An apparatus for inserting contact lenses

Abstract

An apparatus 1 for inserting contact lenses, the apparatus comprising a body 3 configured to be releasably mounted on a user’s finger, the body having a resiliently deformable arm 9 extending outwardl

Claims

(1) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses comprising a body configured to be releasably mounted on a user’s finger, the body having a resiliently deformable arm extending outwardly from the distal end of the body, the arm having a hand at its outermost end, the hand having an inner surface that is concave shaped and a drainage through-hole extending through the hand.(2) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in claim 1 in which the hand is tapered in a chisel cut towards its outermost end.(3) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the body is thimble shaped for capturing a user’s finger therein.(4) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in claim 3 in which the thimble is open at its outermost end.(5) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hand is of the order of between 0.008m (8mm) and 0.012m (12mm) wide.(6) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hand is of the order of 0.01 m (10mm) wide.(7) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drainage through-hole is of the order of between 0.002 (2mm) and 0.004 (4mm) wide.(8) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drainage through-hole is of the order of 0.003m (3mm) wide.(9) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the body is constructed from a medical grade silicone.(10) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the medical grade silicone has a shore A hardness of greater than 5 and less than or equal to 35.(11) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the arm extends rearwardly along the body in an elongate spine.(12) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the arm tapers inwardly from the body towards the hand.(13) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any preceding claim in which the apparatus is moulded from a single unitary piece.(14) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 in which the apparatus is a two-part construction having a first part and a second part releasably connectable together, the first part comprising the body configured to be mounted on a user’s finger, the second part comprising the resiliently deformable arm having a hand at its outermost end.(15) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in claim 14 in which the second part comprises an annular collar at its innermost end, the annular collar being in a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane of the hand.(16) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in claim 15 in which the first part has a circumferential groove formed in the surface thereof for reception of the annular collar of the second part.(17) An apparatus for inserting contact lenses as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16 inclusive in which one of the first part and the second part are provided with a boss and the other of the first part and the second part are provided with a complementary indent for reception of the boss.13

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