COMBINATION TREATMENT SYSTEMS

• Main Authors: BADAWI, Paul, BADAWI, David, HARSHMAN, Scott, O'KEEFFE, Daniel
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.06.2022
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROSTHESES; SPECIFIC USE OF COSMETICS OR SIMILAR TOILETPREPARATIONS; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

Controllers for dry eye treatment apparatus and methods are described herein which generally comprise a patch or strip affixed to the skin of the upper and/or lower eyelids to deliver heat to the one or more meibomian glands contained within the underlying skin. The treatment strip or strips include one or more strips configured to adhere to an underlying region of skin in proximity to one or both eyes of a subject such that the one or more strips allow for the subject to blink naturally without restriction from the one or more patches. A controller is in communication with the one or more strips and is programmable to monitor a temperature of the one or more strips to provide a treatment therapy above a threshold temperature. Additionally forceps for mechanically expressing the Meibomian glands may be included with the strips and/or controller.