Portable eye light therapy

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure enable an efficient method of providing ocular phototherapy therapy to a subject operating a computing device. The apparatus is configured to be coupled to the computing device. The light-emitting assembly includes a housing having an emission aperture, at least one light-emitting diode configured to emit light having a spectral emission component within a spectral region having a wavelength range of 435 nm to 500 nm, where at least one third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED falls within the spectral region, a lens or mirror configured to focus the emitted light and project the beam of light through the emission aperture onto the eye of a subject viewing a display of the computing device, and a mounting bracket attached to the housing and configured to be removably attached to the computing device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 438,238, entitled "MOBILE OCULAR LIGHT THERAPY DEVICE," filed January 10, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to apparatus and systems for handheld phototherapy devices, and more particularly to handheld phototherapy devices coupled to a computing device to provide ocular phototherapy therapy to a subject operating the computing device. [Background technology]

[0003] Light therapy is becoming increasingly widely used as a treatment for depression and various neuropsychiatric disorders. Light therapy can be defined as exposure to sunlight or specific wavelengths of light for a prescribed amount of time to treat light-deficient disorders. Treatments involving directing light toward a subject's eyes have been shown to alleviate or cure light-deficient disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian sleep disorders, and circadian disruptions associated with jet lag, shift work, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), eating disorders, and bulimia. Light therapy has also been shown to be effective in managing fatigue.

[0004] Light therapy devices incorporating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for the treatment of light deficiency disorders are widely available. Typical light therapy devices incorporate LEDs that emit white light with various color temperatures, such as cool white light with a relatively high blue content. Illustratively, light therapy devices may emit blue or blue-green light with a spectral emission component in the wavelength range of approximately 435 nm to 500 nm, because exposure of the eye to light in this range has been shown to have the greatest effect on regulating the human circadian rhythm and light-related nervous system.

[0005] In some instances, light therapy devices are portable but require a wall outlet connection or incorporate a rechargeable battery due to the large power consumption required for illumination. These smaller light therapy devices can be placed on a suitable surface or table next to the subject and computing device, making them convenient to use while the subject is reading, watching television, or using a computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, portable game console, or personal digital assistant (PDA)). However, in the absence of a suitable surface or table, using a separate light therapy device to provide light therapy while reading, watching television, or using a computing device is less practical because the subject would need to hold the light therapy device.

[0006] In some cases, a computing device, such as a handheld communication device or tablet, may be used to deliver ocular light therapy to the user. However, using the device screen (or display) of the communication device itself as a light therapy device precludes simultaneous use of the device screen on the computing device for tasks such as checking email, reading text, watching media, or browsing websites. In addition, the typical irradiance of therapeutically effective light emitted from a typical handheld communication device or tablet display at a typical viewing distance of approximately 30 cm is nearly two orders of magnitude less than the irradiance provided by most light therapy devices. This means that significantly longer exposure periods are required to achieve comparable therapeutic benefits.

[0007] Additionally, clip-on selfie lights powered by built-in rechargeable batteries are widely available to provide additional lighting for cameras or other imaging purposes. These clip-on selfie lights are generally compatible with various sizes of portable communication devices because they attach via a clip to the edge of the device or to the case of the device. However, many of these clip-on selfie lights surround the camera lens, obscuring part of the display of the device when attached. Additionally, these clip-on selfie lights emit white light in a relatively wide beam, with an angular width of approximately 60 degrees at 50% intensity. While this wide light beam is useful for providing uniform illumination during close-up photography, it is much wider than that required for efficient delivery of personal ocular phototherapy, as most of the LED power required to generate the wide light beam is wasted if the light does not enter the user's eye. Additionally, using such a wide light beam in close proximity to other people for extended periods of time is impractical due to the potential for disturbance.

[0008] Additionally, protective cases for portable communication devices that incorporate LEDs to provide additional illumination for selfies and other imaging purposes are also widely available. However, similar to the limitations of phototherapy with clip-on selfie lights, these types of accessory products are typically powered by built-in rechargeable batteries and are not designed or intended for phototherapy.

[0009] In addition, although this type of treatment is generally safe, adverse effects may occur. As a result of light therapy, subjects may complain of irritability, headache, eye strain, sleep disorders, and insomnia. Therefore, determining the appropriate light dosage and timing is very important to reduce the occurrence of side effects. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, there is a need for a portable ophthalmic phototherapy device that overcomes the above-mentioned limitations and allows for the delivery of light therapy from a computing device while the user operates the computing device under normal conditions. Additionally, there is a need for a portable ophthalmic phototherapy device that can accommodate computing devices of any size or shape. It would also be beneficial to provide a portable ophthalmic phototherapy device with high optical efficiency and low power consumption, such that it can draw power directly from the battery of the portable communication device with minimal impact on the battery life of the computing device. There is also a need for a portable ophthalmic phototherapy device that provides personalized light therapy by projecting a well-defined, relatively narrow beam of light onto the user's eye while the user operates the computing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects or to delineate the scope of some or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0012] The subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in an apparatus coupled to a computing device for providing ocular phototherapy, the apparatus including a light emitting assembly comprising a housing having an emission aperture, at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light having a spectral emission component within a spectral region having wavelengths of 435 to 500 nm, where at least one third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED falls within the spectral region, and a lens or mirror configured to focus the emitted light and project the beam of light through the emission aperture onto the eye of a subject viewing a display of the computing device, and a mounting bracket attached to the housing and configured to be removably attached to the computing device or a case of the computing device.

[0013] The subject matter described in this disclosure may also be embodied in an apparatus configured to be coupled to a computing device for providing ocular phototherapy, the apparatus including a light emitting assembly comprising a housing having a light emitting aperture, at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light, and a lens or mirror configured to focus the emitted light and project a beam of light through the light emitting aperture onto an eye of a subject viewing a display of the computing device, wherein the projected beam of light has an angular divergence of less than 36 degrees in both the horizontal and vertical planes when measured at half-maximum intensity, and a mounting bracket attached to the housing and configured to be removably attached to the computing device or a case of the computing device.

[0014] The subject matter described in this disclosure may also be embodied in a system for providing ophthalmic phototherapy, the system comprising: a computing device; and an ophthalmic phototherapy device for administering ophthalmic phototherapy to a subject, the ophthalmic phototherapy device including: a housing having a light emitting aperture; at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light having a spectral emission component in a spectral region having wavelengths from 435 to 500 nm, where at least one third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED is in the spectral region; a light emitting assembly including a lens or mirror configured to focus the light and project the beam of light onto the eye of a subject viewing a display of the computing device; and a mounting bracket attached to the housing and configured to be removably attached to the computing device or a case of the computing device.

[0015] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects may be employed, and the description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a front view of a system for providing ophthalmic light therapy to a human subject, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a system for providing ophthalmic light therapy to a human subject, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1A-1C show optical diagrams of a light emitting assembly according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B illustrate examples of beam splitters in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B illustrate examples of beam deflectors according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 1A-1C illustrate examples of individual light patches projected onto a human subject, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 1A-1C illustrate examples of individual light patches projected onto a human subject, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C] 1A-1C illustrate examples of individual light patches projected onto a human subject, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10A-10C illustrate examples of activating individual subgroups of elements in an LED array to simulate lateral movement of a single larger LED element, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1A-1C illustrate examples of the shapes of patches of light projected by a portable ophthalmic light therapy device, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]FIG. 1 illustrates an example hardware implementation for an exemplary system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The detailed description presented below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be implemented. The detailed description includes specific details intended to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, the concepts and related aspects described in this disclosure may be practiced without some or all of such specific details. In some instances, well-known structures, components, and the like are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0018] Certain aspects of exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure will now be presented with reference to various systems and methods. These systems and methods are described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0019] By way of example, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements, may be implemented as a "controller" including one or more processors or controllers. Examples of processors or controllers include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, systems on a chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform various functionality described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a controller may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0020] The one or more processors or controllers may be associated with memory that stores data. Memory may also be referred to as a computer-readable medium.

[0021] In accordance with the foregoing, in one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may comprise random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage, combinations of the foregoing types of computer-readable media, or any other medium usable for storing computer-executable code in the form of instructions or data structures accessible by a computer.

[0022] Related light therapy systems include a powerful light source that emits high-intensity light. In some instances, fluorescent lamps are used to emit the high-intensity light. These systems make it difficult for users to see past the bright light source to dimmer surfaces in order to perform other tasks. Additionally, these lights can cause eye strain, headaches, and other discomforts. Furthermore, these commercially available light therapy units are large, bulky, and cumbersome.

[0023] In other related phototherapy systems, advances in LED technology have resulted in portable phototherapy devices that are lighter and smaller in size for handheld use. The majority of these portable phototherapy devices emit 200 to 300 microwatts / cm² in the therapeutically effective blue region of the spectrum. 2These portable light therapy devices provide a range of facial illumination. At this intensity, significant therapeutic effects can be achieved with just 15 minutes of exposure. However, providing irradiance at such light intensities consumes a significant amount of power, requiring the light therapy device to have access to an external power outlet or a relatively large rechargeable battery. While these portable light therapy devices can be placed next to a desktop computer on a desk or table to provide light therapy to individuals using the desktop computer, using them in conjunction with a portable computing device can be inconvenient when the individual using the portable computing device is on the move or traveling and does not have access to a support surface for the light therapy device. Additionally, these portable, dedicated light therapy devices do not incorporate any mobile computing functionality.

[0024] Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a portable light therapy system that utilizes a computing device, such as a personal computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet device, mobile phone, handheld game console, video game console, smart display, display, smartphone, or any other similarly functional device, to generate a projected light beam suitable for efficiently delivering ocular light therapy to a subject viewing the computing device.

[0025] Because subjects typically spend more than an hour looking at a computing device screen, it would be beneficial to take advantage of this screen time by providing simultaneous ocular light therapy exposure. For example, by emitting therapeutically effective light at a lower intensity for a longer duration, light therapy could be provided to the subject while the subject is looking at their computing device, which would mitigate power consumption issues in the associated light therapy system. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to provide an ocular light therapy device that has high optical efficiency and low power consumption, is packaged in a small size that allows the light therapy device to be removably attached to any type of computing device, is accessible during normal operation of the computing device, and / or draws power from the computing device with minimal drain on the computing device's battery.

[0026] As little as 20 microwatts / cm using therapeutically effective light, including blue and blue-green light, as well as blue-rich and blue-green-rich light 2 Continuous exposure to ocular light therapy for approximately 1.5 hours at 200 microwatts / cm has been shown to produce significant therapeutic effects. 2 By providing a level of irradiance well below 1000 Hz, the risk of visually disruptive glare from the relatively small light emitting assembly is also reduced.

[0027] 1A illustrates a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a system 100a for providing ocular light therapy therapy to a human subject. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein. To this end, by way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the system 100a includes a light emitting assembly 102 attached to a portable communication device 110 via a bracket 108.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1A , the light-emitting surface 104 of the light-emitting assembly 102 faces the same direction as the display of the portable communication device 110. The length of the bracket 108 determines the distance between the light-emitting assembly 102 and the display of the portable communication device 110. In other words, the greater the distance between the light-emitting assembly 102 and the screen of the portable communication device 110, the lower the risk of visual confusion caused by the therapeutic light to a subject looking at the screen of the portable communication device 110. It is an advantage of the present disclosure that the light-emitting surface 104 is intended to be positioned at an angle within the human subject's field of view and emits light with an intensity and directionality that allows the human subject to perform various activities on the portable communication device without being overly bothered or distracted by the emitted light. This also allows for a longer duration of phototherapy treatment compared to similar phototherapy devices that emit high-intensity light for a relatively short period of time. In other words, a subject can receive light therapy at a lower intensity for a longer period of time, which may reduce the side effects of phototherapy devices that use high-intensity light. Additionally, this intensity and directionality of emitted light does not affect other people in the room.

[0029] 1B illustrates a rear view of an exemplary embodiment of a system 100b for providing ocular phototherapy treatment to a human subject. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein. To this end, by way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, system 100b includes a light-emitting assembly 102 attached to a portable communication device 110 via a bracket 108.

[0030] 1B, the mounting bracket 114 is attached to the back of the portable communication device 110 or to a protective sleeve or case for the portable communication device 110. The mounting bracket 114 is designed to provide sufficient retention to prevent unintentional detachment of the bracket 108 from the mounting bracket 114 while allowing for easy insertion and removal of the bracket 108. In some instances, the mounting bracket 114 may be configured to be coupled to the bracket 108 adhesively, magnetically, or by any other suitable means.

[0031] In some instances, an additional mounting bracket 116 may be positioned adjacent to the long side of the portable communication device 110 to allow for more convenient use when the portable communication device 110 is viewed in landscape orientation.

[0032] In some instances, the bracket 108 may alternatively be configured as a spring clip that grips the front and back edges of the portable communication device 110. In some instances, one or more suction cups may be used to attach the bracket 108 to the back of the portable communication device 110 or to a protective sleeve or case for the portable communication device 110.

[0033] In some examples, the bracket 108 may be configured to allow the light emitting assembly 102 (not shown in FIG. 1B) to remain attached to the portable communication device 110 and to be movable when not in use by folding, rotating, or sliding a portion of the bracket 108, allowing the light emitting assembly 102 to be relocated to a position on the back of the portable communication device 110 or its case so that neither the light emitting assembly 102 nor the bracket 108 remains visible from the front of the portable communication device 110.

[0034] In some instances, the lighting assembly 102 may further include a power receiver configured to draw power for the lighting assembly 102 from the portable communication device 110. For example, to power the lighting assembly 102 from a battery in the portable communication device 110, the cable 112 terminates in a connector 106 that fits into a charging port (or computer interface port) on the portable communication device 110. For example, the charging port may be a USB-A, USB-C, micro USB, Apple Lightning® port, or any other suitable port.

[0035] The cable 112 may also enable communication between the portable communication device 110 and the light emitting assembly 102. In some instances, the cable 112 is permanently wired into the light emitting assembly 102. In some cases, the cable 112 may be configured with connectors on both ends to enable detachable connection to matching sockets attached to the light emitting assembly 102. For example, the light emitting assembly 102 may be adapted to be computer controlled through a computer interface, such as a charging port, to allow a subject to set the light intensity using the portable communication device 110.

[0036] In some instances, the light emitting assembly 102 can inductively draw power from the portable communication device 110 by means of a suitably positioned receiver integrated into the bracket 108 of the light emitting assembly 102. This eliminates the need for a cable connection to draw power from the portable communication device 110.

[0037] In some instances, the subject can utilize the user interface of the portable communication device 110 to control the functionality of the light emitting assembly 102. In particular, the subject can adjust various parameters, such as exposure time, shape of the emission spectrum, shape, direction, or intensity of the emitted light, etc. In another instance, the portable communication device 110 can be further adapted to execute different light exposure programs to vary the intensity and spectral shape as a function of time. These programs can be stored by the subject or downloaded and uploaded via a network.

[0038] In some instances, the portable communication device 110 can simultaneously perform other tasks unrelated to light therapy. For example, a subject can use the portable communication device 110 under normal operating conditions, such as watching videos or browsing the internet, while undergoing treatment with a light therapy device. Utilizing a processor on the portable communication device 110 eliminates the need for a separate or dedicated computer within the light emitting assembly 102, further reducing the size, weight, and cost of the light emitting assembly 102.

[0039] In some instances, the light emitting assembly 102 may draw power from a rechargeable battery within the housing of the light emitting assembly. Due to the low power requirements of the light emitting assembly 102 compared to other related light therapy devices, the battery capacity need not be large.

[0040] In some instances, the light emitting assembly 102 is designed to project a sharply defined beam of light toward a subject's face. In some instances, the beam of light emanating from the light emitting aperture may have a sufficiently low divergence such that, at a typical viewing distance of 30 cm, neither the overall width nor the overall height of the projected beam of light, measured between the points where the intensity on either side of the beam has fallen off to half of its maximum intensity, is greater than the width or height of a person's head. Specifically, in the context of this example, measuring half of the maximum intensity refers to a method of establishing boundaries for distance and / or angle measurements. For example, with reference to example 700 of FIG. 7 , when measuring beam intensity in a two-dimensional plane (X-axis and Y-axis) across the beam at a distance from the light emitting assembly 102 (e.g., a typical viewing distance of 30 cm), the maximum intensity at the center of the beam is measured, with the intensity falling off in any direction along the two-dimensional plane from the center of the beam. Thus, the boundaries of the beam are where half of the maximum intensity is measured. For example, a beam of light projected onto a subject's eye at a distance of 30 cm from the light-emitting aperture has a height and width of less than 20 cm at half-maximum intensity. In some instances, the projected beam of light has an angular divergence of less than 36 degrees in both the horizontal and vertical planes, measured at half-maximum intensity. Limiting the width of the projected beam of light in this manner minimizes the risk that light from the light-emitting assembly may disturb other people in the subject's vicinity.

[0041] The bracket 108 allows for the direction of the projected light beam to be adjusted so that the center of the light beam is at the average position of the user's eyes looking at the screen of the portable communication device 110. The eyes of a subject looking at the screen of the portable communication device 110 are typically located near the central axis of the screen at a viewing distance of approximately 30 cm. In some instances, the bracket 108 may be pre-formed to direct the projected light beam in a required direction, or may be configured to allow the projected beam to be adjusted to suit the subject's personal preferences. Additionally, further adjustment of the direction of the projected light beam can be achieved by fine-tuning the orientation of the portable communication device 110.

[0042] When the light emitting assembly 102 is attached to the portable communication device 110, it is positioned a short distance from one edge of the portable communication device, with the light emitting surface of the light emitting assembly 102 facing in the same direction as the display of the portable communication device 110. The light emitting assembly includes at least a lens for focusing light from a single LED powered via a current control circuit and projecting an image of the LED forward through the light emitting surface of the light emitting assembly. Additional optical components can be placed in front of the lens to magnify the projected LED image and create a projected beam of light suitable for efficiently delivering ocular phototherapy to the eye of a subject viewing the portable communication device 110 from a distance of approximately 30 cm.

[0043] In some instances, the light emitting assembly 102, which has high optical efficiency, low power consumption, and small size, may be permanently attached to or integrated with the housing of the portable communication device 110. A permanently attached or integrated light emitting assembly 102 may include a deployable mechanism to enable movement of the light emitting assembly 102 between a stored state and an activated state at an appropriate distance from the display of the portable communication device 110.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements of systems 100a and 100b are not limited to those depicted in Figures 1A and 1B. Systems 100a and 100b may include more or fewer hardware elements than those depicted. Furthermore, hardware elements may share functionality and still be within the scope of the various embodiments described herein. While this disclosure refers to a portable communication device, it should be noted that a portable communication device is merely an illustrative example, and that any suitable computing device, such as a tablet, laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable video game console, smartphone, mobile phone, etc., may be used.

[0045] 2 illustrates an example system 200 for providing ocular phototherapy treatment to a human subject. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein. To this end, by way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, system 200 includes at least a circuit board 202, at least one LED 204, a lens 206, an optical beam splitter 208 (optional), and an optical diffuser 210 (optional).

[0046] System 200 may be configured to generate one or more light patches on a subject, as shown in Figures 5A-5C below. For example, in a first configuration 500a shown in Figure 5A, system 200 with an optical beam splitter may generate two light patches for each eye. As another example, system 200 without an optical beam splitter 208 may generate a single light patch, as shown in second and third configurations 500b and 500c shown in Figures 5B and 5C, respectively.

[0047] In some instances, at least one LED 204 is mounted on a circuit board 202 that includes a current control. The at least one LED 204 is configured to emit light at a wide angle to be collected by a lens 206. The lens 206 is configured to form and focus an image of the LED 204 at a distance of approximately 30 cm on the optical axis of the lens 206. The approximate distance of 30 cm is selected because this is the typical distance between the eyes of a subject viewing a computing device and the front display of the computing device. In some instances, the light emitting assembly may include an optical diffuser 210 to increase the size or improve the uniformity of the LED image by magnifying and smoothing the LED image.

[0048] As shown in a first configuration 500a in FIG. 5A , the system 200 can generate two light patches for each eye. In a first example, the system 200 can include an optical beam splitter 208 configured to split the image-forming light into two diverging beams (e.g., a first beam for the left eye and a second beam for the right eye). The divergence angle of the two beams generates two separate images 212, 214 of the LED at a distance of about 30 cm, spaced approximately equal to the average human interpupillary distance. In some examples where the optical beam splitter 208 is not part of the system 200, the at least one LED 204 can consist of two LEDs separated by a small distance such that the lens 206 generates two diverging beams from the two separate LEDs. In some instances where the optical beam splitter 208 is not part of the system 200, the lens 206 may be custom constructed as two half lenses cemented together with a small gap between the optical centers of each half lens, with the custom lens configured to produce two diverging beams from a single LED 204. In some instances, the two half lenses cemented together with a small gap may be fabricated as a custom Fresnel lens.

[0049] The LED 204 can be of any type capable of providing sufficient light output to achieve therapeutically effective irradiance in the LED image. To achieve therapeutically effective irradiance, the LED's emission spectrum must include a significant component of blue or blue-green light within the 435 nm to 500 nm range. In some instances, the light-emitting assembly provides 50 to 200 microwatts / cm within the 435 nm to 500 nm spectral range at a distance of 30 cm from the light-emitting aperture. 2 In some instances, the LED 204 may have a square light-emitting area such that the projected LED image resembles two light patches 502 a, 502 b as shown in FIG.

[0050] In some instances, the LED 204 may be configured to emit blue or blue / green light having an emission spectrum peaking at a wavelength within the range of 450 nm to 480 nm. In some instances, the LED 204 may be configured to emit light having a spectral emission component within the spectral region having wavelengths from 435 nm to 500 nm, where at least one-third of the total power emitted by the LED 204 is within the 435 nm to 500 nm spectral region. Light having a significant emission component within the blue-green region of the spectrum has been found to be particularly therapeutically effective, even at relatively low intensity levels. Blue and blue-green light within this region of the spectrum has been shown to produce less visual glare than green or white light, due to the relatively low luminous efficiency of blue light, and to provide the greatest therapeutic benefit. Specifically, blue light is particularly effective at suppressing melatonin, which can increase alertness and has been found to be useful in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD), as well as certain other conditions such as "jet lag" and various other modulations of circadian rhythms, improving the overall health and well-being of the subject.

[0051] Lens 206 may be of any shape, but for high optical efficiency, the focal length of lens 206 should be a small fraction of the diameter of the lens. In some instances, lens 206 is an aspheric Fresnel lens with a diameter at least three times the focal length of lens 206. In some instances, lens 206 is an aspheric Fresnel lens with a focal length of approximately 6 mm and a diameter of approximately 30 mm.

[0052] In some instances, the optical beam splitter 208 is a Fresnel beam splitter (described in more detail in FIG. 3).

[0053] The optical diffuser 210 can be of any form, but for high optical efficiency, the optical diffuser 210 can be a lenticular array, a microlens array, or an engineered diffuser that produces a sharply defined magnified pattern with high transmission and little wasted scattered light. All of the lenses 206, optical beam splitter 208, and optical diffuser 210 can be manufactured as thin, lightweight components that can be replicated in large quantities at low cost.

[0054] In some instances, system 200 may include an optical deflector configured to deflect the projected beam of light so that the center of the projected beam of light is at the eye of a subject viewing the display of the computing device, hi some instances, the optical deflector is a Fresnel prism.

[0055] As a non-limiting example, LED 204 may have an emitting area of ​​approximately 1 mm x 1 mm and be configured to emit blue-rich light with a spectrum peaking at approximately 460 nm, lens 206 is a Fresnel lens with a focal length of approximately 6 mm and a diameter of approximately 30 mm, and optical beam splitter 208 produces a pair of beams diverging at an angle of approximately 12 degrees. At a distance of 30 cm, lens 206 forms an image of LED 204 with a magnification of 49, and optical beam splitter 208 separates the two LED images by a distance of approximately 64 mm. Thus, in this example, system 200 projects two identical patches of light approximately 49 mm x 49 mm in size, separated by the average human interpupillary distance.

[0056] In some instances, the circuit board 202 with the LEDs 204 and associated current control circuitry, including the lens 206, optical beam splitter 208, and optical diffuser 210, may be packaged within a housing approximately 30-40 mm in diameter and approximately 12 mm thick. In some instances, the housing may include an on and off switch. The housing may be attached to a mounting bracket (e.g., bracket 108 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) that is removably attachable to a computing device (e.g., the portable communication device 110 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0057] FIGURE 3 illustrates an example 300 of the beam splitting operation of a Fresnel beam splitter 302. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been shown for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein. As shown in the example 300 of FIGURE 3, an incoming beam 304 is split by alternating facets on the Fresnel beam splitter 302 to produce a pair of diverging beams 306, 308.

[0058] 4 illustrates an example of the beam deflection action of a Fresnel prism 400. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been shown for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein.

[0059] In some instances, the light emitting assembly may include an optical deflector in front of the Fresnel lens to deflect the projected beam of light through a predetermined angle so that the center of the projected beam of light is at the average position of the eyes of a subject viewing the screen of the computing device. In some instances, the optical deflector is a Fresnel prism.

[0060] As shown in example 400 of Figure 4, an incident beam 404 is deflected by facets on a Fresnel prism to produce a deflected beam 406. In some examples, the beam deflector 402 provides a beam deflection of approximately 18 degrees in a direction perpendicular to the beam divergence provided by the beam splitter. The facet structures required for the beam deflector 402 and the beam splitter 302 can be formed on opposite sides of a single optical component.

[0061] 5A-5C illustrate example discrete light patches projected onto a human subject using a light emitting assembly according to various aspects of the present disclosure. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been shown for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein.

[0062] Figure 5A shows a first configuration 500a in which separate light patches 502a, 502b are centered on each of the subject's eyes. Compared to the second and third configurations 500b, 500c, shown in Figures 5B and 5C, the first configuration 500a requires lower LED power to deliver a given dose of light therapy. The system 200 shown in Figure 2 can project the separate light patches 502a, 502b by using a beam splitter, as shown in Figure 5A.

[0063] For example, to create the individual light patches 502a, 502b, the combination of lens 206, optical beam splitter 208, and optical diffuser 210 can collect and transmit approximately one-third of the total light output P of LED 204. The total area of ​​the two individual light patches 502a, 502b, which are approximately 4.9 cm x 4.9 cm, is 48 cm. 2 The target irradiance is 50 microwatts / cm 2 Assuming this, to ensure a margin of performance, the calculation is: P / 3 = 48 * 50 microwatts = 2.4 milliwatts. Therefore, 50 microwatts / cm 2The LED power P required to achieve this is approximately 7.2 milliwatts (mW).

[0064] As an example, the LED may have a 1 mm x 1 mm blue emitter, which emits 7.2 mW of light output at a drive current of approximately 4.4 mA. The voltage available in a portable communication device is typically regulated to 5 V. Assuming a resistor is used as the LED current regulator in the light-emitting assembly, the power drain on the portable communication device's battery would be 4.4 mA * 5 V = 22 mW. Most portable communication device batteries have a capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 milliampere hours (mAh) at a voltage of approximately 3.7 V, thus providing a total available energy of at least 11,000 mWh (milliwatt hours). Based on this, the most efficient configuration of the light therapy attachment would take at least approximately 500 hours to empty a fully charged battery in the portable communication device. In some instances, using a current regulator device instead of a resistor can further reduce the power drain on the portable communication device's battery.

[0065] 5B shows a second configuration 500b in which a single light patch 504 is centered on both of the subject's eyes. The second configuration 500b is similar to the first configuration 500a, but may provide greater latitude in terms of accurately directing light to the subject's eyes.

[0066] To generate the single light patch 504 shown in the second configuration 500b of Figure 5B, the beam splitter has been removed from the system 200 shown in Figure 2. In some instances, a diffuser (e.g., optical diffuser 210 shown in Figure 2) is selected to provide asymmetric properties that spread the single LED image primarily in one direction to generate the single light patch 504 with the required width at approximately 30 cm. Assuming a single light patch 504 with dimensions of approximately 12 cm x 5 cm is projected at a distance of 30 cm from the light emitting assembly, the same example LED would emit 50 microwatts / cm. 2would increase to about 5.5 mA. This means that if a resistor were used as the LED current regulator, the equivalent time to drain a fully charged battery in a typical portable communication device would be at least about 400 hours. In some instances, using a current regulator device instead of a resistor can further reduce power drain on the battery in the portable communication device.

[0067] 5C shows a third configuration 500c in which the light patch 506 is centered on the subject's face. Compared to the first and second configurations 500a and 500b, the third configuration 500c trades optical efficiency for greater latitude in terms of emitting light precisely at the subject's eye. Additionally, the third configuration 500c may maintain latitude in either portrait or landscape orientation of the display of the portable communication device 110 without having to reposition the light emitting assembly to a different position on the portable communication device 110.

[0068] To generate the light patch 506 shown in the third configuration 500c of Figure 5C, the beam splitter has again been removed from the system 200 shown in Figure 2. As with the second configuration 500b of Figure 5B, the diffuser (e.g., optical diffuser 210 shown in Figure 2) is selected to provide symmetrical properties that spread the image of a single LED in two orthogonal directions to create the light patch 506 with the required width at a distance of approximately 30 cm. Assuming that the light patch 506 has dimensions of approximately 16 cm x 16 cm and is projected at a distance of 30 cm from the light emitting assembly, the same example LED would emit 50 microwatts / cm. 2 would increase to approximately 23.5 mA. This means that the equivalent time to drain a fully charged battery in a portable communication device using a resistor as an LED current regulator would be approximately 95 hours. In some instances, using a current regulator device instead of a resistor can further reduce power drain on the battery in the portable communication device.

[0069] In all of the configurations 500a, 500b, and 500c shown in Figures 5A-5C, the light patches should have a substantially uniform intensity to optimize maintaining a consistent level of light therapy when the light patches are imperfectly aligned with the subject's eyes. Typically, the subject's face is located approximately 30 cm from the front of the portable communication device 110. At a distance of approximately 30 cm, the overall dimensions of the light patches should not exceed the average dimensions of a human face, i.e., approximately 20 cm. In some instances, the light patches are sharply defined, with little light scattered over a wide angle. This is important because light passing over the subject's head can be distracting to others in the subject's vicinity.

[0070] 6 illustrates an example 600 of activating individual subgroups of elements in an LED array to simulate lateral movement of a single, larger LED element, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features are not shown for the sake of brevity and to avoid obscuring more important aspects of the illustrative embodiments disclosed herein. As shown in example 600 of FIG. 6, an addressable array of small LEDs 602 can be activated as individual subgroups 604 to simulate lateral movement of a single, larger LED element relative to a lens.

[0071] To maintain eye safety during prolonged visual exposure, constraints must be placed on the minimum area of ​​the light-emitting aperture. For example, if the area of ​​the light-emitting aperture is too small, the radiance of the light-emitting aperture may exceed recommended safety limits. Calculations based on current safety standards suggest that a radiant irradiance of 50 microwatts / cm2 would be achievable at a distance of 30 cm from a 30 mm diameter light-emitting aperture. 2 is safe for eye exposure of unlimited duration. Increasing the diameter of the emitting aperture to 45 mm increases the irradiance at a distance of 30 cm to approximately 125 microwatts / cm. 2can be safely increased to 30 cm without increasing the perceived visual glare. In addition, the perceived visual glare from the emitting aperture can be reduced by increasing the diameter of the luminous aperture for a given irradiance at a distance of 30 cm.

[0072] 7 is a diagram illustrating an example 700 of the shape of a patch of light projected by a portable ophthalmic light therapy device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. While important features are shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more important aspects of the example embodiments disclosed herein.

[0073] As shown in example 700 of FIG. 7, the scale increments are approximately 25 mm apart. The width of the patch of light at 50% of maximum intensity is 10.5 cm, which corresponds to an angular width of approximately 20 degrees at 50% intensity. The width of the patch of light at 20% of maximum intensity is 14.5 cm, and the width at 10% of maximum intensity is 18.5 cm. The low light intensity scattered over a much wider angle is less likely to bother others in the vicinity of the subject using the light therapy device. Additionally, additional optical components with limited angular transmission characteristics mounted in front of the light-emitting assembly can block unwanted wide-angle scattered light.

[0074] As an example, the light-emitting assembly for a portable ocular phototherapy device is 40 mm in diameter and 14 mm deep, with a 28 mm diameter light-emitting aperture. In this example, the light-emitting assembly incorporates a single royal blue LED, with a current set to approximately 4.5 mA using a 560 ohm resistor in combination with a 5 V power supply from the phone. At a drive current of 4.5 mA, the emission spectrum from the LED peaks at a wavelength of 454.5 nm. A Fresnel lens with a 6 mm focal length and a 30 mm diameter collects and focuses the radiation emitted by the LED, and an efficient microlens array diffuser magnifies the LED image, creating the large square patch of light shown in the third configuration 500a in Figure 5C.

[0075] At a distance of 30 cm, the measured irradiance provided by the light-emitting assembly within the spectral wavelengths of 435 nm to 500 nm is 48 microwatts / cm 2 According to calculations following the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the emitted light is safe for eye exposure of unlimited duration.

[0076] In some instances, a larger aperture in the light-emitting assembly can provide a higher level of irradiance with equivalent eye safety. For example, a 45 mm diameter light-emitting aperture can provide an irradiance of at least 125 microwatts / cm for unlimited eye exposure without increasing visual glare or reducing eye safety. 2 It will be possible to increase it to

[0077] To maximize optical efficiency, the light emitting aperture should be circular. However, the light emitting aperture may be any other shape, such as, but not limited to, square, rectangular, or elliptical, with less loss in optical efficiency. For some alternative light emitting aperture shapes, multiple adjacent light emitting apertures can incorporate their own LED source to maximize optical efficiency. In some instances, the light emitting assembly can include up to a total of six LEDs.

[0078] 8 is a block diagram of an example device 801, according to some embodiments. Figure 8 illustrates an example system including a computing device, an ophthalmic phototherapy device for administering ophthalmic treatment to a subject, and a mounting bracket. While certain specific features are illustrated, those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that various other features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more significant aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein. To this end, by way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, device 801 may include one or more controllers 802 (e.g., microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, processing cores, and / or the like), one or more I / O devices 806 and sensors, and one or more communication interfaces 808 (e.g., USB, FIREWIRE®, THUNDERBOLT®, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), global positioning system (GPS), etc.). 8. The device 800 includes one or more communication buses 804 for interconnecting these and various other components, such as a Bluetooth (Bluetooth system), IR (infrared), BLUETOOTH®, ZIGBEE®, and / or similar type interfaces, one or more programming (e.g., I / O) interfaces 810, a display 812, one or more optional outward-facing and / or inward-facing image sensors 814, a battery 816, a light emitting assembly 818, a memory 820, and one or more communication buses 804 for interconnecting these and various other components.

[0079] In some embodiments, one or more communication buses 804 include circuitry that interconnects and controls communications between system components. In some embodiments, one or more I / O devices 806 include at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a joystick, one or more microphones, one or more speakers, one or more image sensors, one or more displays, and / or the like. For example, data can be input by a subject to provide device 801 with data and / or parameters for varying the timing, intensity of light emissions, or for configuring one or more personalized light therapy programs.

[0080] In some implementations, the display 812 can present computer-generated content to the user. For example, the display 812 can display information such as the status of a light therapy program, whether a light therapy program is active, the selection of a light therapy program, the elapsed treatment time, the time remaining in the current light therapy treatment, the cumulative light received during treatment over a selected period of time, etc. In some embodiments, display 812 may correspond to a holographic, digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), organic light-emitting field-effect transistor (OLET), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED), field-emission display (FED), quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QD-LED), micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), and / or similar type of display. In some embodiments, one or more displays 812 correspond to a waveguide display, such as a diffractive, reflective, polarized, holographic, etc. For example, device 801 includes a single display. In another example, device 801 includes a display for each eye of the user.

[0081] In some implementations, the one or more optional outward-facing and / or inward-facing image sensors 814 are configured to acquire frames of image data. For example, the one or more optional outward-facing image sensors 814 correspond to one or more RGB cameras (e.g., having a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor), infrared (IR) image sensors, event-based cameras, and / or the like. In some instances, the one or more optional outward-facing and / or inward-facing image sensors 814 are configured to acquire and process images of a subject's face to determine whether a projected patch of light covers or does not cover the subject's eye during active use of the light emitting assembly 818. In some implementations, the battery 816 corresponds to a rechargeable battery within the housing configured to power the device 801.

[0082] In some embodiments, the light emitting assembly 818 (shown in detail in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2 ) may include a housing with a light emitting aperture, at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light having a spectral emission component within a spectral region within a wavelength range of 435 nm to 500 nm, using at least one-third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED to provide ocular phototherapy therapy to the subject, and a lens configured to focus the light and project the beam of light onto the eye of a subject viewing a display of a computing device. In some instances, the light emitting assembly 818 includes electromechanical or electronic means for adjusting the direction of the projection path of light from the light emitting assembly 818 based on the positioning module 832. In some instances, the light emitting assembly 818 may include additional electronic components for receiving commands from the operating system 830 and adjusting the direction of the projected patch of light to correct any alignment errors. By way of non-limiting example, electromechanical means for adjusting the direction of the projected patch of light from light emitting assembly 818 include a motorized mechanism for tilting light emitting assembly 818 relative to its mounting bracket or tilting a movable portion of the mounting bracket relative to a fixed portion of the mounting bracket, and / or a motorized mechanism for achieving relative lateral movement between an LED (e.g., LED 204 in FIG. 2 ) and a lens (e.g., lens 206 in FIG. 2 ). In some instances, electronic means for adjusting the direction of the projected patch of light include replacing a single LED (e.g., LED 204 in FIG. 2 ) with an addressable array of small LED elements (e.g., addressable array of small LEDs 602 shown in FIG. 6 ) that are activated as individual subgroups of elements of an LED array (e.g., subgroup 604 shown in FIG. 6 ) to simulate lateral movement of a single, larger LED relative to the lens.

[0083] Memory 820 includes high-speed random-access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random-access solid-state memory devices. In some embodiments, memory 820 includes non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. Memory 820 optionally includes one or more storage devices located remotely from one or more controllers 802. Memory 820 comprises a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory 820 or its non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores the following programs, modules, and data structures, or a subset thereof, including an operating system 830, a positioning module 832, an analysis module 834, an alert module 836, and a control module 838. In some embodiments, one or more instructions are included in a combination of logic and non-transitory memory.

[0084] The operating system 830 includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware-dependent tasks. The operating system 830 may include application software for communicating with the light emitting assembly 818. In some instances, the application software may also control parameters of a light therapy session, control light therapy settings, provide data for a light therapy session, and / or make recommendations for a light therapy session.

[0085] In some embodiments, the positioning module 832 is configured to use one or more image sensors 814 to acquire a facial geometry of the subject viewing the display 812. In some embodiments, the positioning module 832 is further configured to perform continuous alignment of a beam of light projected onto the subject's eye based at least in part on the image sensors 814, the analysis module 834, the alert module 836, and the control module 838. To this end, in various embodiments, the positioning module 832 includes instructions 832a and / or logic therefor, and heuristics and metadata 832b therefor.

[0086] In some embodiments, analysis module 834 is configured to determine, using one or more image sensors 814, whether the projected beam of light covers the subject's eyes based at least in part on its placement on the subject's face. In some embodiments, analysis module 834 is further configured to provide recommendations to the subject viewing the display of the computing device regarding the timing of light therapy sessions and treatment duration based on log usage in control module 838 and memory 820. To this end, in various embodiments, analysis module 834 includes instructions 834a and / or logic therefor, and heuristics and metadata 834b therefor.

[0087] In some embodiments, the warning module 836 is configured to generate an alignment error warning on the display 812 based on a determination that the projected beam of light does not cover the subject's eyes and based on the analysis module 834. To this end, in various embodiments, the warning module 836 includes instructions 836a and / or logic therefor, and heuristics and metadata 836b therefor.

[0088] In some embodiments, control module 838 is configured to cause at least one LED to emit light having a spectral emission component within a spectral region having a wavelength range of 435 nm to 500 nm that provides ocular phototherapy therapy to the subject using at least one-third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED. In some embodiments, control module 838 is further configured to control phototherapy session parameters for the light emitting assembly. In some embodiments, control module 838 is further configured to store the phototherapy session parameters in a usage log in memory 820. In some embodiments, control module 838 is further configured to control the LEDs to emit light to provide ocular phototherapy therapy to the subject for a period of time greater than one hour. To this end, in various embodiments, control module 838 includes instructions 838a and / or logic therefor, and heuristics and metadata 838b therefor.

[0089] Although the positioning module 832, the analysis module 834, the alert module 836, and the control module 838 are shown as residing on a single device 801, it should be understood that in some embodiments, any combination of the positioning module 832, the analysis module 834, the alert module 836, and the control module 838 may be located in separate systems or computing devices.

[0090] Furthermore, Figure 8 is intended more as a functional description of various features that may be present in particular embodiments, as opposed to a structural schematic of the embodiments described herein. As one skilled in the art will recognize, items shown separately may be combined and some items may be separated. For example, some functional modules shown separately in Figure 8 may be implemented in a single module, and in various embodiments, various functions of a single functional block may be implemented by one or more functional blocks. The actual number of modules and the specific functional divisions and how functions are allocated among them will vary from embodiment to embodiment and, in some embodiments, will depend in part on the particular combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware selected for a particular embodiment.

[0091] Light therapy has proven effective as preventative light therapy and for treating light-related problems such as circadian rhythm problems, seasonal affective disorder, various manifestations of depression, sleep disorders, jet lag, postpartum depression, prenatal depression, premenstrual syndrome, late luteal phase dysphonic disorder (LLPPD), bulimia, eating disorders, and chronic fatigue.

[0092] As described, the phototherapy device utilizes a computing device to produce a projected beam of light suitable for efficiently delivering ocular phototherapy to a subject using the computing device. Specifically, by emitting therapeutically effective light at a lower intensity for a longer duration, phototherapy can be provided to a subject while the subject is looking at their computing device, which would address the power consumption issues of the associated phototherapy system. Additionally, the phototherapy device has high optical efficiency, low power consumption, and is packaged in a small size that allows the phototherapy device to be removably attached to any type of computing device.

[0093] The foregoing description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with their language. Accordingly, the language used herein is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to only the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims.

[0094] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing characteristics, items, quantities, parameters, properties, terms, and the like used in the specification and claims should be understood to be modified in all instances by the term "approximately." As used herein, the term "about" means that the modified characteristic, item, quantity, parameter, property, or term encompasses a range of plus or minus 10% above and below the value of the stated characteristic, item, quantity, parameter, property, or term. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and appended claims are approximations that may vary. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, any numerical designations should be construed in light of, at least, the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0095] The use of the terms "may" or "can" in connection with an example or an aspect of an example also includes the complementary meaning of "may not" or "cannot." Thus, where the specification discloses that an example or an aspect of an example may or may be included as part of the inventive subject matter, negative limitations or exclusions, meaning that an example or an aspect of an example may not or cannot be included as part of the inventive subject matter, are also expressly contemplated. Similarly, the use of the term "optionally" in connection with an example or an aspect of an example means that such example or aspect of an example may or may not be included as part of the inventive subject matter. Whether such a negative limitation or exclusion applies depends on whether the negative limitation or exclusion is recited in the claimed subject matter.

[0096] Although the numerical ranges and values ​​setting forth the inclusive scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical ranges and values ​​set forth in the specific examples are nevertheless reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical range or value inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their corresponding testing measurements. The recitation of numerical ranges of values ​​herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of individually referring to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value in a numerical range is incorporated herein as if it were individually set forth herein.

[0097] As used in the context of describing the present invention (particularly in the context of the claims which follow), the terms "a," "an," "the," and similar references, and similar referents, should be construed to encompass both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Furthermore, ordinal indicators for identified elements—e.g., "first," "second," "third," etc.—are used to distinguish between multiple elements and do not denote or imply a required or limited number of such elements, nor do they dictate a particular position or order of such elements, unless otherwise expressly stated. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. The use of any and all illustrative or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended merely to better describe the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise asserted. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present disclosure.

[0098] When used in the claims, whether as filed or added by amendment, the open-ended transitional phrase "comprising" (and equivalent open-ended transitional phrases such as "including," "containing," and "having") includes all expressly recited elements, limitations, steps, and / or features, either alone or in combination with unrecited subject matter, and while the explicitly recited elements, limitations, and / or features are essential, other unrecited elements, limitations, and / or features may be added and still form a structure within the scope of the claim. Specific embodiments disclosed herein may be further qualified in the claims by using the closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of" in place of or as an amendment to "comprising." When used in the claims, whether as filed or added by amendment, the closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting of" excludes any element, limitation, step, or feature not expressly recited in the claim. The closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of a claim to those elements, limitations, steps, and / or features expressly recited and any other elements, limitations, steps, and / or features that do not materially affect the basic novel nature of the claimed subject matter. Accordingly, the meaning of the open-ended transitional phrase "comprising" is defined to include not only all specifically recited elements, limitations, steps, and / or features, but also any optional additional unspecified ones. The meaning of the closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting of" is defined to include only those elements, limitations, steps, and / or features specifically recited in the claim, while the meaning of the closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" is defined to include only those elements, limitations, steps, and / or features specifically recited in the claim, as well as those elements, limitations, steps, and / or features that do not materially affect the basic novel nature of the claimed subject matter.Thus, the open-ended transitional phrase "comprising" (and equivalent open-ended transitional phrases) includes, within its meaning, the claimed subject matter identified by the closed-ended transitional phrase "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of," as a limitation. Accordingly, any embodiment described herein or similarly claimed using the phrase "comprising" is expressly or inherently unambiguously described, enabled, and supported herein with respect to the phrases "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of."

[0099] All patents, patent publications, and other publications referenced or identified in this specification are individually and expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the compositions and methodologies described in such publications that may be used in connection with the present invention. These publications are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing in this regard should be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to an earlier date of invention than such disclosure by virtue of prior invention or for any other reason. All statements as to the date of these documents or as to the contents thereof are based on the information available to the applicant and do not constitute an admission as to the accuracy of the dates or contents of these documents.

[0100] Finally, the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the claims. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to that precisely as shown and described.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus coupled to a handheld computing device and configured to project a light beam for providing ocular phototherapy to a person viewing a display of the handheld computing device, the apparatus comprising:

1. A light emitting assembly comprising: a housing having a light emitting aperture; at least one light emitting diode (LED) device configured to emit light having a spectral emission component within a spectral region having a wavelength range of 435 nm to 500 nm, wherein at least one third of the total power emitted by the at least one LED is within said spectral region; and a lens or mirror configured to focus the emitted light and project the emitted beam of light through the light-emitting aperture into the eye of a subject viewing a display of the handheld computing device, wherein at a distance of 30 cm from the light-emitting aperture, the beam of light projected into the eye of the subject has a height and width of less than 20 cm measured between points on the beam where the intensity of the beam is half of the maximum intensity of the beam. a light emitting assembly comprising: a mounting bracket attached to the housing and configured to be removably attached to the handheld computing device or a case of the handheld computing device; An apparatus comprising:

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a power receiver configured to receive power for the apparatus from the handheld computing device.

3. 3. The device of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a rechargeable battery within the housing configured to power the device.

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens is further configured to project the beam of light by projecting a first beam of light to a first eye of the subject and a second beam of light to a second eye of the subject.

5. The light emitting assembly comprises:

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a beam splitter configured to split the projected beam of light into a first beam of light projected onto a first eye of the subject and a second beam of light projected onto a second eye of the subject.

6. The light emitting assembly comprises:

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical diffuser configured to diffuse the projected beam of light along a horizontal direction.

7. The light emitting assembly comprises:

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical diffuser configured to diffuse the projected beam of light along horizontal and vertical directions.

8. The light emitting assembly comprises:

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical deflector configured to deflect the projected beam of light so that a center of the projected beam of light is at the eye of the subject viewing the display of the handheld computing device.

9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical deflector is a Fresnel prism.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises an aspherical Fresnel lens having a focal length of about 6 mm and a diameter of about 30 mm.

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises an aspherical Fresnel lens having a diameter at least three times the focal length of the lens.

12. The light emitting assembly emits light having a spectral range of 50 to 200 microwatts / cm² at the distance of 30 cm from the light emitting aperture, within the wavelength range of 435 nm to 500 nm. ２ 12. The device of claim 1, further configured to emit the light to provide an irradiance in the range of

13. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one LED device consists of six or fewer LEDs.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic component configured to communicate with the handheld computing device.

15. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electronic components configure the light emitting assembly to start or stop a phototherapy session or adjust the intensity or spectrum of the emitted light in response to commands from the handheld computing device.

16. 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitting assembly further comprises remotely controllable electromechanical or electronic means for adjusting the direction of the beam of light projected from the light emitting assembly in response to commands from the handheld computing device.

17. obtaining a location of the subject using the device; generating an alignment error alert based on a determination, based at least in part on the positioning of the subject, that the projected beam of light does not cover the eye of the subject; 17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising application software configured to:

18. a handheld computing device; A device for administering ocular light therapy to a subject according to any one of claims 1 to 17; A system comprising:

19. The handheld computing device comprises a controller, an image sensor, and a display, the controller comprising: acquiring a facial geometry of the subject viewing the display using the image sensor; 20. The system of claim 18, configured to generate an alignment error warning on the display based on a determination that the projected beam of light does not cover the subject's eyes based at least in part on the positioning of the face.

20. The control device 20. The system of claim 19, further configured to perform continuous alignment of the projected beam of light to the eye of the subject based at least in part on the alignment error.

21. The device further includes a controller and a memory, the controller comprising: controlling parameters of a phototherapy session with respect to said light emitting assembly; storing parameters of the phototherapy session in a usage log in said memory; 21. The system of any one of claims 18 to 20, configured to provide recommendations to the subject viewing the display of the handheld computing device regarding the timing and duration of the phototherapy session based on parameters of the phototherapy session and log usage in the memory.

22. controlling the at least one light emitting diode (LED) device to emit light to provide ocular phototherapy therapy to the subject for a period of time greater than one hour; 22. The system of any one of claims 18 to 21, further comprising a controller configured to:

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