Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
CONFORMING DECORATIVE VISION OCCLUDING PATCH AND SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to articles for occluding
vision for treatment of certain malfunctions of the eye. More specifically,
the
invention is concerned with a reusable conforming self-adhesive flexible patch
adapted for mounting on an eyeglass lens and bearing decorative indicia for
improving an aesthetic aspect of the patch and promoting acceptance and use
by patients.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Certain vision impairments, such as amblyopia (lazy eye), and
strabismus (crossed eyes), can be treated by occluding the vision of a
stronger
eye in order to stimulate the development of the weaker eye by forcing it to
compensate for the stronger eye's loss by taking over the area of sight not
visible by the stronger eye.
[0003] Different techniques have been provided in the prior art to enable
such eye occlusion. Besides unaesthetic patches applied directly about the
wearer's eye, the use of opaque or translucent contact lenses aiming at such
therapeutic purposes have been taught namely in Us patents No 6,352,345
(Zolten -2002) and No 6,062,687 (Lofgren-Nisser - 2002), in the US patent
application 2005/0033210 by Shahinpoor and in the European patent
application No 0002663 by Bragard. Although such contact lenses may provide
a discrete means for vision occlusion, their use is not adapted to the
treatment
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of young patients, from six month to five years old, representing the most
important segment of potential users for the treatment of amblyopia and
strabismus.
[0004] Amongst removable eye occlusion devices, Kurup (US patent
6,786,601 - 2004) provides a mask wherein lenses or patches may be
mounted in eye openings, and Grindle in US patent No 4,582,401 granted in
1986, provides an example of a visual field and lens occluder adapted to be
mounted over the lens and frame of eyeglasses. Still, these solutions lack
aesthetic concems and show evidence of vision impairment, attracting attention
of the entourage on the wearer thus limiting acceptance by potential users.
Eyeglasses lens provided with liquid crystal devices (LCD) as described in US
patent No 5,264,877 (Hussey - 1993) enable electronic control of light
transmission through the lens, which allows designing special eyeglasses with
fairly good appearance. However, such a specialized device would be
expensive, could be offered in only a limited range of designs since it can
not
be retrofitted into existing eyeglasses and it comprises an electronic control
unit
connected to the eyeglasses by wire, which is not likely to be wearied and
used
by young patients.
[0005] Direct application of a thin and flexible self-sticking membrane on a
user's existing eyeglasses lens in order to modify optical properties have
also
been taught in the prior art. US patents No 3,628,854, 4, 698,022, 6,003,990
and 6,942,336 and the international patent application No WO 2007/019686
provide such membranes adapted to be applied directly on a lens using an
adhesive or an electrostatic attraction force to modify optical properties.
Namely, in US patent 6,942,336 granted to Foulke et al in Sept. 2005, the
membrane used for training in sports may be opaque and cut to the appropriate
shape and size from a sheet of an electrostatic plastic material.
Nevertheless,
using such a film in the context of an everyday usage for the treatment of a
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visual impairment lacks aesthetic properties in order to make it attractive
for the
user, promoting acceptance by the wearer and by its entourage.
[0006] It would therefore be a significant advance in the art of vision
occlusion patches to provide a reusable conformable patch that may be readily
cut from a sheet of material to the proper shape and size for removable
conforming mounting on a user's eyeglasses lens, while presenting an
aesthetic and decorative appearance so to diminish the perception of the
therapeutic aspects of the patch and promote acceptance by the wearer.
[0007] Actually, experiences carried-out by the inventor showed with
evidence that young patients that were reluctant to wear conventional vision
occluding patches showed greatly improved motivation to wear eyeglasses
wherein an attractive decorative patch was implemented. This results in a very
significant contribution to the parents and treating professionals for the
successful treatment of children. Similar results are also obtainable from
older
users by diminishing and/or modifying the attention drained from the entourage
by the user.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a decorative
reusable vision occluding patch sharply conforming to an eyeglass lens contour
and a system obviating the limitations and drawbacks of the prior art devices
and systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention as
broadly claimed, there is first provided a decorative reusable vision
occluding
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patch adapted for removable self-adhesion to a lens of eyeglasses, the patch
comprising a flexible substrate having a light transmission reduction property
and a self-adhesion property, and artistic indicia applied on a surface of
said
substrate, whereby the patch may be removably adhered to an eyeglasses
lens so that the indicia would be visible from an outer side of the lens and
would not be visible from an inner side of the lens.
[0010] In an embodiment of the invention, the substrate is substantially
opaque. The substrate may be made from an opaque base material or from a
light transmitting base material coated with a substantially opaque layer. The
opaque layer may be an opaque ink layer or a thin film such as a metallic film
applied to at least one side of the base material.
[0011] In an embodiment of the invention, the substrate comprises a self-
adhering base material adapted to removably adhere to miscellaneous flat
surfaces by electrostatic attraction force. The base material may be a cling
vinyl in sheet form, and may be an opaque black or white cling vinyl material.
Alternatively, the substrate may comprise a base material having intrinsic
adhesion capability. The base material may be a naturally sticky material in
sheet form, and may be in the thermoplastic polyurethane family. In a still
alternate embodiment, the substrate may comprise a layer of a reusable
adhesive material. The substrate may be shaped for exact conforming to the
contour of a lens of eyeglasses.
[0012] In an embodiment of the invention, artistic indicia cover most of the
lens area and form a decorative illustration. In a further embodiment, the
decorative illustration may represent a figurative illustration comprising
visual
elements in connection with a visual impairment condition. Indicia may be
printed or hand drafted. Printed indicia may comprise a plurality of ink
layers of
different colors applied using an appropriate printing process such as
serigraphy (silk screening).
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[0013] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
system comprising at least one flexible opaque sheet comprising a self-
adhering substrate supported on a removable backing and defining a plurality
of areas, each area bearing a distinct printed indicia, whereby a portion of
an
area may be cut to a shape and size matching those of a lens of eyeglasses to
which the patch is to be conformingly and removably applied. In a further
embodiment, the substrate comprises cling vinyl material and at least some
indicia represent artistic illustrations having elements in connection with a
visual impairment or malfunction condition. In a still further embodiment, the
system may comprise a piece of clear material for calquing a lens contour and
transferring contour information on an area to enable cutting to a conforming
shape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] In the appended drawings:
[0015] Figures la through 1 d show four examples of decorative vision
occluding patches according to the present invention;
[0016] Figure 2 shows a decorative vision occluding patch in use, applied to
a lens of eyeglasses worn by a young user;
[0017] Figure 3a through 3c show first, second and third embodiments of a
patch laminate structure according to the invention;
[0018] Figure 4 shows a vision occluding patch bearing a decorative artistic
illustration having elements in direct connection a visual impairment
condition,
prior to cutting to match the shape and size of an eyeglass lens;
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[0019] Figure 5 is a first example of a sheet having a plurality of decorative
vision occluding patch areas according to a system of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 6 is a second example of a sheet having a plurality of
decorative vision occluding patch areas according to a system of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The invention as broadly claimed consists in a reusable flexible and
shape conforming vision occluding patch 10 as shown in Figures 1 a through
1 d. The patch 10 comprises a flexible substrate 11 on which attractive
decorative indicia 12 are applied to provide an attractive self-adhering
vision
occluding device. Each of these figures shows a patch 10 cut to a shape and
size for exact conforming mounting onto a lens of eyeglasses 100 (see Figure
2) and bearing different artistic decorative indicia 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d. A
plurality of different indicia 12 are intended to be provided as a system,
since it
is an important aspect of the present invention to provide reusable patches 10
that can be easily and repetitively applied to and removed from lenses
successively to ensure variability and adaptability, although the primary
function the patch 10 is to cause visual occlusion of an eye for therapeutic
purposes, by providing a barrier opaque to visible light transmission. It
shall be
noted that providing attractive indicia 12 in the patch 10 not only responds
to
an aesthetic goal but rather performs a second important function which is to
make the patch 10 accepted and used by the patients, especially children, in
order to ensure treatment effectiveness. It actually helps converting shame
into pride and changing the entourage's attitude into positive interest with
respect to the patch, thereby effectively contributing to the success of the
treatment, in an as extensive way as the basic structural characteristics of
the
product.
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[0022] Figure 3a shows a first embodiment of the laminate structure of
patch 10. The substrate 11a is preferably a self-adhering opaque material
such as a black cling vinyl material available in sheet form from different
suppliers. The cling vinyl material has the capacity to adhere to glass and
plastic surfaces by creating an electrostatic attraction force. The patch
structure further comprises a first layer of white opaque ink 13, on which
indicia 12 may be applied by successive applications of colored ink layers 14,
15 and 16, using a printing process such as serigraphy (silk screening) to
provide the multicolor decorative illustration 12 on the black substrate 11 a.
Therefore, the patch 10 has a black opaque side to be viewed from the inner
side of the lens 101 of eyeglasses 100 and a decorative color illustration 12
to
be viewed from the outer side of the lens 101. The substrate 11a may also be
made from sticky material availabie in sheet form, such as certain
thermoplastic polyurethanes or other solid materials having the natural
characteristic of adhering to certain surfaces such as glass and plastics.
[0023] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 3b, a more conventional clear cling
vinyl substrate 11b can be used provided it is coated with an opaque black ink
layer 17 prior to application of the opaque white base 13 and the color inks
14,
15, 16 according to a typical four color printing process. The opaque layer 17
may alternatively be another type of layer with good light transmission
limiting
property such as a laminated or printed metallic film.
[0024] Figure 3c illustrates a further embodiment of the patch structure,
wherein a substrate 11c having intrinsic adhesion property has its side
opposite to the indicia bearing side coated with a layer of an adhesive
compound 18. Adhesive 18 is selected to enable repetitive mounting and
removal of the patch 10 onto a lens 101 to allow a user to change at will a
patch design by another by choosing from a bank of differently illustrated
patches 10 (see Figures 1 a through 1 d).
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[0025] Another important aspect of the patch 10, as best shown from Figure
4 is to provide decorative indicia 12 that represent a figurative illustration
susceptible to stimulate the user interest in wearing patch bearing eyeglasses
and thereby cooperate in his vision impairment treatment program. Therefore,
illustrations 12 may be correlated with the patient visual condition in a more
or
less direct manner to demystify that condition and stimulate its acceptation
by
the young patient. For example, Figure 4 illustrates an attractive character C
wearing eyeglasses 100' having one of its lenses bearing a patch 10'
exhibiting an attractive decorative design 12'. Such an illustration may be
implemented as indicia 12 into a patch 10 that may be cut to appropriate
shape and size for precise conforming application to a lens 101 of a young
patient's eyeglass 100.
[0026] In order to supply users with a plurality of inexpensive changeable
and reusable patches to choose from, the present invention further
contemplates providing a plurality of patches in kit form as a system, as
illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. A system may be comprised of at least one
sheet 20 having a laminated patch membrane structure as described above,
mounted on a supporting and protecting backing (not shown), and defining a
plurality of different indicia 12 bearing areas 21 (nine shown in both
illustrated
embodiments), each area having a shape and size enabling a user to replicate
(trace) the exact shape and size of a lens 101 in a selected area 21 and cut
from that area with household scissors a patch 10 that conforms to a lens of
his eyeglasses 100.
[0027] The patch can than be easily conformingly and removably attached
to the lens. After a desired period of use, the patch may be removed and put
aside for eventual reuse, while a new patch may be created by the same
simple process to replace the first one for another desired period of time,
and
so forth. Unused patches may be stored supported on a piece of protective
backing. The backing material can be a thin glassy material such as cardboard
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or plastic that may be easily cut by a user with household hand tools, while
providing enough rigidity to prevent excessive deformation so to enable good
contact and adhesion with patch membranes.
[0028] The system may comprise a plurality of sheets 20 sold by groups or
separately according to miscellaneous themes, or ages of users groups. The
system may further comprise documentation such as a story book for
providing the user with information about vision impairment conditions under
the form of a tale presenting characters and situations that may be included
as
elements of the artistic illustrations of indicia 12 implemented into the
accompanying sheet (s) 20 of patch material. Thereby, a young user may
collaborate to the selection and fabrication of a particularly attractive
patch and
may lean about his condition in such as way to make it less dramatic and more
acceptable to him or her.
[0029] The system may further comprise a piece of clear or translucent
membrane, as an integral part of a patch sheet or as a separate sheet, to help
the user in capturing and transferring the exact shape of a lens. The user may
position (the clear membrane is preferably self-adhering to a lens; for
example
a piece of clear cling vinyl) a portion of the clear membrane on the lens of
an
eyeglass and trace the contour of the lens on the membrane. The membrane
may then be adhered on an area of a sheet of patch material to show the lens
contour and enable cutting of a patch to an exact lens contour conforming
shape.
[0030] One can thus easily appreciate that the above described
embodiments of the lens conforming decorative vision occluding patch and
system according to the present invention obviate the limitations and
drawbacks of the prior art devices and systems. Namely, the invention
provides a simple and inexpensive reusable vision occluding patch for neat
conforming and removable attachment onto eyeglasses' lenses, the patch
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having an attractive look provided by artistic printed or hand drafted indicia
to
stimulate user participation in a visual impairment therapeutic treatment and
improve the perception of the wearer's entourage.
[0031] Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by
way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing
from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended
claims.
