Abstrict An air curtain apparatus for ophthalmological inspection instrument
comprising an air blower installed on the upper side of the support
column of the inspection instrument which generates a downward air
flow stream in vertical direction, an air suction device installed
on the lower side of the support column for sucking the air flow
from the air blower which enables an effect of push and pull on
the air flow to effectively remove the air exhaled from the ophthalmological
patient and diffused around the inspection instrument when the patient
sits in front of the eyes-doctor inspection; and the air flow passing
through the air suction device is then guided to the Medical lever
Air-suction and Cleaning Equipment for filtration and other effective
treatment and then discharged to the atmosphere to prevent from
inter-infection of germs and odor through breath of air between
the eyes-doctor or nursing worker and the patient due to eyes inspection
at close distance.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. An air curtain apparatus for an ophthalmological inspection
instrument, the air curtain apparatus comprising: an air blower,
an air suction device connected to medical level air-suction and
cleaning equipment through an air flow duct for pushing, pulling
and filtrating the air existing in the front side of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument, wherein the air blower is installed on the
upper side of a pair of support columns of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument for generating an air flow stream downwardly
in a vertical direction; and the air suction device is installed
on the lower side of the support columns of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument and includes: (1) a hollow inner side constructed
of a thin sheet material to form the air flow duct, (2) a slot-shaped
opening as an air inlet connected to the air flow duct, (3) a buffer
plate extending from the lower edge of the slot-shaped opening,
and (4) a tube connector as an air outlet through which the air
suction device is connected to the air-suction and cleaning equipment.
2. The air curtain apparatus, for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 1, wherein the air blower further
m comprises an air flow guide plate to regulate the flowing direction
of air flow out from the air blower.
3. The air curtain apparatus for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 1, wherein the slot-shaped opening
is opened on the side end of the air suction device.
4. The air curtain apparatus for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 1, further comprising an isolating
plate installed on a swivel rod of a lens-frame of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument.
5. An air curtain apparatus for an ophthalmological inspection
instrument, the air curtain apparatus comprising: an air blower,
an air suction device connected to medical level air-suction and
cleaning equipment through an air flow duct for pushing, pulling
and filtrating the air existing in the front side of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument; wherein the air blower is installed on the
lower side of a pair of support columns of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument for generating an upward air flow stream in
the vertical direction, and the air suction device is installed
in an upside-down position on the upper side of the support columns
of the ophthalmological inspection instrument and includes: (1)
a hollow inner side constructed by of a thin sheet material to form
the air flow duct, (2) a slot-shaped opening as an air inlet connected
to the air flow duct, (3) a buffer plate extending from the lower
edge of the slot-shaped opening, and (4) a tube connector as an
air outlet through which the air suction device is connected to
the air-suction and cleaning equipment.
6. The air curtain apparatus for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 5, wherein the air blower further
has an air flow guide plate to regulate the flowing direction of
air flow out from the air blower.
7. The air curtain apparatus for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 5, wherein the slot-shaped opening
is opened on the side end of the air suction device.
8. The air curtain apparatus for the ophthalmological inspection
instrument as described in claim 5, further comprising an isolating
plate installed on a swivel rod of a lens-frame of the ophthalmological
inspection instrument. Description BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of the Present Invention
The invention relates to an air curtain apparatus for ophthalmological
inspection instrument, and more particularly to an apparatus installed
on the support columns of the ophthalmological inspection instrument
which generates an air flow stream acted by push and pull force
to prevent the inter-infection of germs and odor through breath
of air between eyes-doctor or nursing worker and the patient due
to eyes inspection sitting at close distance.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most inspection instruments used in ophthalmological department
have a common feature of very close distance between eyes-doctor
or nursing worker and the patients. Normally when eyes-doctor or
nursing worker inspects the eyes of patient using inspection instrument,
the eyes-doctor or nursing worker always sits at close distance
to the patient across the inspection instrument. There is no any
isolating equipment or protecting measure between them, or even
if there is such kind of equipment or measure, the effect of protection
is always slim, and restricted to some limited extend. Owing this
reason it is impossible to prevent the air exhaled by the patient
from diffusing to the space surrounding the eyes-doctor, and the
unexpected inter-infection is therefore unavoidable if the patient
carries hazardous germs or odor. Similarly, the patient under ophthalmological
inspection will suffer the same inter-infection when the doctor
or nursing worker caries hazardous germs or odor.
Therefore, if the air surrounding the inspection instrument can
be treated to remove the potentially hazardous germs or odor contained
in the air using filtration and cleaning equipment, the inter-infection
between eyes-doctor, nursing worker and patient can be avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The major purpose of the invention is to provided an air-curtain
apparatus for ophthalmological inspection instrument to prevent
the eyes-doctor or nursing worker and patient from getting infected
by the germs and odor carried by each of them. The key technique
of the invention is the application of the principles of generating
a push and pull effect on air flow to move away the air exhaled
by eyes-doctor or nursing worker and patient under ophthalmological
inspection from the space surrounding the inspection instrument
to prevent the eyes-doctor or nursing worker and patient from being
exposed to the detrimental working environment.
The minor purpose of the invention is to provide an air-curtain
apparatus for ophthalmological inspection instrument by applying
an air blower to generate a downward air flow stream in vertical
direction under the pushing force exerted by the air blower and
an air suction device for pulling down the air flow stream to form
the effect of push and pull which can move away the air exhaled
by the patient under ophthalmological inspection and the eyes-doctor
or nursing worker from the environment surrounding the inspection
instrument to ensure the health of them.
Another purpose of the invention is the application of a medical
level air-suction and cleaning equipment which is connected to the
air suction device to generate an effect of suction exerted by the
air suction device on the downward air flow stream and to serve
as a guide for guiding the air flow to the medical level air-suction
and cleaning equipment to remove the hazardous germs or odor contained
in the air by means of filtration and other effective process to
eliminate the secondary pollution.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 is the assembly drawing of the air-curtain apparatus for
ophthalmological inspection instrument of the invention applied
on the slit-lamp microscope.
FIG. 2 shows the three-dimensional structure of the air suction
device of the invention.
FIG. 3 is the scale-enlarged cross sectional view of the component
of air suction device shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is the aspect view of the air-curtain apparatus for ophthalmological
inspection instrument in operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The air-curtain apparatus for ophthalmological inspection instrument
can be applied on the inspection instruments including Slit-lamp
Microscope, Auto-Refractometer, Tonometer, Fundus Camera, IOL, Intra
Ocular Lenses Biometer, Specular Microscope, Retian Laser Scan Angiograph,
Orbscan and Wave Scan, Wave Front System etc.
As for the sake of convenience the application of the present invention
on slit-lamp microscope is selected as one of the preferred embodiments
of the invention, and is illustrated in the following description
for making better understanding of the invention. However, the scope
of patent claimed herein shall cover the application of the invention
on inspection instruments in ophthalmological department as mentioned
above.
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the air-curtain apparatus (10)
of the invention applied on slit-lamp microscope comprises an air
blower (20), an air suction device (30) connected to an air duct
assembly (not shown in the drawing) and an air-suction and cleaning
equipment (40) in which the air blower (20) and air-suction and
cleaning equipment (40) are installed and fastened respectively
on the upper and lower side of the support column of the slit-lamp
microscope (50) (or the afore-said inspection instruments in ophthalmological
department). When the patient (60) sits in front of the slit-lamp
microscope (50) for eyes examination, an air flow stream (21) is
continuously delivered downwardly passing through the space in front
of the head of the patient that generates an effect of pushing the
air stream in downward direction which can immediately push the
air exhaled by the patient (60) for ophthalmological inspection,
and carry the air flow (21) to the inlet of the air suction device
(30), and the pulling effect generated by suction device (30) on
the air flow can pull the air flow (21) away from the space surrounding
the slit-lamp microscope (50), and send the air into the air-suction
and cleaning equipment (40) to remove the hazardous germs or odor
through filtration process and other effective treatment, and then
the clean air is exhausted to the atmosphere. The said air blower
(20) is a rectangular shaped blower installed on the upper side
of the support column (51) of the slit-lamp microscope (50), a guide
plate (22) is located at the front edge of the outlet of the air
blower (20), and is in a position parallel to the air flow which
can guide the air flow (21) to move steadily in downward direction
when the motor of the air blower (20) is turned on. Therefore, when
the patient (60) is sitting in front of the slit-lamp microscope
(50), the air flow (21) from air blower (20) generates an effect
of push and scour which bring away the air in the surround of the
head of the patient (60), and move it all the way down including
the air exhaled by the patient (60) to form an air stream (21) without
any of them flowing and diffusing to the space surrounding the eyes-doctor
or nursing worker.
Moreover, in order to achieve the effect of push and pull, a suction
device (30) is installed beneath the air blower (20), and mounted
on the appropriate position on the lower side of the support column
(51) in the front side of the slit-lamp microscope (50). The operation
of the medical level air-suction and cleaning equipment (40) causes
the suction device (30) to exert a negative pressure on the air
flow (21) which can completely absorb and remove the air exhaled
by the patient (60) from the space surrounding the slit-lamp microscope
(50).
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are the construction drawing and
cross sectional view of the said air suction device (30) which is
provided with a hallow inner side forming air flow duct (32) constructed
by thin plate wall. A slot-shaped air inlet (31) is located at and
connected to the upper end of the air flow duct (32) with a buffer
plate (33) located at and extended from the edge of the lower lip
of the air inlet (31). The said buffer plate (33) is made of soft
plastic material or rubber or the similar material for buffing air-flow
(21) and conducting the air flow toward the slot-shaped air inlet
(31) where a negative pressure is formed inside. A tube connector
(34) is mounted to and extended from the end of the outlet located
on the underside of the suction device (30) serving as the outlet
of the air flow duct and the connection for connecting the air tube
and air-suction and cleaning equipment (40).
The air-suction and cleaning equipment (40) used in the invention
may be the medical level air-suction and cleaning equipment which
has a inlet connector (41) and build-in disinfection and filtration
equipment such as air filter, ultraviolet ray and other disinfection
means, and the air outlet hole (42) on the side wall. When the air-suction
and cleaning equipment is in operation, air can only enters the
equipment through the air inlet connector (41), and the clean air
is exhausted to the atmosphere after completing the disinfection
and filtration process.
Now refer to FIG. 4, when the air curtain apparatus (10) installed
on the slit-lamp microscope or other related inspection instrument
in ophthalmological department is turned on, the air flow (21) from
the air blower (20) moving downwardly in vertical direction is buffed
and guided by the buffer plate (33) of the suction device (31),
and pulled by the slot-shaped inlet (31) that can effectively remove
the hazardous germs and odor contained in the air exhaled by the
patient (60) to the surround of the slit-lamp microscope by the
effect of push and pull exerted on the air flow, and then the air
is sent to the medical level air-suction and cleaning equipment
(40) for disinfection and filtration treatment before exhausting
to the atmosphere. By applying the invention, the inter-infection
of germs or odor between eyes-doctor or nursing worker and the patient
(60) can be avoided when carrying out ophthalmological inspection.
Further, shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, are another preferred embodiment
of the invention in which an isolating plate (53) is installed on
the swivel rod (52) of the lens frame with upper edge of the isolating
plate (53) positioned closed to the lower edge of the eyes-pieces
of the slit-lamp microscope to serve as the secondary protection
of eyes-doctor to further minimize the risk of having eyes-doctor
be infected by germs.
In addition, one more preferred embodiment is to install the air
blower (20) on the lower side of the support column (51) of the
slit-lamp microscope, and the air flow is in upward direction, but
the air suction device (50) is installed in upside-down position
on the upper side of the support column (51) of the slit-lamp microscope
(50) and is connected to the medical level air-suction and cleaning
equipment (40) to enable an effect of pull and push on the air flow
by way of blowing from lower side and suction from upper side. |