate, causing a change in the wavelength of the reflected light. This results in the wavelength of the reference light being different from that of the reflected light, which is then determined to be the eye-opening mode.

[0029] When the control module 40 determines that the eye-opening mode is active, it controls the magnetic actuator 31 to de-magnetize, causing the electromagnet inside the magnetic actuator 31 to generate a repulsive force on the internal permanent magnet. This causes the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31 to lose their attraction, allowing the abnormal eyelid to open naturally and easily. After a preset time, the control module 40 can further control the magnetic actuator 31 to re-magnetize. Unless the physiological sensor 20 detects that the user is intentionally keeping their eyes open, the magnetic actuator 31 will re-attract the magnetic element 50, and the abnormal eyelid will close due to the attraction between the magnetic element 50 and the magnetic actuator 31, thus achieving the eye-closing action.

[0030] In another embodiment of this invention, the control module 40 includes a data transmission circuit 41 that can transmit data such as blinking speed and blinking frequency wirelessly or via wire to an external device 80 for recording, analysis, or display. The external device 80 may be a control computer that can be operated by professionals such as doctors, and the preset time can be adjusted through the external device 80.

[0031] In summary, this invention provides a safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelids. The magnetic element can be installed on the abnormal eyelid, and the magnetic force of the wearable device can be used to attract the magnetic element to control the abnormal eyelid to open or close, thereby improving the user's daily life.

[0032] 10: Wearable items 11: First frame 12: Second frame 14: First temple 15: Second temple 16: Load-bearing frame 20: Physiological Sensors 31: Magnetic Actuator 32: Slider 33: Slide rail 40: Control Module 41: Data transmission circuit 50: Magnetic element 60: Release button 70: Vibration sensor 80: External devices

Claims

1. A safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of an eyelid, comprising: a wearable component for mounting on a user's face; a magnetic element for mounting on an abnormal eyelid of the user; a physiological sensor mounted on the wearable component for detecting changes in the user's periorbital muscles to generate a detection result signal; and a magnetic actuator mounted on the wearable component and corresponding to the magnetic element, which generates magnetic attraction or non-magnetic attraction according to control, wherein... When the magnetic actuator is magnetically attracted, it can attract the magnetic element; a control module is electrically connected to the physiological sensor and the magnetic actuator through a signal line, and controls the magnetic actuator to be magnetically attracted or not magnetically attracted according to the detection result signal; a release button is set on the control module, and when the release button is triggered, the control module forces the magnetic actuator to be demagnetized.

2. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 1, wherein, The wearable device is equipped with a vibration sensor, which is electrically connected to the control module and outputs a vibration sensing signal to the control module. When the control module determines that the vibration sensing signal is greater than a preset vibration threshold, it controls the magnetic actuator to de-magnetize so that the magnetic actuator can be separated from the magnetic element.

3. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 2, wherein, The sensor is an infrared optical sensor, which includes an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver.

4. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 2, wherein, The sensor is a lens that captures images of the muscles at the outer canthus of the user's eye, the auxiliary muscles for opening and closing the eyes, or the opening and closing of the eyes, in order to generate an image signal as the detection result signal.

5. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 4, wherein, The control module uses an artificial intelligence image recognition model to judge the image signal.

6. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 2, wherein, The wearable device is a glasses frame, comprising a first frame, a second frame, a first temple pivotally connected to the side of the first frame, a second temple pivotally connected to the side of the second frame, and a support frame mounted on the upper edges of the first frame and the second frame; wherein, the physiological sensor is disposed on the support frame corresponding to the first frame; the magnetic actuator and the vibration sensor are disposed on the support frame corresponding to the second frame; the magnetic element is a thin metal sheet.

7. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 6, wherein, The control module is separately disposed from the wearable device. The control module is electrically connected to the physiological sensor and the magnetic actuator through the signal line disposed in the first temple.

8. The safety magnetic control device for assisting in the control of the eyelid as described in claim 1, wherein, The magnetic actuator includes an electromagnet and a permanent magnet; the magnetic actuator is disposed on the wearable device via a slider and a slide rail; the magnetic actuator is disposed on the slider, the slider is movably coupled to the slide rail, and the slide rail is disposed on the wearable device.

9. The safety magnetic control device for assisting eyelid control as described in claim 2, wherein the wearable component is a lens frame, comprising a first frame, a second frame, a first temple pivotally connected to the side of the first frame, a second temple pivotally connected to the side of the second frame, a support frame mounted on the lower edges of the first frame and the second frame, and a central beam connecting the first frame and the second frame; wherein, The physiological sensor is located on the central beam; the magnetic actuator and the vibration sensor are located on the support frame below the first frame or the second frame; the magnetic element is a thin metal sheet.

10. The safety magnetic control device for assisting control of the eyelid as described in claim 1, the control module including a data transmission circuit for communicating with an external device in a wired or wireless manner.

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