Oculopression device

1. An oculopression device for application of force onto a patient's eye, the device including:

a head strap constructed to contact and extend over a patient's forehead, while also extending about the patient's head with an adjustability to provide a firm fit to the patient's head, whereby a portion of the head strap positioned at the patient's forehead comprises an attachment location;

a mass portion comprising a dense material for provision of the force as a gravitational force rather than a force imposed partly by a strap, the gravitational force being imposed by gravity in an amount proportional to the mass of the mass portion;

a timer component with a display portion to display a measure of application time, provided as part of the device to time the application of the mass portion to the patient's eye to prevent application for a duration sufficient to restrict ocular circulation; and

an attachment strap means having a first end and a second end, with one of the ends coupled to the mass portion and the other end coupled, at the attachment location, to the timer component.

2. An oculopression device according to claim 1 wherein the mass portion has a suitable density to apply a force approximately equivalent to 30 to 50 mm of mercury.

3. An oculopression device according to claim 1 wherein the mass portion is shaped to have a footprint sized and shaped such that the force is evenly spread across a patient's closed eyelid surface.

4. An oculopression device according to claim 1 wherein the mass portion is included in a body portion, the body portion at least partially deformable to allow the body portion to assume a shape to best match a particular patient's orbital opening or eye socket.

5. An oculopression device according to claim 4 wherein the mass portion is provided with a circumferentially extending recess to engage other related components.

6. An oculopression device according to claim 1 wherein the mass portion is associated with the attachment strap means to secure the mass portion relative to the patient.

7. An oculopression device according to claim 6 wherein the mass portion attaches to a co-operating part of the attachment strap means, the co-operating part being attached to a fixture point to locate the mass portion's position.

8. An oculopression device according to claim 7 wherein the headstrap is provided to attach to the patient's head at a fixture point.

9. An oculopression device according to claim 1 further including a cushioning component located at least partially between the mass portion and the patient's eyelid surface.

10. An oculopression device according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment strap means is configured with a loop located at a first end and a second loop located at a second end thereof, the loops are provided with sufficient resilience to releasably engage the mass portion, the mass portion is provided having a lower portion and an upper head portion, with the head portion and the lower portion being separated by a circumferential neck portion to allow attachment of a loop of the strap means, and the lower portion is provided with a second circumferential neck portion to allow attachment of the cushioning component having an inwardly extending lip portion.

11. An oculopression device according to claim 1 wherein the timer component is an electronic assembly including a display, control buttons and a feedback means to alert a user.

12. An oculopression device according to claim 11 wherein the display displays at the duration of application, and the period of treatment remaining.

13. An oculopression device according to claim 11 wherein the timer component allows only incrementally reducing duration of application of the device in quick succession, to reduce the risk of cumulative over-application and ischemia.

14. An oculopression device according to claim 11 wherein the timer component is attached relative to the mass portion.

15. An oculopression device according to claim 10 wherein the strap loop has an outer edge which protrudes beyond the mass portion perimeter surface to assist grip and enable safe lifting of the mass or repositioning, even while wearing gloves.

16. An oculopression device according to claim 10 wherein the timer component has a narrow waist portion to engage a loop of the strap.

17. An oculopression device according to claim 11 wherein the device can be located relative to a supine patient during use via a head strap extending about the patient's head and to which at least a portion of the device will be secured.

18. An oculopression device for application of a force not substantially by a strap but rather by gravity onto a patient's eye, the force being proportional to the mass of a mass portion comprising a dense material; a separate timer component being positionable on the patient's forehead when the mass portion is positioned on the patent's eye and configured to time the application of the mass portion to the patient's eye to prevent application for a duration sufficient to restrict ocular circulation; and a connection strap having two opposing free ends and being constructed with a shape and a length to connect the mass portion on the patient's eye to the timer component on the patient's forehead wherein at least a portion of the device is removably attachable and moveable in order to locate the mass portion relative to either of the patient's eyes.

19. An oculopression device for application of force onto a patient's eye, the device including:

a head strap constructed to contact and extend over a patient's forehead, while also extending about the patient's head with an adjustability to provide a firm fit to the patient's head, whereby a portion of the head strap positioned at the patient's forehead is an attachment location;

a mass portion comprising a dense material for provision of the force as a gravitational force rather than a force imposed partly by a strap, the gravitational force being imposed by gravity proportional to the mass of the mass portion onto a patient's eye;

a separate timer component to time the application of the mass portion to the patient's eye to prevent application for a duration sufficient to restrict ocular circulation; and

a connection strap having a first end and a second end, with one of the ends to connect the mass portion and the other end coupled, at the attachment location, to the timer component.