Contact lens package having improved access features

IS 2 139 171 T3

DESCRIPTION

Contact lens case with improved accessibility features.

Background of the invention

1. Field of the invention

This invention relates generally to contact lens packaging technology and contact lens storage cases. More specifically, this invention relates to plastic cases of the "blister" type or injection molded, for storing hydrophilic or soft contact lenses, immersed in a sterile saline storage solution.

two. Description of the state of the art

Hydrophilic or soft contact lenses have become quite popular due to their comfort and convenience. These hydrophilic lenses generally contain 20% to 90% water by weight. In order to maintain this high water content, hydrophilic lenses are generally immersed in a sterile aqueous solution in a watertight case during storage, transportation, and handling. There have been a wide variety of cases that have been used to store hydrophilic contact lenses.

The first cases for lenses consisted of glass bottles with stoppers. These jars were usually sealed with silicone stoppers and foil liners for added security. Each vial, with a volume of about 10 cc, contained a single contact lens immersed in about 7 cc of sterile saline solution. The lens was removed by breaking the foil, removing the cap, and holding the lens with tweezers.

Improvements in contact lens packaging include injection molded or "blister" packaging. An example of this can be found in US Patent No. 4,691,820, issued to Martinez. Martinez presents a contact lens storage case that includes a blister portion, which defines a cavity to receive a contact lens and saline solution. The blister portion includes a flange that extends outwardly around the perimeter of the cavity. A cover material is attached to the flange in order to form a watertight seal. A portion of the lateral wall of the blister portion is inclined towards the other side of the lower bearing surface of the blister portion. The case is opened by tearing off the tab cover to expose the cavity containing the contact lens. Although the Martinez case provides certain improvements, neither the case, nor the cover portion, can be easily grasped for the opening process. US-A-4631820 describes the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Therefore, there is a need for a case for storing hydrophilic contact lenses that has better means of holding the case. There is also a need for a contact lens storage case that has better means of holding it and removing the cover.

Summary of the invention

An object of the invention is to provide a container for storing contact lenses which has better means for holding / stabilizing it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for storing contact lenses that has better means of access.

A further objective of the invention is to improve the comfort of the user when opening the container of the contact lens.

Another object of the invention is to improve the localization of the stabilizing means of a case containing contact lenses, in relation to the sealing means, thereby reducing the probability that the lens or the storage solution will be lost, during storage. case opening procedure.

The invention consists of a case for storing, transporting or handling soft, hydrophilic contact lenses. The kit includes a container defining a reservoir capable of holding a contact lens and liquid, a cover for forming a liquid-impervious seal with the container, and a means for securing the cover on the container. The container further includes a means to easily and securely hold and stabilize the container while the covering material is being removed. The stabilizing means includes two notches in the container, the notches being located on opposite sides of the container. Preferably, the stabilizing means also includes two lips which are attached to the notches in the container, and whose raised portions are practically perpendicular to the flange of the container. In a preferred embodiment, the lips have ribs to facilitate manual gripping. The container also includes a means for easily accessing and easily grasping a portion of the cover (ie, a tab), in order to separate the cover from the container and expose the contact lens disposed in the reservoir. The tab extends to a sufficient distance from the container to allow the user to easily grasp it for manual removal. Preferably, the tab includes a means for holding it, which has raised or ribbed surfaces, which assist in holding the tab by hand.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the contact lens storage case of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the container component of the case for storing contact lenses.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the flexible lamina-shaped sealing medium of the contact lens storage case.

Figure 4 is a side sectional view of a second embodiment of the case for storing contact lenses of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of the case for storing contact lenses.

Figure 6 is a side plan view of the second embodiment of the case for storing contact lenses.

IS 2 139 171 T3

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the case for storing contact lenses.

Description of the preferred modalities

Referring to Figure 1, the contact lens storage device 10 of the present invention is shown in a sectional view. Container 12 defines a reservoir 22 for containing a contact lens 24 and a liquid around it, for example a sterile, isotonic saline solution. Container 12 is preferably substantially hemispherical in shape, so as to be compatible with the convex surface of a contact lens. Preferably, the container has a flattened surface 14, on the side opposite the cover 18. This flattened surface allows the container to be placed and held in a predetermined orientation on a flat storage surface (eg, a table). Container 12 further includes a flange 16 for peripheral attachment of cover 18 thereon. Flange 16 extends from the periphery of container 12 outward, preferably in the plane defined by the periphery, for a distance sufficient to allow attachment of cover 18 thereon. Cover 18 is a flexible lamina of material capable of providing a liquid-tight seal with container 12 when attached to it. Preferably, cover 18 conforms substantially to the shape of tab 16 of container 12, except that at least one portion, tab 20, extends beyond tab 16. Tab 20 (see also Figure 3 ) is provided so that the user can easily grasp the cover, while opening the storage device, in order to gain access to the contact lens stored there.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a container 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Indentations 32 are provided on the container 30 (preferably the flange) in order to allow the user to hold the container during removal from the sealing means, that is, the indentations 30 provide a means to stabilize the container during the process. container opening. Figure 3 shows a preferred shape of flexible sheet 40. Lamina 40 substantially follows the shape of the container, with the exception of tab 20, which extends beyond the periphery of the container.

In the practice, the user can remove the contact lens by holding the indentations 32 (see Figure 2) with the thumb and ondx of one hand, while holding the tab 20 (see Figure 3) with the thumb and ondx. of the other hand. The tab 20 can then be moved in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1, thereby breaking the seal (preferably provided by an adhesive or a heat seal) between the container flange and the flexible sealing foil.

The term "indentation", as used herein, refers to nicks, nicks, impressions, cuts, or other shapes, which provide sufficient differentiation at the periphery, to allow a user to easily grasp the contact lens storage device. . Indentations can be formed by cutting, stamping, molding, or otherwise shaping the flexible sheet. Preferably, the indentations are curved on the periphery of the container, especially the flange of the container, which substantially conform to the radii of curvature of the thumb and onyx. More preferably, the indentations have a substantially uniform radius of curvature of from about 5mm to 30mm.

Figure 4 illustrates a second more preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, tab 52 has higher friction gripping surfaces provided with ribs or raised portions 54 (see Figure 5) on tab 52. The tab 52 is fixed, but can be removed, to the body of the container 58, by means of fixing (for example, by an adhesive or heat seal) to the cover (not shown in Figure 5), which is once attached, releasably (for example). , by an adhesive or heat seal) to the flange of the container. The tab 52 is preferably a rigid ribbed piece of a material that is particularly suitable for being held manually between the thumb and forefinger. Rigid, ribbed design allows user to securely grip the tongue. Therefore, together with the lateral stabilizing means, the rigid and ribbed tongue allows a smooth separation of the connection between the cover and the container, thereby preventing the contents of the container from slipping or spilling out.

The aforementioned second embodiment also has advantages in the use of a stabilizing means 56 that includes raised lips 60 that extend substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the flanges 58 of the container (see Figures 6 and 7). Lips 60 extend substantially perpendicular, away from flange 62, as best shown in Figure 7. Preferably, the raised lips 60 have ribs or lines on the surface 64, in order to provide better friction to facilitate gripping. The lips are curved to conform to the shape of the container indentations 56 described above (see Figure 5).

The relative position of the tab 52 relative to the stabilizing means 56 (see Figure 5) provides a substantial improvement in the ease of removing the contact lens from the lens storage container. During the process of opening the case, the stabilizing means 56 can be clamped between the thumb and index fingers of one hand, while the tab 52 is clamped between the thumb and index fingers of the other hand. As the tab 52 moves toward the stabilization means 56, the container can be easily held in position by holding the stabilization means 56, thereby preventing loss of storage solution, or loss of the lens of the container. container. Preferably, the container is further stabilized by placing the container on a level surface (eg, a table) during the container opening process, with the flattened surface 55 (see Figure 5) in position.

ES 2 139 171 T3 adjacent to the level surface.

As mentioned above, the tab extends to a predetermined distance, beyond the periphery of the container, this distance being sufficient to allow a user to easily grasp the tab. Preferably, the tab extends from 5 millimeters (mm) to about 50mm beyond the periphery of the container, more preferably about 15 to 25mm beyond the periphery of the container.

The flexible sheet can be formed from a variety of waterproof materials and can have a variety of thicknesses. The sheet must be flexible enough to allow the user to easily remove the sheet from the container. Preferably, the sheeting is formed from a foil film or metal foil composite material (eg aluminum). The preferred thickness of the sheet is about 0.01 to 0.10 millimeters (mm), preferably about 0.04 to 0.05 mm.

The container can be formed from a variety of materials, but is preferably transparent to allow the user to inspect the lens without opening the storage device. Preferred materials include a variety of moldable, transparent, substantially hydrophobic plastics, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Preferred container thicknesses range from about 0.5mm to 1.0mm.

The container can be attached to the flexible sheet by a variety of methods. However, the strength of the bond between the container and the sheet should not be excessive, that is, the user should be able to easily and quickly separate the sheet from the container. Preferred means of attaching the sheet to the container include the use of an adhesive disposed therebetween, or the use of heat sealing methods. Both methods are well known to the state of the art.

The invention has been described in detail, with reference to some preferred embodiments, in order to allow the reader to put the invention into practice without the need for a great deal of experience. Accordingly, the intellectual property rights of this invention are defined solely by the following claims.