Appliance and method for assisting in using eye drops

Abstract

The invention provides an appliance and a method for assisting in use of eye drops, the appliance comprises a connecting handle, the connecting handle comprises two U-shaped structures, the opening ends of the two U-shaped structures are oppositely closed, the two U-shaped structures respectively correspond to a first U-shaped structure of a long handle and a second U-shaped structure of a short handle, and an opening of the first U-shaped structure is connected with an opening of the second U-shaped structure through a rotating shaft in a penetrating manner; a reset spring is arranged on the outer ring of the rotating shaft, and the bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connecting position of the side wing and the lower wing on the corresponding side. The ends, away from the U-shaped structure bottom plate, of the side wings are sequentially connected with pinching side lugs and supporting rings, an inverted eye drop bottle body is clamped between the two supporting rings, and an eyelid edge contact plate is arranged at the end, away from the side wings, of the lower wing. The reset spring is installed on the outer ring of the rotating shaft, the two extending ends of the reset spring abut against the connecting positions of the side wings and the lower wings on the two sides respectively, the lever mechanics principle and the resilience mechanics principle are fused, and the use efficiency and effect of the device are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical assistive devices, and specifically to an apparatus and method for assisting the use of eye drops, which can be used for people who have difficulty using eye drops due to eye muscle sensitivity or fear, such as children / the elderly, and patients with eye diseases who are difficult to cooperate due to other systemic diseases. Background Art

[0002] There are many types of eye diseases, and different age groups have their corresponding high-incidence types. For example, children and adolescents are more likely to have refractive errors due to improper use of their eyes; young and middle-aged people are more susceptible to dry eyes and conjunctivitis due to long working hours and environmental factors; and middle-aged and elderly people are more likely to develop cataracts and macular degeneration due to age factors. In addition, due to the influence of systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, such patients often have complications of fundus retinal diseases. For the above-mentioned diseases, the current conventional ophthalmic treatment options are eye drop intervention or surgery combined with postoperative eye drops. Therefore, the use of eye drops is extremely common in the treatment of various ophthalmic diseases.

[0003] Currently, the vast majority of patients use eye drops by using the thumb and index finger of one hand to hold open the upper and lower eyelids, and the thumb and index finger of the other hand to squeeze the eye drop bottle so that the contents fall into the conjunctival sac to complete the eye drop action. However, not all patients can complete this process smoothly. Some patients have more sensitive orbicularis oculi muscles, and due to fear, they are unable to relax and cooperate during the use of eye drops, resulting in stress-induced closure of the upper and lower eyelids and inability to complete the eye drop action. In addition, some patients tend to ignore the hand washing and disinfection steps before using eye drops. Therefore, when using fingers to hold open the eyelid margin, the risk of bacterial infection of the meibomian glands and conjunctiva is increased.

[0004] Therefore, for some ophthalmologists who need to use eye drops, the traditional two-handed eye drop method has the following technical defects: it cannot help patients complete the eye drop action smoothly, resulting in the eye drops not entering the conjunctival sac or the dose entering the conjunctival sac is insufficient, affecting the treatment effect; at the same time, there are health hazards and an increased risk of infection.

[0005] Chinese patent publication number CN209075131U discloses an eye drop auxiliary device and an eye drop bottle. The eye drop auxiliary device mainly includes an eye mask body, an eye drop channel, a shading member, a luminous member, a sliding portion arranged on the outside of the eye drop channel and capable of sliding along the length direction of the eye drop channel, and a connecting portion connecting the eye drop channel and the storage member. By arranging the eye mask body and the eye drop channel, the eye drops can be dripped at a certain distance from the eye; the shading member cooperates with the luminous member to guide the eyes to open during the eye drop process, making it easier for the eye drops to drip into the eye; there are the following technical defects: the eye drop auxiliary device relies on the subjective cooperation of the user, and is not very friendly to patients with neurological diseases or ptosis who cannot cooperate. At the same time, it cannot effectively induce patients who are sensitive and nervous about eye drops to open their eyes, making it extremely inconvenient to use.

[0006] A Chinese patent with publication number CN208031374U discloses an eye drop dispenser, which includes a first clamping plate, a second clamping plate, a back plate and a bottom plate; the side edge of one end of the first clamping plate is fixedly connected to the first side edge of the back plate, the side edge of one end of the second clamping plate is fixedly connected to the second side edge of the back plate, and the side edge of the bottom plate is fixedly connected to the third side edge of the back plate; the first clamping plate, the second clamping plate, the back plate and the bottom plate form a clamping frame for clamping the eye drop bottle; the eye drop dispenser can solve the problem of eye drops dripping, but has the following technical defects: it fails to effectively solve the difficulty of patients opening their eyes due to tension when applying eye drops, so the device cannot effectively assist in completing the eye drop action.

[0007] Chinese patent publication number CN215459249U discloses an auxiliary device for eye drops, comprising a bottle, a gripping lug, a connecting disc, a hoop, a lever, a connecting ring, a support ring, and a lid contact plate. The lever, hoop, and lid contact plate are integrally formed, with one end of the connecting disc pivotally connected to the gripping lug and the other end fixedly connected to the hoop. A lever is also connected below the connecting disc, and a connecting ring is fixedly disposed in the middle and lower third of the lever. The support ring passes through two connecting rings and connects the left and right levers, forming a single unit. A lid contact plate is also disposed at the bottom of the lever. However, the lever suffers from the following technical drawbacks: the lever moves around the support ring to open, and after the eye drops are completed, the lever retracts, causing pressure on the bottle and wasting eye drops.

[0008] Therefore, how to design an auxiliary eye drop device that is simple to operate, easy to use, and can realize the opening and recovery functions of the carrier device, and how to design a method for auxiliary eye drop use that can achieve precise eye drop control and avoid ocular surface infection have become problems that need to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In response to the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for assisting the use of eye drops to solve at least one of the above technical problems.

[0010] The technical solution of the present invention is: an instrument for assisting the use of eye drops, including a connecting handle, wherein the connecting handle includes a U-shaped structure with two open ends facing each other, and the two U-shaped structures respectively correspond to the first U-shaped structure of the long handle and the second U-shaped structure of the short handle, and the opening of the first U-shaped structure is connected with the opening of the second U-shaped structure through a rotating shaft, and the outer ring of the rotating shaft is provided with a reset spring, and the bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connection between the side wings and the lower wing on the corresponding side; the two protruding ends of the reset spring respectively abut against the bottom plates in the openings of the U-shaped structures on both sides; the end of the side wing away from the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure is connected to the pinching side ear, and the end surfaces of the two pinching side ears close to each other are provided with supporting rings, and the inverted eye drop bottle body is clamped between the two supporting rings; each U-shaped structure and the corresponding side wing, lower wing, pinching side ear and supporting ring are an integrally formed structure.

[0011] The present invention adopts a first U-shaped structure opening of the long handle and a second U-shaped structure opening of the short handle that are connected through a rotating shaft, and a return spring is installed on the outer ring of the rotating shaft, and the two protruding ends of the return spring respectively abut the connection between the side wings and the lower wing on both sides, integrating the principle of lever mechanics and the principle of rebound mechanics to ensure the efficiency and effect of the use of the device. When force is applied, the short handle realizes relative movement around the rotating shaft; the bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connection between the side wings and the lower wing on the corresponding side, and the end of the side wing away from the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure is connected to the supporting ring through the pinching side ear, and the inverted eye drop bottle is clamped between the two supporting rings. The return spring and the rotating shaft design ensure the stability of the device structure while realizing the opening and retraction function of the supporting device; the auxiliary device can replace the patient's two-hand operation to realize contactless eye drop, effectively avoiding ocular surface infection caused by incomplete cleaning of the hands; it can assist in completing the eye drop action, avoiding tension, drug waste and infection risk; each U-shaped structure and the corresponding side wing, lower wing, pinching side ear, and supporting ring are an integrated structural design, which is compact and portable.

[0012] The technical solution of the present invention is: a method for assisting the use of eye drops, comprising the following steps:

[0013] S1. Open the cap of the eye drop bottle and place it upside down between the support rings.

[0014] S2. Pinch the ears on both sides with your index finger and thumb, keeping them relaxed and without applying force, and prepare with your head tilted back and eyes closed.

[0015] S3. Place the eyelid contact plate near the upper and lower eyelids, with the short handle of the connecting handle placed on the lower eyelid margin.

[0016] S4: Use your index finger and thumb to squeeze and pinch the side ears, which transmits pressure to the bottle body. The bottle body is deformed by pressure, causing the liquid to drip out. At the same time, the two lower wings open synchronously, and the upper and lower eyelids are relaxed. As the lower wings open, the eye drop action is completed;

[0017] S5. Remove the applied force, the return spring drives the side wings to return to their original position, and the two support rings return to the state of fitting the bottle body;

[0018] S6. Take out the bottle and put the cap on it.

[0019] The present invention incorporates the principle of rebound mechanics, so that when force is applied to pinch the upper side ear, the lower eyelid contact end is synchronously opened through the eyelid margin contact plate, and the opening amplitude is proportional to the pinching force, and exactly matches the force required for dripping the eye drops; after the pinching force of the upper side ear is removed, the lower eyelid contact end is synchronously and automatically closed and returned to its position, thereby realizing the synchronization of the separation of the upper and lower eyelids and the dripping of the eye drops, eliminating the "eye opening-drip" time difference existing in the two-handed eye drop method, effectively avoiding the problem of eye drops not entering the conjunctival sac, and improving the effective use rate of eye drops; the method is simple and easy to learn, has strong operability, and realizes precise eye drop control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA cross-sectional view.

[0022] In the figure: 1. Bottle body; 2. Pinch-holding side ears; 3. Support ring; 4. Side wings; 5. Return spring; 6. Rotating shaft; 7. Connecting handle; 8. Lower wing; 9. Eyelid contact plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] See Figure 1-2 The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read. They are not used to limit the conditions for the implementation of the present invention, so they have no substantial technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention without affecting the efficacy and purpose that can be achieved by the present invention. At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" quoted in this specification are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. Changes or adjustments in their relative relationships should also be regarded as the scope of the implementation of the present invention without substantially changing the technical content.

[0025] Example 1: An apparatus for assisting the use of eye drops, referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 2, including a connecting handle 7, the connecting handle 7 includes a U-shaped structure with two open ends facing each other, the two U-shaped structures respectively correspond to the first U-shaped structure with a long handle and the second U-shaped structure with a short handle, the opening of the first U-shaped structure and the opening of the second U-shaped structure are connected through a rotating shaft 6, and a reset spring 5 is provided on the outer ring of the rotating shaft 6. The bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connection between the side wing 4 and the lower wing 8 on the corresponding side; the two protruding ends of the reset spring 5 respectively abut against the bottom plate in the opening of the U-shaped structure on both sides; the end of the side wing 4 away from the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure is connected to the pinching side ear 2, and the two pinching side ears 2 are provided with a supporting ring 3 on the end surfaces close to each other, and the inverted eye drop bottle 1 is clamped between the two supporting rings 3; each U-shaped structure and the corresponding side wing 4, lower wing 8, pinching side ear 2, and supporting ring 3 are an integrally formed structure. The present invention adopts a first U-shaped structure opening of the long handle and a second U-shaped structure opening of the short handle that are connected through a rotating shaft, and a return spring is installed on the outer ring of the rotating shaft, and the two protruding ends of the return spring respectively abut the connection between the side wings and the lower wing on both sides, integrating the principle of lever mechanics and the principle of rebound mechanics to ensure the efficiency and effect of the use of the device. When force is applied, the short handle realizes relative movement around the rotating shaft; the bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connection between the side wings and the lower wing on the corresponding side, and the end of the side wing away from the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure is connected to the supporting ring through the pinching side ear, and the inverted eye drop bottle is clamped between the two supporting rings. The return spring and the rotating shaft design ensure the stability of the device structure while realizing the opening and retraction function of the supporting device; the auxiliary device can replace the patient's two-hand operation to realize contactless eye drop, effectively avoiding ocular surface infection caused by incomplete cleaning of the hands; it can assist in completing the eye drop action, avoiding tension, drug waste and infection risk; each U-shaped structure and the corresponding side wing, lower wing, pinching side ear, and supporting ring are an integrated structural design, which is compact and portable.

[0026] Example 2: Based on Example 1, the opening of the first U-shaped structure is located within the opening of the second U-shaped structure, and the return spring 5 is located within the opening of the first U-shaped structure. The present invention adopts the opening of the first U-shaped structure located within the opening of the second U-shaped structure, and the return spring is located within the opening of the first U-shaped structure. The return spring and the rotating shaft design ensure the stability of the device structure while realizing the opening and retraction functions of the supporting device. It has a simple structure, convenient operation, ingenious design, and low cost, and is mainly suitable for the use of eye drops.

[0027] Example 3: Based on Example 1, the gripping lug 2 is a vertically mounted T-shaped plate. The flange of the T-shaped plate is a first curved plate. The web of the T-shaped plate is located on the outer arc of the first curved plate. The end of the web of the T-shaped plate is provided with a curved opening, and the support ring 3 is located within the curved opening. In this invention, the flange of the T-shaped plate is the first curved plate. The curvature of the first curved plate adapts to the curvature of the thumb and index finger, ensuring a comfortable grip.

[0028] Example 4. Based on Example 1, the two support rings 3 are symmetrically arranged. The two support rings 3 are on the same circle, the inner diameter of the circle is equal to the outer diameter of the bottle body 1, and the gap between the two support rings 3 on the circle in the circumferential direction is 5 to 10 mm; the inner arc surface of the support ring 3 is provided with several ridges arranged at intervals, and the height of the ridges is 0.1 to 0.2 mm. The present invention adopts the inner diameter of the same circle where the two support rings are located to be equal to the outer diameter of the bottle body, which adapts to the conventional diameter of the eye drop body on the market; the support rings are connected to the pinching side ears and are located inside the pinching side ears to form a circular hoop shape, and the support rings on both sides are centrally symmetrical, which is a discontinuous design. A gap of 5 to 10 mm is reserved between the two support rings in the circumferential direction to achieve pinching force; the inner arc surface of the support ring is provided with several ridges arranged at intervals, and the height of the ridges is 0.1 to 0.2 mm, which can ensure that the bottle body does not fall off after insertion.

[0029] Example 5: Based on Example 1, the side wings 4 are second curved plates, the outer arc of which is closer to the bottle body 1, and the cross-sectional area at the ends of the side wings 4 is larger than the cross-sectional area at the center of the side wings 4. In this invention, the side wings are second curved plates, which are connected to the gripping ears on the upper side and the U-shaped bottom plate and lower wings on the lower side. This is an integrated structure, so that the lower wings can be opened synchronously when force is applied to the gripping ears.

[0030] Example 6: Based on Example 1, the angle between the side wing 4 and the lower wing 8 on any side is an obtuse angle, and the obtuse angle is 120°~150°. The lower wing of the present invention is a continuation of the side wing and forms an angle of approximately 120°~150° with the side wing.

[0031] Example 7: Based on Example 1, the lower wing 8 on either side is a shovel-shaped structure, the small end of the shovel-shaped structure is connected to the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure, and the shovel-shaped structure is curved along the centerline of the length to form a minor arc shape, with the inner arc surfaces of the two minor arcs approaching each other. The lower wing of the present invention is a shovel-shaped structure, and the shovel-shaped structure is curved along the centerline of the length to form a minor arc shape. The curvature of the minor arc surface is adapted to the spherical curvature of the upper and lower eyelid margins of the human eye.

[0032] Example 8: Based on Example 7, each of the shovel-shaped structures has a lid contact plate 9 at its larger end. The lid contact plate 9 is made of silicone. This invention utilizes a lid contact plate designed to adapt to the curvature of the eyelid (similar to an eyelash curler). The silicone material improves user comfort, increases friction with the eyelid skin, and enhances eyelid opening efficiency, thus preventing damage to the eyelid during use.

[0033] Example 9: A method for assisting the use of eye drops, comprising the following steps:

[0034] S1. Open the bottle cap of the eye drop bottle 1 and place it upside down between the support rings 3;

[0035] S2, pinch the ears 2 on both sides with your index finger and thumb respectively, in a relaxed and non-stressed state, with your head tilted back and eyes closed;

[0036] S3. Place the eyelid margin contact plate 9 near the eyelid margin of the upper and lower eyelids, and place the short handle side of the connecting handle 7 on the lower eyelid margin;

[0037] S4, the index finger and thumb apply force to squeeze and pinch the side ear 2, which is transmitted to the bottle body 1. The bottle body 1 is deformed under pressure, causing the liquid to drip out. At the same time, the two lower wings 8 open synchronously, and the upper and lower eyelids are in a relaxed state. As the lower wings 8 open, the eye drop action is completed;

[0038] S5, the applied force is removed, the return spring 5 drives the side wings 4 to return to their original position, and the two support rings 3 return to the state of being in contact with the bottle body 1;

[0039] S6. Take out the bottle body 1 and put on the bottle cap. The present invention incorporates the principle of rebound mechanics to achieve that when the upper end of the eyelid is pinched by the side ear, the lower eyelid contact end is synchronously opened through the eyelid margin contact plate, and the opening amplitude is proportional to the pinching force, and exactly matches the force required for the eye drops to drip out; after the pinching force of the upper end of the eyelid is removed, the lower eyelid contact end is synchronously closed and returned to its original position, achieving synchronization between the separation of the upper and lower eyelids and the dripping of eye drops, eliminating the "eye opening-drip" time difference existing in the two-handed eye drop method, effectively avoiding the problem of eye drops not entering the conjunctival sac, and improving the effective use rate of eye drops; this method is simple and easy to learn, highly maneuverable, and achieves precise eye drop control.

[0040] During specific implementation, the device of the present invention has designs of different sizes and can be suitable for different eye drop bottles 1 on the market.

[0041] The above embodiments of the present invention are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting the use of eye drops, comprising a connecting handle (7), characterized in that: The connecting handle (7) comprises a U-shaped structure with two opening ends facing each other, the two U-shaped structures respectively corresponding to the first U-shaped structure of the long handle and the second U-shaped structure of the short handle, the opening of the first U-shaped structure and the opening of the second U-shaped structure are connected through a rotating shaft (6), the outer ring of the rotating shaft (6) is provided with a reset spring (5), the bottom plate of each U-shaped structure is located at the connection between the side wing (4) and the lower wing (8) on the corresponding side; the two protruding ends of the reset spring (5) respectively abut against the bottom plates in the openings of the U-shaped structures on both sides; the end of the side wing (4) away from the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure is connected to the holding side ear (2), and the end surfaces of the two holding side ears (2) close to each other are provided with a supporting ring (3), and the inverted eye drop bottle (1) is clamped between the two supporting rings (3); each U-shaped structure and the corresponding side wing (4), lower wing (8), holding side ear (2), and supporting ring (3) are an integrally formed structure.

2. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening of the first U-shaped structure is located inside the opening of the second U-shaped structure, and the return spring (5) is located inside the opening of the first U-shaped structure.

3. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pinching side ear (2) is a vertical T-shaped plate, the flange of the T-shaped plate is a first arc-shaped plate, the web of the T-shaped plate is located on the outer arc of the first arc-shaped plate, the web end of the T-shaped plate is provided with an arc-shaped opening, and the support ring (3) is located in the arc-shaped opening.

4. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two support rings (3) are symmetrically arranged, and the two support rings (3) are on the same circle. The inner diameter of the circle is equal to the outer diameter of the bottle body (1), and the gap between the two support rings (3) on the circle in the circumferential direction is 5 to 10 mm; the inner arc surface of the support ring (3) is provided with a plurality of convex ridges arranged at intervals.

5. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wing (4) is a second curved plate, the outer arc of the second curved plate is close to the bottle body (1), and the cross-sectional area at both ends of the side wing (4) is larger than the cross-sectional area at the center of the side wing (4).

6. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 5, characterized in that: The angle between the side wing (4) and the lower wing (8) on any side is an obtuse angle, and the obtuse angle is 120° to 150°.

7. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lower wing (8) on either side is a shovel-shaped structure, the small end of the shovel-shaped structure is connected to the bottom plate of the U-shaped structure, and the shovel-shaped structure is bent toward both sides along the center line of the length direction into a minor arc shape, and the inner arc surfaces of the two minor arc shapes are close to each other.

8. The device for assisting the use of eye drops according to claim 7, characterized in that: The large end of any one of the shovel-shaped structures is provided with a palpebral contact plate (9), and the palpebral contact plate (9) is made of silicone material.

9. A method for assisting the use of eye drops, characterized in that: The following steps are included: S1. Open the bottle cap of the eye drop bottle (1) and place it upside down between the support rings (3); S2, pinch the ears (2) on both sides with the index finger and thumb respectively, in a relaxed and non-stressed state, with the head tilted back and eyes closed; S3. Place the eyelid margin contact plate (9) near the eyelid margin of the upper and lower eyelids, and place the short handle side of the connecting handle (7) on the lower eyelid margin; S4, apply force with the index finger and thumb to squeeze and pinch the side ear (2), which is transmitted to the bottle body (1). The bottle body (1) is deformed by the pressure, causing the liquid to drip out. At the same time, the two lower wings (8) are opened synchronously, and the upper and lower eyelids are in a relaxed state. As the lower wings (8) open, the eye-dropping action is completed; S5, the applied force is removed, the return spring (5) drives the side wings (4) to return to their original positions, and the two support rings (3) return to the state of being in contact with the bottle body (1); S6. Take out the bottle body (1) and put the bottle cap on.

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