Inflatable Ophthalmic Mask with Sealed Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing concern of cross-contamination in healthcare settings, particularly during automated diagnostic procedures, due to reduced personnel availability for cleaning equipment, necessitates improved hygiene measures.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable mask with optically transparent sections and a concaved surface that conforms to the patient's face, forming air-tight ocular cavities to maintain cleanliness and stability during medical examinations, and can interface with medical devices like OCT systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an inflatable mask with ocular cavities is used to create a hygienic barrier, then cross-contamination is prevented and hygiene is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for inflation mechanisms and sealed cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The mask is divided into distinct functional segments: an inflatable member that forms sealed cavities around each eye separately, allowing independent control and sealing of each ocular region. This segmentation enables effective hygienic isolation while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable mask acts as an intermediary barrier between the medical device and the patient's face, creating a disposable or cleanable interface that prevents direct contact and cross-contamination. The inflation mechanism enables this intermediary structure to adapt and seal effectively
2Ease of operation
If the inflatable member is inflated to conform to the patient's face, then patient comfort and seal integrity are improved, but the risk of discomfort or injury from excessive pressure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable member employs dynamic pressure control, allowing the system to adjust inflation levels in real-time to match patient anatomy and comfort requirements. The pressure can be modulated during the examination procedure to maintain optimal sealing without causing discomfort or injury
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor inflation pressure and adjust accordingly, ensuring that the mask conforms to the patient's face adequately for sealing while preventing excessive pressure that could cause harm. This feedback loop maintains safety and comfort
3Reliability
If the mask is designed to be disposable to ensure hygiene, then cross-contamination is eliminated, but loss of substance increases due to continuous consumption of masks
Solution Approach 1:
The mask is designed as a disposable component that can be easily manufactured from inexpensive materials, making it economically viable to replace after each use. This disposable design ensures complete hygiene by eliminating cross-contamination risks while the low cost minimizes the impact of continuous consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables easy discarding of used masks and facilitates recovery or replacement with new ones. The modular design allows for efficient disposal and rapid replacement, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous hygienic operation
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 mask provides a hygienic barrier, ensures patient comfort, and stabilizes the patient's position for accurate medical measurements while reducing the need for additional personnel to maintain hygiene, thus enhancing the efficiency and cleanliness of diagnostic procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The rear concaved surface may be configured to conform to contours of the first patient's face with inflation of the inflatable member via the inflation port
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2B
AI summary
A mask for performing an eye exam of a subject includes one or more optically transparent sections for transmitting an incident light beam therethrough and incident on the subject's eye. In some embodiments, the one or more optically transparent sections are coated with an anti-reflective coating configured to reduce reflection of the incident light beam by the one or more optically transparent sections. In some embodiments, the one or more optically transparent sections may have a portion thereof that is tilted with respect to the incident light beam when the mask is optically interfaced with the docking portion of an ophthalmic instrument, such that the incident light beam forms a finite angle of incidence with respect to the corresponding portion of the optically transparent sections.