Device for interactive therapeutic treatment of the eyes
The device facilitates remote and simultaneous eye therapy by using a mobile phone with a camera and screen to provide guided instructions and monitor patient progress, addressing the limitations of labor-intensive and in-person required therapies.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE102023004341
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-30
AI Technical Summary
Current eye muscle massage therapies for correcting short or far vision are labor-intensive and require the constant presence of a therapist and patient in the same room, limiting the therapist's ability to treat multiple patients simultaneously.
A device for interactive eye therapy that includes a patient seating with a headrest, a vision panel, a mobile phone with a screen and front camera, and an adjustable holder for the mobile phone, allowing the therapist to provide remote instructions and observe the patient's progress.
Enables remote and simultaneous treatment of multiple patients by allowing therapists to provide guided massage instructions and monitor progress through the mobile phone's camera and screen, reducing the need for constant in-person supervision.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[0001] It is known that certain types of visual impairment, especially nearsightedness or farsightedness, can be successfully treated through targeted training of the eye muscles, stimulated by certain massage methods.
[0002] In these procedures, it is common for the therapist to first determine a minimum threshold using suitable eye charts—that is, the condition at which refractive error begins at a specific distance between the eye chart and the patient's eyes. The therapist then begins targeted massage techniques and, observing the required massage times and breaks, gradually monitors the changes (improvements) in vision over time with the aid of the eye chart.
[0003] Because of this approach, such therapies are obviously extremely labor- and resource-intensive. They can only be performed under the supervision of a suitably trained therapist, with the patient and therapist constantly present in the same room.
[0004] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device that is as simple as possible, which makes the constant presence of therapist and patient in the same room superfluous and also makes it possible for an experienced therapist to treat several patients simultaneously if necessary.
[0005] To achieve this object, the invention proposes a device for interactive therapeutic treatment of the eyes, which is characterized by a seat for the patient, which is provided with a headrest for supporting the patient's head, an eye chart, a mobile phone with a screen with a front camera, and an adjustable holder for the mobile phone that can be set in different positions, wherein the distance between the headrest and the eye chart can be changed in a controlled manner and the mobile phone with screen and front camera can be positioned with the help of the holder in relation to the patient's headrest in such a way that the patient can perceive massage instructions from his therapist on the mobile phone screen and the therapist can observe the patient's face with the help of the front camera.
[0006] The device according to the invention makes interactive therapeutic treatment of a patient's eyes possible for the first time without the therapist and patient being present in the same room. By using the mobile phone with a screen and front camera positioned according to the teachings of the invention, the therapist can give the patient targeted instructions for suitable massage methods and can simultaneously observe whether the patient is performing the massages correctly. Furthermore, without being personally present, the therapist has constant control over the treatment's progress over time. Due to their absence, it is even possible for the therapist to treat several patients simultaneously using multiple devices according to the invention, possibly even using suitable auxiliary programs (apps) to support their work.
[0007] In order to be able to change the distance between the headrest and the vision chart in a controlled manner, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the patient's seat is movable on wheels.
[0008] It is also advantageous if the eye chart is attached to a height-adjustable stand so that it can be more easily brought to the same eye level as the patient.
[0009] For myopia therapy, the adjustable mobile phone holder is conveniently attached to the patient's seat. This placement is particularly advantageous because, in this case, a distance of 3-6 meters must be maintained between the patient and the eye chart. By attaching the adjustable holder to the patient's seat, the mobile phone, including the screen and front camera, automatically remains sufficiently close to the patient's face.
[0010] For the treatment of hyperopia, however, the adjustable holder for the mobile phone is conveniently attached to the stand for the eye chart, because the patient's face must be positioned at a distance of 40-60 cm in front of the eye chart anyway.
[0011] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail in the following drawing. It shows: Fig. 1: A device according to the invention for the interactive therapeutic treatment of myopia; Fig. 2: a device according to the invention for the interactive therapeutic treatment of hyperopia.
[0012] In the drawing, the patient's seat is designed as a swivel chair, designated by reference numeral 1. This swivel chair 1 has wheels 2 and a backrest 3, to the upper end of which a headrest 4 is attached. This headrest 4 is important so that the patient can keep his head in the same position for the duration of the treatment without significant physical strain.
[0013] Furthermore, a holder 5 for a mobile phone 6, which can be fixed in various positions, is attached to the swivel chair 1. The holder 5 of this mobile phone 6 is carried by a flexible support arm 7, which in turn is attached to the swivel chair 1. The mobile phone 6 is a conventional mobile phone with a screen (not shown separately) and front camera (so-called selfie camera; not shown separately). With the help of the flexible support arm 7, the holder 5 and thus the mobile phone 6 can be moved into a position in which, on the one hand, the front camera of the mobile phone 6 is focused on the patient's face and thus their eyes, and, on the other hand, the patient can see the therapist's massage instructions on the screen.
[0014] At a distance of 3-6 m from the swivel chair 1, there is an eye chart 8, which is attached to a height-adjustable stand 9. On the eye chart 8, as usual, there are characters or other markings that become smaller from line to line and can be perceived by the patient sitting on the swivel chair 1 and communicated to the therapist via the mobile phone 6.
[0015] The device according to Fig. 2, which is intended for the treatment of hyperopia, has essentially the same components as the device according to Fig.1, so that the same reference numerals could be used for corresponding parts. Here, however, the support arm 7 supporting the holder 5 for the mobile phone 6 is not attached to the swivel chair 1, but rather to a suitable location on the stand 9 supporting the eye chart 8, again in such a way that the front camera of the mobile phone 6 focuses on the patient's face and thus his eyes, while the patient can see the therapist's massage instructions on the screen. List of reference symbols: 1 swivel chair (seating for the patient) 2 wheels 3 backrest 4 headrest 5 Bracket 6 Mobile phone with screen and front camera 7 Support arm 8 Eye chart 9 Tripod
Claims
[1] Device for interactive therapeutic treatment of the eyes, characterized by a seat (1) for the patient, which is provided with a headrest (4) for supporting the patient's head, an eye chart (8), a mobile phone (6) with screen and front camera, and a holder (5) for the mobile phone (6) that can be fixed in different positions, wherein the distance between the headrest (4) and the vision chart (8) can be changed in a controlled manner and the mobile phone (6) with screen and front camera can be positioned with the aid of the holder (5) in relation to the headrest (4) of the patient in such a way that the patient can perceive massage instructions from a therapist on the screen of the mobile phone (6) and the therapist can observe the patient's face with the aid of the front camera. [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized bythat the patient's seat (1) can be moved on wheels (2). [3] Device according to claims 1 or 2, characterized by that the eye chart (8) is attached to a height-adjustable tripod (9). [4] Device according to one or more of claims 1-3, characterized by that for the treatment of myopia the adjustable holder for the mobile phone (6) is attached to the patient's seat (1). [5] Device according to one or more of claims 1-3, characterized by that for the treatment of hyperopia the adjustable holder (5) for the mobile phone (6) is attached to the stand (9) for the eye chart (8).