CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/NL2017/050211, filed Apr. 4, 2017, which was published in English as WO 2017/176115 A1. Each of the above-referenced patent applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The invention relates to a glasses provided with a light source for illuminating at least a portion of the eye of a subject wearing the glasses and relates to a system comprising such a glasses. The invention also relates to a glasses case.

WO2014/162271 shows and describes a light therapy device provided with a frame and a number of light sources. The frame comprises two earpieces, a light emitting panel, a light guiding plate and a nose attachment means for positioning the device onto the nose of the user. FIG. 6 of WO2014/162271 shows an embodiment of the light guiding plate of the light therapy device. This light guiding plate is roughened locally or coated with white paint in order to reflect the light from the light emitting panel to the eyes of the user. During a light treatment the light guiding plate is not transparent, which means that the user of the light therapy device is not able to look through the glass unimpeded due to the reflected light on the coating and/or on the roughness.

It is an aim of the current invention to provide a designer glasses for exposing the eyes to artificial light in a beneficial manner related to energy-consumption and which glasses can be worn continuously without hampering the sight of the wearer during a light treatment.

This aim is achieved with a glasses comprising the aspects as defined in claim1.

With such a glasses an effective light treatment can be executed, wherein the spectacle glasses are transparent continuously, which means that during the execution of a light treatment with the glasses the wearer can look through the spectacle glasses unhindered and the wearer is capable to perform daily routine tasks. With the artificial light emitted by a light source in the glasses it is possible to influence the circadian rhythm of a wearer of the glasses such that for example discomfort of a jetlag and working in shifts/night shifts can be decreased and/or even be prevented. In order for making the layout of the glasses attractive from the viewpoint of design as less components as possible are assembled in the glasses. Therefore, for example the number of light sources is preferably kept to a minimum, for example at maximum four light sources positioned at a distance from each other which are preferably configured as energy-efficient light-emitting diodes. A minimum number of components in the glasses not only results in a saving of space, though also for a reduction of the energy consumption of the glasses. Herewith the volume and mass of the battery can be kept minimally, which contributes in an enhanced manner to a more compact glasses for the execution of artificial-light treatment. By providing a compact glasses the glasses appears as a regular glasses without light source with regard to design. Herewith the glasses can be worn continuously in the public without standing out that a light treatment can be executed with the glasses. Furthermore the light treatment can be started and terminated automatically at a predetermined time-point without the necessity for the wearer of the glasses to perform an act. In order to guarantee the effective performance of the artificial light in the glasses without being at the expense of the vision through the transparent spectacle glasses or an increased energy consumption, the light originating from the light source is delivered to the eyes directly or indirectly from above, which means that the light is delivered above the spectacle glasses to the eye of the subject wearing the glasses. A wearer of the glasses will experience no hindrance from the artificial light delivered from above to the eyes during a light treatment. The light source will for the purpose be integrated in the portions of the frame positioned above the eyes or in the frame legs, wherein in case of a light source in a frame leg the artificial light is guided to the portions of the frame positioned above the eyes by light guides and subsequently delivered to the eyes in an indirect manner. The delivery of light to the eyes in an indirect manner provides more comfort to the user of the glasses than when the light is guided to the eyes directly via the light source. In order to optimize in the glasses in an energy-beneficial manner the amount of artificial light to the eyes, the lower part of the frame at least comprising the nose frame part is configured such that a nose frame side portion which is at least facing the eye of the wearer reflects at least in part the directly or indirectly incident light originating from the light source. This reflection of the nose frame side portion which is facing the eye of the wearer is at least 50%, preferably more than 85%. This way, artificial light that is lost otherwise during a light treatment is yet reflected to the eyes of the user.

An additional optional feature for the frame of the glasses is that at least portions of the surface of the nose frame side portion which is facing the eye of the wearer reflect the light diffusely. This way the comfort for a user can be increased during a light treatment. Another optional feature is to configure at least portions of the nose frame side portion which is facing the eye of the wearer curved to direct the reflected light specifically to the eye or to a desired location in the eye in order to enhance the effect of the artificial light such that the duration of the light treatment can be shortened, allowing a decrease in the energy consumption of the glasses.

With such a configured glasses a maximum result is achieved in an energy beneficial way with the artificial light emitted by a light source. Lowering the number of components and the total energy consumption of the glasses when in use results in an increased freedom of design for the glasses or sunglasses for executing a treatment with artificial light, such that with regard to the appearance it is possible to establish an attractive designer glasses for the execution of a light treatment.

For example, by using the glasses with artificial light treatment during winter day with relatively short periods of day light, it is possible for the wearer of the glasses' body to artificially lengthen the period of day light during winter, such that the wearer's condition can be improved with the glasses or the energy level of the wearer can be enlarged. In addition, the glasses can be used to optimize the moment at which a performance has to be delivered. For an athlete it is for example not unthinkable that the performance to be delivered takes place for commercial reasons at a time of the day that is less beneficial for the body of the athlete such as for example late in the evening. By using the glasses with the light source therein blue light can be emitted to the eyes of the wearer whereby the production of melatonin is inhibited and the production of cortisol is stimulated at a moment at which presumably the reverse natural effect would occur without glasses. This way, the day-night effects on a human being that regularly hinder a top performance are minimized.

The spectacle glasses can be made of glass or plastic. The spectacle glasses can be connected with each other as one piece.

The use of whitening agents, also referred to as optical brighteners, can enhance the percentage of reflectance of visible light even to above 100 percent. The whitening agents converse invisible ultraviolet light that is harmful to the eye to visible blue light, such that the perceived reflection is higher than the initial amount of light originating from the light source. The whitening agent establishes that radiation is added to the reflection of the visible light.

For simulating a dark environment the glasses can be provided with filter lenses that filter the blue spectrum of the (day) light and the UV light. Transparent red spectacle glasses are for example suitable for simulating a dark environment. This way, the biological production of the hormone melatonin is not suppressed, such that the body receives an endogenous signal to reduce the day time activities and to prepare for the night.

For delivery of light originating from a light source in an indirect way to the eyes a light guiding element can be used. By applying a light guiding element in the glasses the glasses becomes more user friendly during a light treatment because this way direct emission of light originating from the light source is minimized. The light guiding element can be integrated in the frame. The light guiding element comprises notches in an upper surface thereof for reflecting the light originating from the light source when in use to a desired position. When the glasses are worn the light guiding element is located above the eyes. The notches preferably extend transversely to a longitudinal direction of the elongated light guiding element, wherein the notches in the direction of the nose frame part deepen uniformly for reflecting the light originating from the light source to the desired position in the eye. The notches have a triangular cross-section wherein the distance between the centers of the notches is almost constant. This ensures an even distribution of light.

The frame of the glasses can be provided with a support frame for supporting the spectacle glasses. The support frame comprises a support-frame upper portion which is positioned above the eyes when the glasses are worn correctly, and which extends between the frame legs of the glasses. The center of the support-frame upper portion can be connected to the nose frame part. The support-frame upper portion of the glasses can be provided with the above mentioned light guiding element in order to indirectly guide the artificial light from above from the at least one light source to the eyes. Moreover, indirect emission allows for more freedom in design since the position of the light source is optimizable. The light source is for example positioned further away from the eye such that the eye experiences no or just minimal hinder from the warmth produced by the light source.

The support frame of the frame encloses at least half of the perimeter of the spectacle glasses wherein at least the portion of the support frame at eye level when the glasses are worn and/or the portion of the support frame that is located lower than the eye when the glasses are worn reflects the directly or indirectly emitted light from the light source at the side of the support frame that is facing the eye of the wearer. The reflection is at least 50%, preferably more than 85%.

The invention also relates to a system comprising the glasses described in this document with a communication unit and an external device provided with a processor, and in addition a computer program which, when in use, effectuates the processor to control the at least one light source in the glasses according to a predetermined program, wherein preferably the desired program can be selected by the wearer of the glasses. The external device is preferably a portable apparatus such as a smartphone/tablet or the like, wherein the computer program can be an app that is installable on the telephone which app can communicate wirelessly with the glasses via Bluetooth technology, for example to periodically start or to end a light treatment according to a predetermined or selected program.

The invention also relates to a glasses case for a glasses described in this application, wherein the glasses case and the glasses are provided with for example Qi technology such that the battery of the glasses placed in the glasses case is wirelessly chargeable by magnetic induction.

Preferably, the glasses case comprises its own battery such that the portable glasses case can be used for charging the glasses without cables.

Other additional aspects of the glasses are described in the dependent claims.

