Mirrored eye drop target and method therefor

Details Mirrored eye drop target and method therefor Mirrored eye drop target and method therefor

1999-06-10

2001-12-04

Lewis, Kim M. (Department: 3761)

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Treating material applied to or removed from external...

C604S295000, C604S300000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325784

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to a mirrored eye drop target and a method for directing eye drops into an eye of an user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Eye drops are sometimes utilized by users to deliver medication to the eye or relieve eye strain or simply to clear debris from the eye. Commonly, the eye drops are carried by an eye dropper which normally includes a fluid containment body or container, an eye dropper spout and a spout end. To deliver eye drops into the eye, the user substantially horizontally positions his or her eye and substantially vertically positions the spout end preferably above the pupil of the eye or generally above the eyeball . Hopefully, the user maintains a distance of about 2-4 inches between his or her eyeball and the dropper spout in order to avoid damage to the eye due to inadvertent physical contact. It is relatively difficult to substantially horizontally position the head and eye and substantially vertically deliver the eye drops into the eye cavity and the eyeball. Various structures have been created to accurately position the spout end vertically above the eyeball. U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,430 to Astrove discloses a mirrored surface which is angularly disposed with respect to a substrate. The substrate is angularly attached to the base of the eye dropper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,575 to Windsor discloses an eye dropper device which includes a swing out mirror attached to the base of the eye dropper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,245 to Windsor discloses another eye dropper which includes a mirrored or reflective surface attached to the base of the eye dropper. All of these systems suffer from the defect that the reflective surface should be in a plane parallel to the axial centerline of the eye dropper and particularly vertically aligned with the eye drop spout and the spout end when the eye dropper is substantially horizontally disposed. The present invention overcomes these difficulties.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mirrored eye dropper target and a method for directing eye drops to an eye of an user.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an eye dropper target which utilizes an elongated planar substrate having a mirrored first end and an adhering second end such that the planar substrate can be permanently mounted to the eye drop container.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a mirrored eye dropper target wherein the user aligns the reflected image of his or her eye with the end of the eye dropper spout such that when the head and eye are in a substantially horizontal position, eye drops, leaving the spout, fall vertically into the eye of the user. Specifically, the user holds the target horizontally over the bridge of his or her nose and pulls down the lower lid of his or her eye with the other hand. This later action exposes a greater eye surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plurality of mirrored eye dropper targets in a “matchbook” or packet form.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide advertising indicia or instructional indicia on the outer cover and, additionally or alternatively on the inside portion of the cover, of the matchbook or packet carrying the plurality of mirrored eye dropper targets.


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