Eyelid care appliance

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an improved eyelid care appliance and method of using such appliance for preventing and treating blepharitis and mammalian meibomian gland dysfunction caused by gland obstruction. The method and apparatus of the invention enable restoration and maintenance of eyelid hygiene and the natural flow of secretions from the meibomian glands. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises an oscillating spongehead affixed to the distal end of the eyelid care appliance that is equipped with a video camera, near field communications link, and a display, thereby enabling a user to “fly” the spongehead onto an eyelid margin for self-administered cleaning of the user's eyelid margins. The spongehead can be impregnated with topical pharmacologic or cleansing agents to better facilitate cleaning and therapeutic efficacy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An eyelid care appliance comprising a power supply, a motor, a drive system that transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate a head receiver, motor controls, a proximity system, and a proximity annunciator contained in a housing, wherein a spongehead is detachably mated with the head receiver and protrudes from the housing and oscillates when the motor is powered on, wherein oscillation comprises repeating angular rotation up to a first angular amount in a first direction and angular rotation up to a second angular amount in a second opposite direction such that the spongehead does not make a full revolution. 
     
     
         2 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity system comprises a video camera with a lens mounted near the spongehead and in near field communication with a smart device, and wherein video output from the video camera is displayed on the smart device. 
     
     
         3 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a handpiece and a detachable neck, wherein the power supply, the motor, the proximity annunciator, and the motor control are contained in the handpiece, the head receiver being contained in the detachable neck and connected to the motor through a drive system with portions of the drive system distributed in the detachable neck and in the handpiece wherein the drive system transmits motive force from the motor to oscillate the head receiver, wherein the spongehead is detachably mated with the head receiver, the spongehead protrudes from the detachable neck, and the spongehead oscillates when the motor is powered on, and wherein portions of the proximity system are distributed in the detachable neck and in the handpiece. 
     
     
         4 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the head receiver is an adjustable head receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity annunciator is configured to generate audible tones that reflect a distance between the spongehead and an eyelid margin of a user, and a distance between the spongehead and a cornea or a sclera of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the proximity system generates information displayed on the smart device that is configured to guide a user in landing the spongehead on an eyelid margin. 
     
     
         7 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more reservoirs, one or more pumps, output tubing, and one or more nozzles for dispensing liquids selected from the group consisting of cleaning agents, Betadine, antiseptics, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories, anesthetics, saline solution, water, solvents, taggants, stains, pharmaceuticals, nutriceuticals, and monoclonal antibodies. 
     
     
         8 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more reservoirs, one or more pumps, output tubing, and one or more nozzles for dispensing gases, liquids, and/or powders; and wherein dispensed gases, liquids, and/or powders are heated or cooled to create an aerosol. 
     
     
         9 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a suction pump configured to facilitate removal of debris and liquids from an eyelid margin and expulsion of such debris and liquids as a wastestream through the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the wastestream is examined by a video camera to facilitate detection and reporting of contents of the wastestream. 
     
     
         11 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more band-limited light sources that project light in front of the spongehead, wherein the proximity system is a video camera with a lens mounted near the spongehead and in near field communication with a smart device, wherein video output from the video camera facilitates multispectral image analysis by the smart device, and output of the multispectral image analysis is displayed on the smart device. 
     
     
         12 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the oscillation is 7,000 to 9,000, or 20,000 to 40,000 strokes per minute. 
     
     
         13 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the first angular amount and the second angular amount are 70 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a circumference of the spongehead is circular such that the angular rotation is circular and oscillates back and forth in the first direction and the second direction along the circumference of the spongehead. 
     
     
         15 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the drive system comprises a pinion gear, a spur gear linkage, and a keyed shaft; and wherein the pinion gear is coupled to the motor and configured to drive the spur gear linkage such that the spur gear linkage converts rotary motion of the pinion gear to oscillating reciprocally arcuate motion, the spur gear linkage configured to drive the keyed shaft to cause the head receiver and the spongehead to oscillate. 
     
     
         16 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity system comprises a video camera with a lens mounted near the spongehead and the proximity annunciator includes a light coupled to a surface of the housing, and wherein the proximity annunciator is configured to receive video output from the video camera and cause a color of the light to change based on the video output to indicate a distance between the eyelid care appliance and an eye of a user. 
     
     
         17 . The eyelid care appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the proximity annunciator includes a light coupled to a surface of the housing, and wherein the proximity annunciator is configured to cause a color of the light to change to indicate a distance between the eyelid care appliance and an eye of a user.