What is claimed is:
1. A method for inspecting an ophthalmic lens comprising (a) inspecting the lens at one location in the ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using a first machine vision inspection technique, and (b) inspecting the lens at another location in the ophthalmic lens manufacturing process using a second machine vision inspection technique.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is selected from a dark field illumination inspection technique, a bright field illumination inspection technique and an absorptive inspection technique.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said ophthalmic lens is a soft hydrogel contact lens and said ophthalmic lens manufacturing process has an upstream portion including a demold step and a hydration step, and a downstream portion including a step of placing said soft hydrogel contact lens into a final package, wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located in said upstream portion and said second machine vision inspection technique is located in said downstream portion.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located between said demold step and said hydration step.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first machine vision inspections techniques is an absorptive inspection technique.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of up to about 400 nm.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 340 nm.
8. The method of claim 3 wherein said second machine vision inspection technique located before said step of placing said soft hydrogel contact lens into said final package
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second machine vision inspection technique is a bright field illumination inspection technique.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located on-line in the upstream portion of the manufacturing process and is an absorptive inspection technique, and wherein said second machine vision inspection technique is located on-line in the down stream portion of the manufacturing process and is a bright field inspection technique.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 280 nm to about 360 nm and bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 340 nm and bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
14. A device for inspecting an ophthalmic lens comprising
(a) a first machine vision inspection technique at one location in the ophthalmic lens manufacturing process and
(b) a second machine vision inspection technique at another location in the ophthalmic lens manufacturing process.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein said first machine vision inspection techniques are selected from a dark field illumination inspection technique, a bright field illumination inspection technique and an absorptive inspection technique.
16. The device of claim 14 wherein said ophthalmic lens is a soft hydrogel contact lens and said ophthalmic lens manufacturing process has an upstream portion including a demold step and a hydration step, and a downstream portion including a step of placing said soft hydrogel contact lens into a final package, wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located in said upstream portion and said second machine vision inspection technique is located in said downstream portion.
17. The device of claim 16 wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located between said demold step and said hydration step.
18. The device of claim 14 wherein said first machine vision inspections technique is an absorptive inspection technique.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of up to about 400 nm.
20. The device of claim 18 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 340 nm.
21. The device of claim 16 wherein said second machine vision inspection technique located before said step of placing said soft hydrogel contact lens into said final package.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein said second machine vision inspection technique is a bright field illumination inspection technique.
23. The device of claim 22 wherein said bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
24. The device of claim 14 wherein said first machine vision inspection technique is located on-line in the upstream portion of the manufacturing process and is an absorptive inspection technique, and wherein said second machine vision inspection technique is located on-line in the down stream portion of the manufacturing process and is a bright field inspection technique.
25. The device of claim 24 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 280 nm to about 360 nm and bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
26. The device of claim 25 wherein said absorptive inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 340 nm and bright field inspection technique employs light at a wavelength of about 560 nm to about 640 nm.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An overbed table comprising:
a table section including upper and lower surfaces, the table section being configured to cantilever above a patient support surface;
a support positioned in substantially vertical spaced relation to the table section, at least one of the table section and the support being configured to move relative to the other of the table section and the support; and
a monitor supported by the support.
2. The overbed table of claim 1, wherein the monitor is coupled to the support for movement between a storage position located below the lower surface of the table section and a use position located above the upper surface of the table section.
3. The overbed table of claim 1, wherein the support comprises an arm pivotally supported below the lower surface of the table section for pivoting movement about a substantially vertical axis.
4. The overbed table of claim 3, further comprising a coupler connecting the monitor and the arm, the coupler supporting the monitor for a first pivoting movement about a substantially horizontal axis and for a second pivoting movement about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis.
5. The overbed table of claim 1, wherein the table section and the support are configured to move relative to the other of the table section and the support.
6. The overbed table of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a tray slidably supported below the table section and defining a storage compartment, the monitor supported by the tray for pivoting movement about a substantially horizontal axis.
7. The overbed table of claim 6, wherein the monitor is configured to fold into the storage compartment beneath the table section.
8. The overbed table of claim 1, wherein the monitor is supported by an arm configured to move substantially vertically relative to the table section.
9. The overbed table of claim 8, wherein the arm includes a substantially vertical portion, a substantially horizontal portion pivotably connected to the substantially vertical portion, and a coupler connecting the monitor to the substantially horizontal portion, the coupler supporting the monitor for a first pivoting movement about a first axis and for a second pivoting movement about a second axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the first axis.
10. An overbed table comprising:
a table section including upper and lower surfaces, the table section being configured to cantilever above a patient support surface;
a support positioned in substantially vertical spaced relation to the table section, the support being configured to move substantially vertically relative to the table section; and
a monitor supported by the support.
11. The overbed table of claim 10, wherein the support comprises an arm pivotally supported below the lower surface of the table section for pivoting movement about a substantially vertical axis.
12. The overbed table of claim 11, wherein the arm comprises a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion being aligned along a substantially vertical axis and the second portion being aligned along a substantially horizontal axis.
13. The overbed table of claim 12, further comprising a coupler, coupled to the monitor and to the second portion, the coupler being configured to support the monitor for pivoting movement about a first axis.
14. The overbed table of claim 13, wherein the coupler is configured to support the monitor for pivoting movement about a second axis, the second axis being disposed substantially perpendicular to the first axis.
15. The overbed table of claim 10, wherein the monitor is coupled to a power source.
16. An overbed table comprising:
a table section including upper and lower surfaces, the table section being configured to cantilever above a patient support surface;
a support positioned in substantially vertical spaced relation to the table section, the table section configured to move relative to the support, and the support being configured to move substantially vertically relative to the table section; and
a monitor supported by the support.
17. The overbed table of claim 16, wherein the support comprises an arm pivotally supported below the lower surface of the table section for pivoting movement about a substantially vertical axis.
18. The overbed table of claim 16, further comprising a storage unit, coupled to the support.
19. The overbed table of claim 18, wherein the table section is slidably supported by the storage unit.
20. The overbed table of claim 19, further comprising a coupler, coupled to the monitor and to the support, to provide for pivoting movement about a first and a second axis.