Disposable Eye Patch and Piece for Lightproof Eye Movement Recording

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video goggles struggle to provide a reliable lightproof seal around the eyes, especially for individuals with different facial anatomy, leading to suppression of reflex eye movements and requiring cumbersome dark room studies and frequent cleaning.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus comprising an eye piece and an eye patch, both opaque to visible light, forms a lightproof seal around the eyes, allowing for complete darkness and easy fitting across various facial anatomies, with adhesive surfaces for secure attachment and disposable design to reduce cleaning needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If prior art video goggles use a lightproof seal around the eyes, then visible light is prevented from reaching the eyes, but the seal is difficult to obtain for different facial anatomies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisible light reaching the eyesVSAvoidfitting for different facial anatomies

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the lightproof covering into two separate components: an eye piece for one eye and an eye patch for the other eye. This segmentation allows each component to be independently fitted to the facial anatomy, improving adaptability while maintaining the lightproof seal function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The eye piece and eye patch are designed with flexible materials that can conform to different facial anatomies. The eye patch specifically uses a flexible opaque material that can be shaped to fit various face shapes, solving the adaptability problem while maintaining light blocking effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-affected harmful factors

If prior art video goggles provide a complete lightproof seal, then reflex eye movements are not suppressed, but the goggles require frequent cleaning between uses by different humans

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuppression of reflex eye movementsVSAvoidcleaning and maintenance between uses

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The eye piece and eye patch are designed as disposable components. After use, they can be discarded rather than cleaned and sterilized, eliminating the maintenance burden while ensuring complete lightproof sealing for each use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention enables discarding of the eye piece and eye patch after single use. This approach trades the resource of material consumption for the benefit of eliminating cleaning and sterilization processes, improving ease of use between different patients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Measurement precision

If prior art video goggles are used in dark rooms to study eye movements, then accurate measurements can be obtained, but the study becomes much more cumbersome to perform

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of eye movement recordingVSAvoidcumbersomeness of dark room studies

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the lightproof function from the environment (dark room) and incorporates it directly into the wearable device (eye piece and eye patch). This allows eye movement studies to be conducted in normal lighting conditions while maintaining measurement accuracy, greatly improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The opaque eye piece and eye patch act as intermediaries that block visible light from reaching the eyes, replacing the need for a dark room environment. This intermediary device enables accurate eye movement recording in convenient settings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If video goggles are designed to fit different humans, then versatility is improved, but the lightproof seal becomes difficult to obtain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefitting for different facial anatomiesVSAvoidlightproof seal effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the lightproof covering into separate eye piece and eye patch components, each can be individually fitted to match the specific facial anatomy of different users, maintaining reliable lightproof sealing without compromising versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 apparatus effectively prevents visible light from reaching the eyes, reducing optic fixation and allowing for accurate recording of eye movements without the need for complex lightproof seals in goggles, facilitating easier use and reduced maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

The eye piece and the eye patch are made opaque to visible light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight blocking: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

The eye piece comprises a region that is transparent for electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength range outside a visible range

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelective electromagnetic radiation transmission: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentUS9999347B2Headgear for observation of eye movements

Publication Date: 2018.06.19 NATUS ACQUISITION II LLC

AI summary

An apparatus for covering eyes of a human includes: an eye piece configured for covering one of the eyes of the human; and an eye patch configured for covering the other one of the eyes of the human; wherein the eye piece and the eye patch are configured for preventing transmission of visible light; and wherein the eye piece comprises a region that is transparent for electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength range outside a visible range.