Eye dryer, eye dryer system and method of using the same

Abstract

An eye dryer device has a main body that includes a chamber which receives gas from an external source through an inlet port formed in the main body. The main body includes a lower shell section that has a plurality of exit ports such as 25 to 125 exit ports of relatively small size such as 0.5 mm to 2 mm which are arranged above the eye for providing a gentle, highly dispersed plurality of gas streams well suited for quickly drying a flap or cap of an eye following repositioning in a laser surgery (LASIK) procedure. The main body features an outer cover section which is joined such as by way of an adhesive with the lower or inner shell section about their common periphery or integrally joined such as by way of a common hardened melt region or an initial monolithic formation. The chamber is positioned between the inner shell section and outer cover section with each preferably having a convex-shape with a generally oval-shaped periphery for sealing position over an eye. A system is provided that includes the eye dryer together with a source of clean (filtered) gas, a gas communication line and a handle with an internal gas passageway which is received preferably by way of a friction plug-in receptor secured to the eye dryer and in gas communication with the inlet port leading into the chamber. A line on/off valve is provided to allow a surgeon to control the onset and conclusion of eye drying gas which typically only involves less than a half of a minute and often 20 seconds with the arrangement of the above described eye dryer.