PERIOPERATIVE EYE PATCH

Abstract

A disposable perioperative eye patch for protecting the eyes and eyelashes of anesthetized patients during and immediately after surgery. The perioperative eye patch may be applied to the eyes of an anesthetized patient prior to surgery to securely, yet delicately, keep a patient's eyes closed during surgery to avoid ocular dryness and injury. The perioperative eye patch may be comprised of a dressing, a cushion, and a cover, allowing the perioperative eye patch to be securely attached to a patient's periorbital region. The size of the dressing, as well as the adhesive used, allow the perioperative eye patch to be applied and removed from a patient's periorbital region without causing damage to a patient's eyelashes during the perioperative period.

Claims

1. A disposable perioperative eye patch, comprising: a dressing; a cushion; and a cover; wherein said dressing comprises an adhesive face and a non-adhesive face; wherein said cushion is attached to said adhesive face such that an adhesive perimeter on said adhesive face is created around said cushion; wherein said cover is configured to removeably attach to said adhesive face; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said cushion and said adhesive face of said dressing are configured to engage with a periorbital region of a surgical patient's eye, such that said cushion engages with an eyelid and a plurality of eyelashes of said surgical patient's eye and keeps said eyelid closed and protects said plurality of eyelashes from being damaged; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said adhesive perimeter is configured to removeably adhere to an outer rim of said periorbital region of said surgical patient's eye; and wherein said disposable perioperative eye patch is configured to be used once and discarded thereafter.

2. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing and said cushion are each substantially oval in shape.

3. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said cushion has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.5 cm to 2 cm.

4. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said cover is a thin sheet of plastic.

5. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing is made of a woven fabric.

6. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing is made of a non-woven fabric.

7. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing is made of plastic.

8. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 7, wherein said dressing is made of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene.

9. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing is coated in plastic.

10. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 4, wherein said adhesive perimeter is coated with an adhesive selected from the group of adhesives consisting of one or more of: methacrylates; vinyl resins; gels; and combinations thereof.

11. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said cushion is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of one or more of: felt, foam, gel, and combinations thereof.

12. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said cushion is substantially water resistant.

13. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, wherein said dressing is substantially water resistant.

14. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 1, further comprising a single use sterile package that encloses and keeps sterile until use said dressing, said cushion, and said cover.

15. The disposable perioperative eye patch of claim 14, wherein said package is substantially water resistant.

16. A disposable perioperative eye patch, comprising: a dressing; a cushion; and a cover; wherein said dressing comprises an adhesive face and a non-adhesive face; wherein said cushion is attached to said adhesive face such that an adhesive perimeter on said adhesive face is created around said cushion; wherein said cover is configured to removeably attach to said adhesive face; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said cushion and adhesive face of said dressing is configured to engage with a periorbital region of a surgical patient's eye, such that said cushion engages with an eyelid and a plurality of eyelashes of said surgical patient's eye and keeps said eyelid closed and protects said plurality of eyelashes from being damages; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said adhesive perimeter is configured to removeably adhere to an outer rim of said periorbital region of said surgical patient's eye; wherein said disposable perioperative eye patch is configured to be used once and discarded thereafter; wherein said dressing and said cushion are each substantially oval in shape; and wherein said cushion has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.5 cm to 2 cm.

17. The perioperative eye patch of claim 16, wherein said cushion is comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of one or more of: felt, foam, gel, and combinations thereof.

18. The perioperative eye patch of claim 17, wherein said dressing is substantially water resistant.

19. The perioperative eye patch of claim 1, further comprising a single use water resistant sterile package that encloses and keeps sterile until use said dressing, said cushion, and said cover.

20. A disposable perioperative eye patch, comprising: a dressing; a cushion; a cover; and a single use sterile package that encloses and keeps sterile until use said dressing, said cushion, and said cover; wherein said dressing comprises an adhesive face and a non-adhesive face; wherein said cushion is attached to said adhesive face such that an adhesive perimeter on said adhesive face is created around said cushion; wherein said cover is configured to removeably attach to said adhesive face; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said cushion and adhesive face of said dressing is configured to engage with a periorbital region of a surgical patient's eye, such that said cushion engages with an eyelid and a plurality of eyelashes of said surgical patient's eye and keeps said eyelid closed and protects said plurality of eyelashes from being damages; wherein when said cover is removed from said adhesive face, said adhesive perimeter is configured to removeably adhere to an outer rim of said periorbital region of said surgical patient's eye; and wherein said disposable perioperative eye patch is configured to be used once and discarded thereafter; wherein said dressing and said cushion are each substantially oval in shape; wherein said cushion has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.5 cm to 2 cm; wherein said cover is a thin sheet of plastic; wherein said adhesive perimeter is coated with an adhesive selected from the group of adhesives consisting of one or more of: methacrylates; vinyl resins; gels; and combinations thereof; wherein said cushion is comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of one or more of: felt, foam, gel, and combinations thereof; wherein said dressing is substantially water resistant; and wherein said package is substantially water resistant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings are of illustrative embodiments. They do not illustrate all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition or instead. Details which may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without all of the components or steps, which are illustrated. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a front perspective view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch.

[0021] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the perioperative eye patch.

[0022] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a back view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch.

[0023] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exploded view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch.

[0024] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a side view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch.

[0025] FIG. 6 is an illustration of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch affixed to a patient.

[0026] FIG. 7 is an illustration of one embodiment of a perioperative eye patch in a single use package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of one or more embodiments. However, these embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of embodiments.

[0028] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of protection. Accordingly, figures and the detailed descriptions thereof are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection.

[0029] In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of one or more embodiments. For purposes of the specification, unless otherwise specified, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, in one embodiment, an object that is “substantially” located within a housing would mean that the object is either completely within a housing or nearly completely within a housing. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is also equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.

[0030] As used herein, the terms “approximately” and “about” generally refer to a deviance of within 5% of the indicated number or range of numbers. In one embodiment, the terms “approximately” and “about,” may refer to a deviance of between 0.0001-10% from the indicated number or range of numbers.

[0031] The present specification discloses a perioperative eye patch designed to minimize damage to an anesthetized patient's eyelashes during and immediately after surgery.

[0032] Disclosed are components that may be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This applies to all embodiments of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that may be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps may be performed with any specific embodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.

[0033] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a front perspective view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch. As shown in FIG. 1, the perioperative eye patch 100 (or pad) may comprise a dressing 110 and a cushion 120. The dressing 110 may further comprise an adhesive face 140 on the front side, and a non-adhesive face 150 on the back side (shown in FIG. 3). The cushion 120 may preferably be attached to the center of the adhesive face 140, such that an adhesive perimeter 115 remains exposed at the outer edges of the adhesive face 140. The adhesive perimeter 115 may be coated with a common bandage adhesive, such as methcrylates, vinyl resins, or gels, to allow the perioperative eye patch 100 to be both firmly attached, but easily removed from a patient's skin after application. By contrast, the cushion 120 may preferably be adhered firmly to the adhesive face 140 with a stronger glue or adhesive, to ensure that the cushion 120 remains attached to the adhesive face 140 of the dressing 110. The dressing 110 may be the main backing of the pad 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cushion 120 may be a non-woven cotton pad. In other embodiments, the cushion 120 may be a non-adhesive dressing, such as an absorbent cotton fabric bonded on one or both sides with a perforated non-adherent film. The cushion 120 may be comprised of cotton, felt, gel, foam, or gauze, and may preferably be coated in a fluid resistant material. Because the primary purpose of the eye patch 100 is to hold the wearer's eyelid closed during surgery, the cushion does not need to be absorbent and it is preferably not. When made from liquid resistant materials, the cushion 120 and dressing 110 do not absorb the liquids that may contact the eye patch 100 during surgery. Although the patch 100 is preferably oval in shape as shown, it may be any shape or size that is configured to cover the eye of the wearer.

[0035] FIG. 2 is an illustration of front perspective view of a second embodiment of the perioperative eye patch. As shown in FIG. 2, the eye patch 200 may have an adhesive front face 240 and may comprise a dressing 210 and a cushion 220. The adhesive front face 240 may have an adhesive perimeter 215 that is formed around the cushion 220. FIG. 2 shows that the cushion 220 may be tapered. The cushion 220 may be any shape that allows the patch 200 to keep the patient's eye closed.

[0036] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a back view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch. As shown in FIG. 3, the back side of the dressing 110 may comprise a non-adhesive face 150. The dressing 110 is, preferably, only adhesive on its front face, which is the side that engages with the patient's face. The back side portion of the dressing 110 is preferably not coated with an adhesive. FIG. 3 shows where the cushion is on the front side of the dressing 110.

[0037] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exploded view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 130 may be peeled off and removed, exposing the adhesive perimeter 115 and the cushion 120, such that the perioperative eye patch 100 may be applied to a patient's periorbital area. Preferably, the cover 130 may be made of a plastic, wax, or be coated as such so that it is easily removeable from the adhesive perimeter 115. The cover 130 serves to keep the adhesive face 140 and the cushion 120 clean and sanitary until the perioperative eye patch 100 is ready to be applied to the patient. The cover 130 mildly adheres to the adhesive perimeter 115, such that the cover 130 forms a sanitary barrier over the entire front face of the perioperative eye patch 100. Once the cover 130, which may be one, two, or more separate pieces, has been peeled off and removed, it can be discarded. With the adhesive perimeter 115 now exposed, the perioperative eye patch 100 is ready to be applied.

[0038] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a side view of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch. As shown in FIG. 5, the cushion 120 is attached to the center of the adhesive face 140 of the dressing 110. The cover 130 may be attached to the adhesive perimeter 115, such that the cushion 120 is sandwiched between the plastic cover 130 and the dressing 110. The dressing 110 may have a non-adhesive face 150. As shown, the cushion 120 may have a portion that is at least 0.5 cm thick, but is preferably not more than 2 cm thick.

[0039] FIG. 6 is an illustration of one embodiment of the perioperative eye patch affixed to a patient. As shown in FIG. 6, the perioperative eye patch 100 may be applied to the periorbital area 601 of a patient 600. The size and shape of the periorbital eye patch 100 allows it to cover a patient's periorbital area 601, including the patient's eyes 602, eyelashes 610, and eyelids 603. The perioperative eye patch 100 gently provides sufficient pressure on a patient's eyelids 603 to ensure that they remain closed while the perioperative eye patch 100 is applied. By so doing, the patient's eye 602 remains protected and will not dry out during surgery. The thickness and delicateness of the cushion 120 additionally ensure that the patient's eyelashes 610 are not damaged during application via excessive pressure, adhesion, or tugging.

[0040] Additionally, the size of the perioperative eye patch 100 is large enough to ensure that the adhesive perimeter 115 of the adhesive layer 110 avoids contact with the patient's eyelashes 610. In this manner, the patient's eyelashes 610 will not be damaged or inadvertently removed when the perioperative eye patch 100 is removed after surgery. Preferably, the only physical contact that the patient's eyelashes 610 have with the perioperative eye patch 100 is with the cushion 120. The cushion 120 may preferably be made of felt, gel, foam, cotton, or a similarly delicate, non-adhesive material, such that it will avoid causing damage to the patient's eyelashes 610. In some embodiments, the cushion may be so large that it covers the eyebrows 605 as well, but the most important feature is to safely guard the eyelashes 610.

[0041] FIG. 7 is an illustration of one embodiment of a perioperative eye patch in a single use package. As shown in FIG. 7, the perioperative eye patch 100 may be contained within a single-use, sterile sanitary package 700. The eye patch 100 may be accessed by peeling (or other ways of opening, such as cutting or tearing) the package 700 open. In various embodiments, package may be pre-notched or perforated, or be able to be peeled apart 701.

[0042] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, locations, and other specifications, which set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range, which is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0043] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above detailed description, which shows and describes the illustrative embodiments. As will be realized, these embodiments are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the detailed description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Also, although not explicitly recited, one or more additional embodiments may be practiced in combination or conjunction with one another. Furthermore, the reference or non-reference to a particular embodiment shall not be interpreted to limit the scope of protection. It is intended that the scope of protection not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to the claims that are appended hereto.

[0044] Except as stated immediately above, nothing which has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.