Contact Lens Applicator Cap with Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contact lens packaging requires multiple touches and manipulations, leading to unsanitary and cumbersome handling, with risks of lens damage and bacterial transfer.
Innovation Solution
A contact lens package with an applicator cap and container designed for single-touch application, featuring a lever system for easy opening and a convex surface for secure lens retention, allowing the lens to be removed and applied directly to the eye with minimal contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the contact lens is stored in a conventional molded plastic base with the lens in a concave-side-up orientation, then the lens can be easily accessed by the user, but the user must touch the lens multiple times and manipulate it, which increases the risk of contamination and lens damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional lens orientation from concave-side-up to convex-side-up. This inversion allows the lens to be presented on the applicator cap in a orientation that enables single-touch removal with the right side of the finger, eliminating the need to flip the lens and reducing contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The applicator cap serves as an intermediary device between the lens storage container and the user's eye. The cap provides a controlled interface for lens transfer, allowing the lens to be removed with a single touch and positioned correctly without direct hand manipulation, thereby reducing bacterial transfer and mechanical stress on the lens.
2Ease of operation
If the contact lens is presented in a convex-side-up orientation to eliminate the need for flipping, then the number of manipulations is reduced, but the lens still requires multiple touches or fishing from packaging solution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage container and applicator cap into a single integrated unit. The cap is designed to fit over the lens in the container, combining the storage and application functions in one device. This allows the lens to be accessed through a single opening action without requiring separate retrieval and application steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging is segmented into distinct functional zones: the container holds the lens in solution, the cap provides a dry application surface, and the lever mechanism enables easy opening. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while working together as a unified system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a single touch package is designed to allow direct lens transfer from package to eye, then the sanitation and convenience are improved, but the package must ensure consistent lens positioning and controlled solution drainage
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator cap features a specifically designed application surface with particular geometric properties that match the lens curvature. This localized design ensures consistent lens positioning on the cap, allowing reliable single-touch removal. The surface geometry is optimized to hold the lens securely during storage but release it easily during application.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens is pre-positioned in the container in a specific orientation before the user opens the package. The cap is designed to maintain this orientation during the opening process, so that when the user removes the lens with a single touch, it is already in the correct orientation for application to the eye, eliminating the need for additional manipulation.
4Ease of operation
If the package is designed to allow solution drainage away from the lens, then the lens dries less and is easier to handle, but the package structure becomes more complex and may increase cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates drainage features that utilize gravity and spatial arrangement to channel solution away from the lens in a controlled manner. The cap design includes channels or pathways that direct excess solution to specific drainage zones, allowing the lens to be accessed in a relatively dry state without requiring complex active pumping or evaporation mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The package enables a sanitary and efficient single-touch lens application, reducing the risk of lens damage and bacterial transfer, while maintaining the lens's integrity and hydration.
Implementation Method 1
The convex surface is configured to retain a contact lens by adhesion forces
Implementation Method 2
The at least one lever surface is configured to provide at least one leverage point for movement of the applicator cap relative to the container
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are devices and methods for storage and application of a contact lens. The device includes an applicator cap (102) including a handle portion (106a) having a first end, a second end, and a body that extends between the first end and the second end. The body includes at least one lever surface. The device includes a container (104) having a reservoir configured to house a contact lens and packaging solution. The at least one lever surface is configured to provide at least one leverage point for movement of the applicator cap relative to the container.