JP2009544999A - Systems and methods for providing contact lenses to consumers - Google Patents

Abstract

  The system for providing the contact lens (325) to the consumer (907) collects the prescriptions for the right and left contact lenses (325) prior to delivery to the consumer (907). 906) in a secondary package (600).

Description

(Related application)
This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 820,432, entitled “Contact Lens Package,” filed July 26, 2006, under Section 119 (e) of the United States Patent Act, The application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

  Contact lenses are small lenses that are worn directly on the eye and are widely used to correct vision fluctuations. Contact lenses are traditionally either hard or soft. One important consideration in wearing contact lenses is eye health and the other is convenience. Contact lenses are placed directly on the eye. As a result, it is important that the contact lens and its packaging do not bring any unwanted contamination into the eye.

  More commonly used soft contact lenses are designed to be used for a specific number of days and then replaced. For example, many contact lenses are used for only one day and then discarded. This frequent replacement of soft contact lenses is highly desirable because it is difficult for the patient to sterilize or otherwise properly clean the inevitable contamination that accumulates in the lens over time. is there.

  Another consideration in the use and manufacture of contact lenses is convenience. Contact lenses that are intended to be replaced more frequently are not convenient for the user because they need to be purchased frequently or otherwise replaced. In addition, secondary packaging of contact lenses is often difficult to understand. Conventionally, contact lenses are provided in a box that can accommodate a “blister package” of a plurality of contact lenses. For some contact lens wearers, only one level or degree of contact lens is required, but many users require different degrees of strength for each eye, which inevitably You can order two different contact lens boxes.

  In addition, when contact lenses are purchased online or by phone, the contact lens secondary package does not contain patient prescription information. This can be a problem, especially when the patient seeks different degrees of strength contact for each eye, because the patient does not necessarily remember which strength of contact corresponds to each eye. . This problem can be exacerbated if the user forgets to open a new contact lens box and then discard the previous set of lenses. It can be difficult for the user to determine which of the two contact lens boxes is for a particular eye, especially since the user can have significant visual impairment.

  The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the present system and method and are a part of this specification. The illustrated embodiments are merely examples of the present system and method and do not limit the scope thereof.

1 is a front perspective view of a conventional secondary contact lens package in accordance with the teachings of the prior art. FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a conventional secondary contact lens package in accordance with the teachings of the prior art. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional secondary contact lens package in accordance with the teachings of the prior art. FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a conventional secondary contact lens package in accordance with the teachings of the prior art. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a primary contact lens blister package according to one embodiment. FIG. It is a perspective view of another primary contact lens package concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view of the contact lens dispensing unit concerning one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a secondary contact lens package containing a 6 month use contact lens preloaded in a contact lens dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another secondary contact lens package according to an exemplary embodiment. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method. 1 illustrates a contact lens package and flow according to an exemplary embodiment of a contact lens packaging system.

  Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers indicate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

  This specification describes systems and methods for providing contact lenses to a user. According to one exemplary embodiment, the secondary contact lens package provided by the manufacturer may provide patient prescription information, e.g., patient name, prescriber name and phone number, usage information, and patient prescription. Include other information specifically related to. In addition, the system and method includes a method of operating a business where contact lenses can be stored by contact lens suppliers and supplied to consumers in an efficient and economical on-demand manner.

  Further details of the present exemplary system and method are provided below with reference to the figures. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present system and method. However, it will be apparent that the apparatus, system and method may be practiced without these specific details. As used herein, an “embodiment”, “example”, or similar term includes at least one particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example. However, it is not necessarily included in other embodiments. Various examples of the phrase “in one embodiment” or similar phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

  As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “primary package”, “primary package”, or “primary case” are used to refer to a package in which contact lenses are placed during the manufacturing process. The This package is traditionally a “blister” package, but other primary packages are also used. Similarly, the terms “secondary case”, “secondary contact lens case” and “secondary package” shall be used interchangeably, with one lens or supply lens placed in the primary package. It shall be construed broadly to include any container or package that can be subsequently placed. Secondary packaging includes any box or package in which contact lenses can be placed by the manufacturer for delivery to the lens wearer, seller, or another destination.

  As used herein and in the appended claims, the term "manufacturer" or "seller" refers to a third party contact lens supplier that provides contact lenses to individuals based on a prescription. Can be used. The term “manufacturer” or “seller” refers to any entity, individual, or company that sells or distributes contact lenses, except those who are in direct contact with an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or other patient. May be pointed to.

  Turning now to the figures, FIGS. 1A and 1B show front and side perspective views, respectively, of a typical prior art secondary contact lens package. Similarly, FIGS. 2A and 2B show front and rear perspective views, respectively, of an alternative prior art secondary contact lens package.

  As described above, a conventional secondary contact lens package (100) provided by the manufacturer, such as that shown in FIGS. 1A-2B, notifies the user of prescription information or otherwise provided. I can't do it. As a result, the user may find it difficult to identify which box or power lens is for a specific eye. This difficulty is exacerbated because contact lenses are typically packaged according to the power or strength of the lens. In fact, users who can't remember their own prescriptions, two lens boxes without information on which box contains the lens for the right eye and which contains the lens for the left eye The decision is left to the patient himself.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, a conventional secondary contact lens package (100) provided by the manufacturer often includes a strength or power indication (110). They can also include brand name (105) and bar code (115). The secondary package can be composed of any material including, but not limited to, cardboard, plastic, or paper. Further, according to various exemplary embodiments, the secondary package may include a resealable mating fastener (120) such as a tab and slot fastener, a velcro, and / or a resealable adhesive. Can be included. Typically, a secondary package contains 100-200 contact lenses depending on the package size and contact lens type.

  According to one exemplary embodiment, the system includes one or more primary contact lens packages housed in a secondary package. According to this exemplary embodiment, the secondary package includes prescription information for the intended patient individual. As used herein, and in the appended claims, the term “prescription information” refers to prescriber information, prescriber phone number, or It shall be understood as including information directed to the individual patient receiving the contact lens, such as the patient's personal information. Various components of the system are described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  Referring now to FIG. 3, a typical prior art primary contact lens package (300) formed in two parts is shown. As shown, the primary contact lens package (300) includes a blister pack member (310) that is sealed by a film body (320) that forms a lid of the package (300), the film body (320) being housed therein. Can be peeled to remove the contact lens (325). The primary contact lens package (300) shown in FIG. 3 is shown with the film body (320) peeled off and the contact lens (325) exposed. Typically, the blister pack member (310) includes a preformed blister pack having a shaped depression (315) formed therein, the shaped depression (315) being a lens ( 325) can be provided. According to conventional forming methods, the blister pack member (310) is typically injection molded, and the contact lens package (300) creates a sterile seal by joining a sealing membrane (320) that merges with the flange (330). It is finished with that. During packaging, the contact lens (325) is immersed in a solution (335) that keeps the lens (325) wet until the lens (325) is removed from the pack (300).

  FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an alternative primary package for contact lenses that may be included in the present exemplary system. As shown in FIG. 4, an exemplary contact lens package (400) includes a central substrate (425) with a top sheet member (430) bonded to the top surface. The top sheet member (430) is bonded to the top surface of the substrate (425) by a strong but peelable bond so that the top sheet member (430) can be separated from the substrate (425) with a certain relatively small pulling force. Can be combined. In addition, the top sheet member (430) is bonded to the top surface of the substrate (425) so that the exemplary contact lens package (400) can be fully autoclaved. Further, FIG. 4 shows that the top sheet member (430) is not limited in any way, but is brand name (415), design (420) and / or whether it is for the left eye or for the right eye, and Indicates that various characters and / or images including information (410) about the contact, such as usage notes, may be included. According to one exemplary embodiment, the contact lenses in the primary package are pre-packaged in one or more contact lens dispensers as shown in FIG. 5 before being packaged in the secondary package. Can be loaded.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a contact lens dispenser (500) that may be included in a secondary package as provided by the manufacturer, according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown, the contact lens dispenser (500) may include a base member (510) and a hinged lid (515) coupled to the base member. When loaded into the dispenser (500) of the present exemplary embodiment, the primary contact lens package (520) is preferably flat so that each primary contact lens package containing one contact lens can be independently It can be slid out of the container. According to one exemplary embodiment, the dispenser may be configured to increase the height of the remaining package and access the next package once the top primary contact lens package (520) is removed. . The dispenser (500) may also include a retainer (525) configured to restrain the primary contact lens package (520) to the dispenser. In particular, according to one exemplary embodiment, the retainer (525) also places the primary package (520) in place when the exemplary contact lens dispenser (500) is rocked or held upside down. Can be configured to hold.

  The dispenser can also be configured to separate and store the patient's left and right eye contact lenses and the respective primary contact lens package (520). In certain embodiments, the primary package (520) may include indicia such as “left (L)” or “right (R)” so that the user can easily distinguish the lens. In other embodiments, the primary contact lens package (520) may be in one color for the left eye lens or another color for the right eye lens. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the primary contact lens package (520) containing a contact lens intended to be worn on the patient's first eye is of a first color, such as blue, The primary contact lens package (520) that houses the contact lens to be worn on the second eye is a second color such as white.

  As described above, any type of primary contact lens package, including those shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, can be included in the present exemplary secondary contact lens package containing prescription information. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a secondary contact lens package (600) according to one exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the present exemplary secondary contact lens package (600) includes prescription information (640) directed to the intended patient individual. As discussed above, prescription information (640) may include patient name, prescriber, physician phone number, precautions, number of prescriptions, or other information specifically related to the patient's prescription. Can give information. In the present exemplary embodiment, the prescription information (640) may be printed directly on the secondary package. Alternatively, the prescription information (640) is not limited in any way, but the prescription information is printed on an adhesive label, and the label is put on the secondary contact lens package (600) before the secondary contact lens package (600) is shipped to the patient. 600) and can be fixed to the secondary contact lens package (600) by any method.

  In accordance with the present exemplary system and method, inclusion of prescription information (640) on the secondary contact lens package (600) increases the level of safety experienced by the patient when using contact lenses. First, by including personal prescribing information (640), the patient has its own secondary contact lens package (600) for storing contact lenses, and the appropriate specification for contact lenses. Can be confirmed. Second, by including the patient's personal prescription information (640), including the prescriber's name and / or contact information, the patient can be provided with convenient contact information in the event of a problem.

  Continuing with FIG. 6, according to one exemplary embodiment, the exemplary secondary contact lens package (600) also includes a left contact lens power display (625) and a right contact lens power display (630). Including. It may also include brand name (650), barcode (635), and other information regarding contact lenses and manufacturers, etc. According to one exemplary embodiment, the primary contact lens package (400) may be disposed within the secondary contact lens package (600) of this embodiment. The primary contact lens package (400) may be individually housed in the secondary contact lens package (600) or may be placed inside the contact lens dispenser (500) prior to insertion into the secondary package. . In addition, the primary contact lens package (400) is a separate container or secondary contact lens package (600 that indicates which eye of the patient the contact lens housed in the primary contact lens package (400) is intended for. ).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the secondary contact lens package (600) of the present exemplary embodiment includes a bottom member (610). The bottom member is preferably made of a material that is substantially elastic and can maintain its shape, for example, cardboard or plastic. The bottom member may be configured to hold any contact lens that is contained in the primary contact lens package. According to one exemplary embodiment, the bottom member (610) may be wrapped with a plastic covering (645), such as a heat shrink wrap or vacuum sealed plastic. This plastic (645) is substantially transparent and can be configured so that the contents of the secondary contact lens package (600) are clearly visible.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a secondary contact lens package. As shown in FIG. 7, the secondary contact lens package (600) includes prescription information (640). As discussed above, prescription information (640) includes information such as the patient's name, prescriber's name, prescriber's phone number, precautions, number of prescriptions, or other information about the prescription. . Further, the prescription information (640) can be printed directly on the secondary contact lens package (600). Alternatively, the prescription information may be printed on the adhesive label by the manufacturer or seller and affixed to the secondary contact lens package (600) before the package is shipped to the patient.

  The exemplary embodiment of the secondary contact lens package (600) shown in FIG. 7 also includes a left contact lens power display (625) and a right contact lens power display (630). In addition, a mark placed on the outer surface of the secondary contact lens package (600) may also be included, including but not limited to brand name (650), bar code (635), and / or Other information about contact lenses, manufacturers, etc. can be mentioned. In addition, similar to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the primary contact lens package (400) disposed in the secondary contact lens package (600) is installed in the contact lens dispenser (500). obtain. Alternatively, the primary contact lens package (400) may be placed directly into the secondary contact lens package (600) without any dispenser (500).

  The secondary contact lens package (600) of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7 can be made of any structural material, including but not limited to cardboard, plastic, structural paper, or any other suitable for the manufacture of containers. The substantially elastic material is mentioned. According to one exemplary embodiment, the secondary contact lens package (600) shown in FIG. 7 is a box structure made of a piece of cardboard, and has one to several hundred primary contact lens packages. It is formed so that it can be stored. The secondary contact lens package of the present exemplary embodiment also allows the user to close the package (600) again to store unused contact lenses after the package (600) is first opened. Also included are mating fasteners such as tab-and-slot fasteners (615) configured in

Exemplary Method Referring now to FIG. 8, a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for providing contact lenses to a consumer is shown. According to this exemplary method, the secondary contact lens case provided to the consumer includes prescription information according to the individual. As shown in FIG. 8, the exemplary method (800) includes manufacturing contact lenses having different powers and geometries (step 801). The contact lens is then packaged in a primary package (step 802). Once packaged, the contact lenses can then be grouped according to the statistically most common combination of prescribed power and geometry (step 803). These most common combinations can then be packaged together in a secondary packaging step (step 804). Once packaged, the various combinations can then be kept in stock until printed and shipped to the consumer (step 805). Further details of this exemplary method are provided below.

  As described above, the first step of the exemplary method involves the manufacture of contact lenses with different powers and geometries (step 801). According to one exemplary embodiment, the manufacture of contact lenses can be performed according to any known lens manufacturing method including, but not limited to, spin casting, lathe cutting, or cast molding. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the manufacture of various frequencies and geometries can be performed in batches for each frequency and geometry for efficiency.

  Once the contact lens is manufactured (step 801), the contact lens is packaged in a primary package (step 802). Although the manufactured contact lens can be stored in any primary contact lens package, according to one exemplary embodiment, the contact lens is packaged in one of the exemplary primary contact lens packages shown in FIGS. .

  Once packaged in the primary contact lens package (step 802), the primary contact lens packages are grouped according to the statistically most common combination of power and geometry prescribed by the optometrist. In particular, according to one exemplary embodiment, the most frequently prescribed frequency and geometry combinations can be put together, thereby having enough combinations to meet the demand of over 98% of the population. is there. This allows the supplier to stock the left and right contact lens supplies for the prescribed contact lens combination and easily find it. Studies suggest that as few as 1,000 combinations can be sufficient to supply 98 percent of the contact lens wearer population. For example, over 95,000 people may have a prescription of −3.75 for their right eye and −3.25 for their left eye. If a manufacturer produces only a relatively small percentage of all possible combinations and puts it in stock, it is sufficient to satisfy a very large percentage of contact lens orders.

  Once the desired lens combination is manufactured, packaged in a primary contact lens package, and grouped according to the desired combination, the combination is packaged in a secondary contact lens case (step 804). As described above, the group of primary contact lens packages can be packaged in any secondary contact lens case, including those shown in FIGS.

  The group of contact lenses housed in the secondary contact lens package can be kept in stock until a request for the combination is received by the manufacturer or seller (step 805). According to one exemplary embodiment, upon receipt of a request for a particular combination that includes patient prescription information, the secondary contact lens package may be marked and shipped. The labeling of the secondary contact lens case is not limited in any way, but a printing method for printing information directly on the secondary contact lens box, such as laser printing or dot matrix printing, a label or other adhesive containing prescription information. Prescription information for the individual patient can be applied using any marking method including application of a substrate, or other similar marking means. Alternatively, if a special combination of lenses is manufactured for a patient, prescription information may be applied to the secondary contact lens case during manufacture.

  The present exemplary systems and methods allow contact lens manufacturers / sellers to improve the patient's convenience in purchasing and wearing contact lenses. In accordance with the present exemplary system and method, the patient no longer purchases and obtains two separate packages when ordering replacement contact lenses for both eyes. This exemplary method may also reduce the cost of the manufacturer. In particular, shipping binocular set contact lenses in one box can significantly reduce shipping costs. The manufacturer has not adopted this method until now because it was considered too difficult to maintain the thousands of different combinations needed to supply the entire population.

  Thus, it is an exemplary element of the exemplary method that not only every possible contact lens combination is in stock, but only a certain percentage of possible contact lens combinations. In an exemplary embodiment, the manufacturer can only stock the contact lens combinations necessary to supply about 98 percent of the population. Studies suggest that as few as 1,000 combinations may be sufficient to supply 98 percent of the contact lens wearer.

Exemplary System Referring now to FIG. 9, an exemplary system for providing contact lenses to consumers according to the exemplary system and method is shown. The exemplary system illustrated in FIG. 9 may reduce costs for the manufacturer and improve contact lens ordering and usage convenience for the end user. As shown, the contact lens is first manufactured and packaged in a primary package (901, 902). According to one exemplary embodiment, the primary package may be provided with an indication that indicates which eye the contact lens should be placed on. The contact lenses (901, 902) can then be preloaded into the dispensing unit (903) as needed. According to one exemplary embodiment, dispensing unit (903) may be configured to securely store 15 left contacts (901) and 15 right contacts (902) in separate compartments. This separation of contact lenses can increase the overall convenience of the system. Next, the dispensing unit (903) can be packaged in the secondary contact lens package (904), for example, with six units as one group.

  The illustrated secondary package (906) contains six dispensers (903), but is not limited to any number of dispensers (903, including one, three, six, or twelve). ) Can be packaged together. The secondary package (906) of this embodiment also includes a label that includes prescription information. This label (906) may serve to emphasize the idea that the contact lens is a medical device and must be handled accordingly. The label (906) may also provide the user with information about usage and information about the prescribing physician. The secondary package (904) may also have an indication (905) indicating the power of the contact lens housed in the package (904).

  After marking, the secondary package can then be shipped to the user (907) or otherwise delivered. The effect of providing the user with a single package that accommodates two power lenses preloaded in the dispensing unit can be more convenient to purchase and use contact lenses.

  In conclusion, the present exemplary systems, methods, and devices provide a more convenient and cost effective way to provide contact lenses to consumers. By including prescription information in the secondary package and pre-loading the binocular contact lens into the dispenser, the purchase and use of the contact lens can be simplified. The shipping cost of contact lenses can also be reduced.

  The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe exemplary system, method, and apparatus embodiments. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the system and method to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

Claims (20)

  Secondary package (600) for contact lenses (325) supplied by the seller, including prescription information (640, 906). The prescription information (640, 906)
Prescriber information,
The telephone number of the prescriber, or personal information of the patient (907),
The package (600) of claim 1, comprising at least one of:   The package (600) of claim 2, wherein the patient's personal information includes a patient's name. Further including lens information,
The lens information is
The base curve of the lens (325),
The power of the lens (325) (625, 630), or the material of the lens (325),
The package (600) of claim 2, comprising at least one of:   The package (600) of claim 1, wherein the patient prescription information (640, 906) is printed directly on the secondary package (600) at a contact lens distribution center.   The package of claim 1, wherein a part or all of the prescription information (640, 906) is printed on an adhesive substrate configured to be secured to the secondary package (600). A primary package (300, 400, 520, 901, 902) including contact lenses (325);
A secondary package (600) configured to house the primary package (300, 400, 520, 901, 902);
A contact lens packaging system, wherein the secondary package (600) includes prescription information (640, 906) of a patient (907). The patient's prescription information (640, 906)
Prescriber information,
The telephone number of the prescriber, or personal information of the patient (907),
The contact lens packaging system of claim 7, comprising at least one of:   The contact lens packaging system of claim 7, wherein prescription information (640, 906) for the patient (907) is printed on the secondary package (600) at a contact lens distribution center.   The contact lens packaging system according to claim 8, wherein the patient's personal information includes a patient's name. Further including lens information,
The lens information is
The base curve of the lens (325),
The power of the lens (325) (625, 630), or the material of the lens (325),
The contact lens packaging system of claim 8, comprising at least one of:   The contact lens packaging system of claim 8, wherein the patient information is printed on an adhesive substrate configured to be secured to the secondary package (600).   The contact lens packaging system of claim 7, wherein the secondary package (600) is further configured to contain two different power (625, 630) contact lenses.   The secondary package (600) is further configured to house a preloaded primary package (300, 400, 520, 901, 902) in a contact lens (325) dispensing unit. Contact lens packaging system. A method of providing a contact lens (325) to a consumer (907) comprising:
Manufacturing contact lenses (325) of different power (625, 630) and geometry;
Packaging together two different power (625, 630) contact lenses (325);
Stocking a percentage of the most common contact lens combinations packaged together in a secondary package (600);
Shipping the package (600) to a consumer (907);
Including a method.   16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying prescription information (640, 906) on the package (600) prior to the shipping step. The prescription information (640, 906)
Prescriber information,
The telephone number of the prescriber, or personal information of the patient (907),
The method of claim 16, comprising at least one of:   The method of claim 17, wherein the personal information of the patient (907) includes the name of the patient. Further including lens (325) information,
The lens information is
The base curve of the lens (325),
The power of the lens (325) (625, 630), or the material of the lens (325),
The method of claim 17, comprising at least one of:   The method of claim 15, further comprising preloading the contact lens into a contact lens dispenser before packaging the contact lens (325) in the secondary package (600).