Portable Sight Testing Apparatus with Foldable Base Rail
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of accessible and portable equipment for determining refractive error in the human eye, particularly in remote and developing communities due to the complexity, fragility, and high cost of traditional sight testing equipment like phoropters.
Innovation Solution
A portable apparatus comprising an elongate base rail with foldable design and detachable lens carrier housings, equipped with user-operable controls for selecting and positioning corrective lenses, allowing for efficient and accurate determination of refractive error without the need for trained professionals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a phoropter is used for sight testing, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The phoropter is divided into separate modular components: a headrest assembly, a lens carrier assembly with multiple lens carriers, and a base assembly. Each module can be independently manufactured, assembled, and replaced, reducing overall complexity while maintaining measurement precision through standardized interfaces and alignment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates the lens carrier mechanism from the traditional phoropter housing, allowing the lens carriers to be independently positioned and adjusted. This extraction enables simplified manufacturing and easier replacement of individual components without affecting the entire device, thereby reducing complexity while preserving measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If a phoropter is used for sight testing, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to required skill and training
Solution Approach 1:
The lens carriers are designed with self-aligning mechanisms and intuitive controls that allow users to independently position and adjust lenses without requiring extensive training. The modular design includes built-in alignment features and user-friendly interfaces that enable operators to perform sight testing procedures with minimal guidance, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If traditional sight testing equipment is used, then measurement precision is improved, but portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sight testing equipment is segmented into lightweight modular modules that can be easily transported and assembled at different locations. The headrest, lens carriers, and base units can be separately packaged and quickly assembled, enabling the device to be portable while maintaining the measurement precision of traditional phoropters.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable and movable components that allow adaptation to different testing scenarios and locations. The modular design enables dynamic reconfiguration of the system based on specific testing requirements, enhancing both portability and versatility while preserving measurement accuracy.
4Measurement precision
If traditional sight testing equipment is used, then measurement precision is improved, but cost deteriorates due to high cost of providing sight testing
Solution Approach 1:
The phoropter is manufactured as separate modular components that can be produced using cost-effective assembly processes. Each module (headrest, lens carriers, base) can be independently manufactured and assembled, reducing overall manufacturing costs compared to traditional monolithic phoropters, while maintaining measurement precision through standardized design interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates individual functional components that can be manufactured independently using more economical processes. The lens carriers and other modules can be produced separately and assembled, reducing tooling costs and enabling flexible manufacturing that lowers the overall cost of providing sight testing services while preserving measurement accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable apparatus for determining refractive error in the human eye comprises an elongate base rail having a left side base rail portion and a right side base rail portion; a first lens carrier housing mounted on the left side base rail portion, a first lens carrier carrying a plurality of corrective lenses and being substantially housed within the first lens carrier housing so as to expose a corrective lens of the first lens carrier in a test position of the first lens carrier housing; a second lens carrier housing mounted on the right side base rail portion, a second lens carrier carrying a plurality of corrective lenses and being substantially housed within the second lens carrier housing so as to expose a corrective lens of the second lens carrier in a test position of the second lens carrier housing; a first user operable control adapted for moving the first lens carrier relative to the first lens carrier housing and a second user operable control adapted to move the second lens carrier relative to the second lens carrier housing, whereby the first user operable control and the second user operable control are each movable to select a corrective lens to be exposed in the test position of the respective carrier housing. and wherein the portable apparatus includes at least one of (a) the base rail is adapted to be foldable at a middle portion thereof and (b) one of the first lens carrier housing and the second lens carrier housing is detachable from the respective left side base rail portion or right side base rail portion.