Methods and apparatus for treating acquired myopia and similar or related eye conditions

Claim 2

Therapeutic optical apparatus comprising a housing, an objective aperture on one side of the housing, a pair of viewing apertures on the other side of said housing, means for securing said housing to the head of the user with said viewing apertures substantially in alignment with the user''s eyes, lighth beamsplitting and deflecting means mounted in said housing in juxtaposition to said objective aperture, a pair of light reflectors mounted in said housing in juxtaposition to said splitting and deflecting means, said reflectors being disposed to receive respective split portions of light passing through said objective aperture and to reflect said respective split portions through said viewing apertures respectively into the user''s eyes, the reflected split portions being essentially parallel to the path of light entering said objective aperture in order to eliminate the effects of convergence and stereopsis, and lens means mounted on said housing and covering said viewing apertures for imparting an essentially zero accommodation to the eyes when viewing close work.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said reflectors are disposed at a substantial angle to said entering light beam path, and a wall portion of said housing is disposed in substantial conformance to said angle.

Claim 4

The combination accOrding to claim 1 wherein at least one wall of said housing has means integrally formed therewith for substantially prepositioning said splitting means and said reflectors.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 3 wherein one of said prepositioning means includes a wall portion of said housing disposed essentially parallel to an angular disposition of one of said reflectors.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes similar mating housing components, means are provided for detachably joining said housing components, the junction therebetween passing through said viewing apertures, and means are disposed on said housing components for entrapping said eye lenses in said viewing apertures respectively upon fastening said housing components together.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 5 wherein transparent closure means are provided for said objective aperture, said housing junction passing through said objective aperture, said closure means also being entrapped therein when said housing components are fastened together.

Claim 8

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and selecting said eye lenses such that the eyes view close-up objects with an essentially zero accommodation.

Claim 9

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and selecting said eye lenses such that the eyes view close-up objects with an essentially zero accommodation.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 7 including the modified step of selecting said lenses with a power of about +2 1/2 to +3 diopters.

Claim 11

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distance on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentionend line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and progressively changing the power of said lenses in the positive diopter direction until the patient''s ciliary muscles become relaxed to an essentially zero-accommodation condition when viewing close-up objects.

Claim 12

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distance on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentionend line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and progressively changing the power of said lenses in the positive diopter direction until the patient''s ciliary muscles become relaxed to an essentially zero-accommodation condition when viewing close-up objects.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 9 including the modified step of changing said lenses in about +0.5d increments.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 9 including the additional step of progressively changing the patient''s distance correction in the position diopter direction.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 10 including the additional step of similarly and progressively changing the patient''s distance correction.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 9 including the modified step of selecting the power of each such progressive lens change to provide a slightly blurred image at normal reading distAnce, and the additional steps of progressively moving the work farther away as the blurring clears between each such progressive lens change.

Claim 17

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lilnes essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and configuring said lenses by adding algebraically about +3 diopters to the patient''s conventional distance prescription.

Claim 18

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said object light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantially the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lilnes essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other close work, and configuring said lenses by adding algebraically about +3 diopters to the patient''s conventional distance prescription.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 14 including the additional step of providing a distance correction by adding algebraically about + 1/2 diopter to the patient''s conventional distance prescription.

Claim 20

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said objct light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantiallly the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other closer work, and selecting those lenses which impart a slight blurring when an object is held at normal reading distance in provision of said relaxant force.

Claim 21

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of splitting light reflected from a nearby object into two parts at a point, deflecting said light parts laterally away from one another, again deflecting said light parts at second points spaced equal distances on opposite sides of a line parallel to said objct light and passing through said splitting point, spacing said second points from one another substantiallly the same distance as the pupils of a patient, said light parts being deflected from said second points along lines essentially parallel to one another and to said first-mentioned line so as to be directed to the patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence and stereopsis, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other closer work, and selecting those lenses which impart a slight blurring when an object is held at normal reading distance in provision of said relaxant force.

Claim 22

Therapeutic optical apparatus comprising an optical system directing objective light along essentially parallel paths respectively into the eyes of a patient in avoidance of convergence of the patient''s eyes, said paths being essentially parallel to the path of said objective light, and lens means disposed respectively in said parallel paths and juxtaposeod to the patient''s eyes for imparting an essentially zero accommodation in the patient''s eyes for close work in dependence upon any spastic contraction of the patient''s ciliary muscles.

Claim 23

Therapeutic optical apparatus comprising an optical system directing objective light along essentially parallel paths respectively into the eyes of a patient in avoidance of convergence of the patient''s eyes, said paths being essentially parallel to the path of said objective light, and lens means disposed respectively in said parallel paths and juxtaposeod to the patient''s eyes for imparting an essentially zero accommodation in the patient''s eyes for close work in dependence upon any spastic contraction of the patient''s ciliary muscles.

Claim 24

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object along essentially parallel paths to a patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other relatively close work, and selecting said eye lenses such that the eyes view closeup objects with an essentially zero accommodation.

Claim 25

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object along essentially parallel paths to a patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other relatively close work, and selecting said eye lenses such that the eyes view closeup objects with an essentially zero accommodation.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 18 including the modified step of progressively changing the power of said lenses in the positive diopter direction until said essentially zero accommodation condition is attained.

Claim 27

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object along essentially parallel paths to a patient''s Eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other relatively close work, and selecting those lenses which impart a slight blurring when an object is held at a normal reading distance in provision of said relaxant force.

Claim 28

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object along essentially parallel paths to a patient''s Eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which imposes a relaxant force upon the ciliary muscles of the eye when engaged in reading or other relatively close work, and selecting those lenses which impart a slight blurring when an object is held at a normal reading distance in provision of said relaxant force.

Claim 29

The method according to claim 18 including the initial step of splitting and deflecting said light into said parallel paths from a single objective path in avoidance of steroposis.

Claim 30

The method according to claim 20 including the initial step of splitting and deflecting said light into said parallel paths from a single objective path in avoidance of stereopsis.

Claim 31

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object into parallel paths to a patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which will effect an essentially zero accommodation in the patient''s eyes for a given spastic condition, and progressively changing the power of said lenses to impose a positive relaxant force within the patient''s eyes in progressive termination of said spastic condition.

Claim 32

A therapeutic method for the treatment of acquired myopia and related or similar eye conditions, said method comprising the steps of directing light reflected from a nearby object into parallel paths to a patient''s eyes in avoidance of convergence, placing in front of each eye that lens which will effect an essentially zero accommodation in the patient''s eyes for a given spastic condition, and progressively changing the power of said lenses to impose a positive relaxant force within the patient''s eyes in progressive termination of said spastic condition.

Claim 33

The combination according to claim 17 wherein said optical system includes means for deflecting said objective light from a single objective path into said parallel paths in avoidance of stereopsis of the patient''s eyes.

Claim 34

The combination according to claim 17 wherein said lens means in addition impart a light blurring when an object is held at normal reading distance.