Temperature cycle indicating means for a sterilizer unit

摘要

Contact lens disinfector unit for sterilizing contact lenses contained within a lens case, wherein the contact lenses are of the type which preferably should be sterilized or disinfected once each day and periodically cleaned after a predetermined number of sterilizing or disinfecting cycles. The heating unit includes a housing in which is disposed a heating block arranged to contact the lens case, and circuit means operatively associated with the heating block and adapted to be coupled to a source of electric potential for utilizing electric current to apply heat to the heating block. The circuit applies the electric current for a sufficient period of time to attain a desired sterilizing temperature within the case, and then terminates the heating cycle allowing the lens case and the contact lenses to cool, thereby completing the overall sterilizing cycle. The disinfector unit includes a cycle indicating arrangement which is responsive to the temperature changes of the heating block for providing a first indication upon reaching the sterilizing temperature and a second indication responsive to the heating block returning to a reduced temperature below the sterilizing temperature. The first indication indicates that the heating block is at an elevated temperature and the second indication indicates the number of sterilizing cycles which have been employed since the contact lenses were last cleaned.