Ophthalmic device for dispensing eyedrops

An ophthalmic device for dispensing of an eyedrop from a resilient eyedrop dispenser. The ophthalmic device has an upper body portion having a front portion, first and second lever arm members rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom with distal ends of the arm members being spaced apart. An opening in the upper body portion for receiving the eyedrop container with outlet pointing down. Squeezing the arm members together reduces the opening thereby dispensing an eyedrop. An alignment projection is attached to the upper body portion and has a lower distal end for resting on an user facial area, thereby facilitating maintaining the outlet of the eyedropper container in alignment with a recipient eye. Sighting apertures are also provide to further insure proper alignment over the eye. The ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing by injection molding.

What is claimed is:

1. An ophthalmic device for facilitating dispensing of an eyedrop from a resilient eyedrop container having a drop dispensing outlet, the ophthalmic device comprising:

an upper body portion having a front portion, a first lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom, and a second lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in the longitudinal direction therefrom, with distal ends of the first and second lever arm members being spaced apart;

an opening in the upper body portion effective for receiving the eyedrop container with the outlet pointing down;

means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together thereby facilitating compressing the eyedrop container when received in the opening sufficiently for causing an eyedrop to be dispensed; and

alignment means attached to the upper body portion, the alignment means having a lower distal end for resting on an user facial area, thereby facilitating maintaining the outlet of the eyedropper container in alignment with a recipient eye while the lever arm members are squeezed together.

2. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising container stop means for seating the eyedrop container in the opening and preventing the outlet of the eyedrop container from extending further than a predetermined distance below the opening.

3. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least a void space extending in the longitudinal direction between the opening and the lever arm members.

4. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the upper body portion is a single piece in construction.

5. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic device is a single piece in construction.

6. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the alignment means is attached to the front portion of the upper body portion.

7. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing from a plastic material by injection molding.

8. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing from a plastic material by injection molding in a single step.

9. The ophthalmic device of claim 2, wherein the container stop means is above the lower distal end of the alignment means and extends partly under the opening of the main body means.

10. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising a sighting aperture for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient eye.

11. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising a sighting aperture in the upper body portion for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient eye.

12. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising a sighting aperture for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient right eye, and a sighting aperture in the main body means for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient left eye.

13. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is round.

14. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is elliptical.

15. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is rectangular.

16. The ophthalmic device of claim 3, wherein the void space includes drop limitation means effective for preventing dispensing of an over-supply of drops per squeeze of the lever arm members.

17. The ophthalmic device of claim 3, wherein the void space includes drop limitation means effective for facilitating dispensing of but a single drop per squeeze of the lever arm members.

18. The ophthalmic device of claim 3, wherein the void space is a narrow slit effective for limiting a maximum number of drops dispersed from the eyedropper container for a single squeeze of the lever arm members to no greater than three.

19. The ophthalmic device of claim 2, wherein the container stop means conforms to a shoulder of the eyedrop container.

20. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising: container stop means for seating the eyedrop container in the opening and preventing the outlet of the eyedrop container from extending further than a predetermined distance below the opening; and wherein the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing from a plastic material by injection molding.

21. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising:

container stop means for seating the eyedrop container in the opening and preventing the outlet of the eyedrop container from extending further than a predetermined distance below the opening; and

wherein the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least a void space extending in the longitudinal direction between the opening and-the lever arm members, and

wherein the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing from a plastic material by injection molding.

22. The ophthalmic device of claim 1, further comprising:

container stop means for seating the eyedrop container in the opening and preventing the outlet of the eyedrop container from extending further than a predetermined distance below the opening;

a sighting aperture for facilitating aligning the outlet of the eyedrop container directly over the recipient eye; and

wherein the means effective for reducing the opening when the lever arm members are squeezed together includes at least a void space extending in the longitudinal direction between the opening and the lever arm members; and

wherein the ophthalmic device has a shape effective for producing from a plastic material by injection molding.

23. An ophthalmic device for facilitating dispensing of an eyedrop from a resilient eyedrop container having a drop dispensing outlet, the ophthalmic device having a shape effective for producing from plastic material in a single injection molding step, the ophthalmic device comprising:

an unitary injection-moldable shaped body having

a front portion,

an opening for seating the eyedrop container with the outlet pointing down,

alignment means for resting on an user facial area and for facilitating maintaining the outlet of the eyedropper container in alignment with a recipient eye;

a first lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in a longitudinal direction therefrom, and

a second lever arm member rigidly connected to the front portion and extending in the longitudinal direction therefrom, with distal ends of the lever arm members being spaced apart, the lever arm members having length effective for providing mechanical leverage for compressing of the eyedrop container seated in the opening and facilitating dispensing of an eyedrop.

24. The ophthalmic device of claim 23, wherein a ratio of a distance between a center of the opening and the distal ends of the lever arm members to a diameter of the opening is at least 1.0.

25. The ophthalmic device of claim 23, wherein a ratio of a distance between a center of the opening and the distal ends of the lever arm members to a diameter of the opening is at least about 1.5.