JP2008237274A - Intraocular lens inserter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an intraocular lens inserter which can accurately and safely insert an intraocular lens into an eye from an inserter main body having a nozzle portion having a small tip diameter. <P>SOLUTION: The intraocular lens inserter 1 has a lens installation portion 11 installing the intraocular lens 5, a plunger 4 pushing out the intraocular lens 5 installed on the lens installation portion 11, a shifting portion 12 deforming the intraocular lens 5 pushed out by the plunger 4, and a nozzle portion 13 releasing the deformed intraocular lens 5. The plunger 4 is composed of a core member 33, and a cover member 34 formed integrally with the core member 33 and made of a biocompatible resin. The core member 33 is formed of a material harder than the cover member 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an intraocular lens insertion device used for inserting an intraocular lens or a phakic intraocular lens into an aphakic eye after cataract surgery or into a phakic eye in refractive surgery. Is.

  Intraocular lens insertion instruments are widely used in intraocular lens insertion as a method for treating cataracts. Development of intraocular lenses and intraocular lens insertion devices has progressed, and minimally invasive surgery is becoming mainstream even in cataract surgery, and it has become possible to insert intraocular lenses into the eye from smaller incisions. .

  As a method of inserting an intraocular lens into the eye, the intraocular lens is installed in a cartridge filled with an ophthalmic viscoelastic material in advance, the cartridge is attached to the insertion instrument body equipped with a plunger, and the installed lens is planned. There are many methods of inserting an intraocular lens into the eye by pushing it out with a jar.

  In recent years, the plunger that pushes out the intraocular lens is in direct contact with the eye tissue and has a complicated mechanism for sliding the plunger. There is a concern that the sterilization treatment is incomplete in many cases, and there is an increasing tendency to dispose the intraocular lens insertion device. In the case of such a disposable product, it is essential to reduce the manufacturing cost because it is used once, and a resin molded product excellent in mass productivity is often adopted.

  By the way, when the intraocular lens is pushed out by the plunger, it is necessary to reliably catch the intraocular lens in the vicinity of the distal end of the plunger, and various attempts have been made for that purpose.

  For example, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is an injection cartridge as an intraocular lens insertion device having a lumen having a center line in the longitudinal direction, and the insertion device is such that a plunger can move in the lumen. A cartridge received in a handpiece as a main body, a round nose portion at a distal end portion of the plunger, and a lens contact portion offset asymmetrically with respect to the center line of the lumen; The plunger is prevented from climbing on the lens by constantly contacting the inner wall of the lumen and pressing the inner wall.

  Further, the invention described in Patent Document 2 is an intraocular lens insertion device in which the lens delivery path is tapered with respect to the direction in which the lens is delivered, and has a deformable plunger tip, and can be deformed as the lens is pushed out. When the tip of the plunger is deformed along the lens delivery path, the lens delivery path is urged to prevent the plunger from riding on the lens.

  The invention described in Patent Document 3 is introduced into an intraocular lens extruded during the release process by attaching a detachable tip made of an elastic material such as a polymer around the tip of a plunger that pushes out the intraocular lens. And prevents damage to the intraocular lens due to extrusion. Furthermore, it is possible to give the chip a shape that prevents the intraocular lens from getting over.

Most of these conventional types of intraocular lens insertion instruments are made of metal and can be used after being re-sterilized, except for the cartridge at the tip which is heavily consumed.
JP-T-2002-516709 JP 11-514278 A Special table 2000-504952 gazette

  In the case of inserting an intraocular lens from a relatively large eye incision, no major problem has occurred by replacing the conventional intraocular lens insertion device with a resin part and making it disposable. However, in the process of developing a disposable type intraocular lens insertion device that can cope with a minimally invasive treatment, that is, an intraocular lens insertion device having a nozzle portion with a small tip diameter, the present inventors have used a plunger material. It has been found that simply replacing the resin material may cause serious problems during the extrusion of the intraocular lens. That is, the push resistance of the intraocular lens increases by reducing the nozzle tip. If the push-out resistance of the intraocular lens increases, depending on the plunger material, the plunger will not be able to withstand the force that pushes the lens, and when the lens is pushed out, the plunger may be deformed or the plunger may ride on the lens. As a result, it has been found that there is a possibility that the intraocular lens cannot be accurately and safely inserted into the eye.

  Therefore, in view of the above-described problems, the present invention has an object to provide an intraocular lens insertion device that can insert an intraocular lens accurately and safely into the eye from an insertion device body having a nozzle portion with a small tip diameter. And

  In order to achieve the above object, an intraocular lens insertion device according to claim 1 includes a lens installation unit for installing an intraocular lens, a plunger for pushing out the intraocular lens installed in the lens installation unit, and In the intraocular lens insertion device including a transition portion that deforms the intraocular lens pushed out by a plunger and a nozzle portion that discharges the deformed intraocular lens, the plunger includes a core member, and the core member And the core member is made of a material harder than the covering member.

  An intraocular lens insertion device according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the plunger is formed by insert molding the core member.

  An intraocular lens insertion device according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 2, the plunger is formed by transfer molding.

  An intraocular lens insertion device according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the first to third aspects, the covering member is configured to cover the entire core member.

  According to the intraocular lens insertion device described in claim 1 of the present invention, the intraocular lens can be accurately and safely inserted into the eye from the insertion device body having a nozzle portion with a small tip diameter.

  Moreover, according to the intraocular lens insertion instrument of Claim 2, it can mass-produce easily.

  In addition, according to the intraocular lens insertion device of the third aspect, a highly accurate plunger can be easily manufactured.

  In addition, according to the intraocular lens insertion device of the fourth aspect, the possibility that the component of the core member touches the ocular tissue can be more reliably reduced, and thus safety can be ensured.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the intraocular lens insertion instrument 1 includes a cartridge 2 and an insertion instrument body 3 provided with a plunger 4. As a whole, the cartridge 2 with the intraocular lens 5 installed is inserted into the insertion instrument body 3. The intraocular lens 5 is pushed out by the plunger 4 so that the intraocular lens 5 can be released from the tip of the cartridge 2 into the eye. Since the intraocular lens insertion device 1 according to the present invention is configured to be easily mass-produced by mainly constituting the whole with a synthetic resin, it is suitable for use as a disposable (disposable). Can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge 2 includes a cartridge main body 14 provided with an insertion port portion 10, a lens installation portion 11, a transition portion 12, and a nozzle portion 13 in order along the lens traveling axis A, and the cartridge main body 14. Wings 15 and 15 extending from both sides are provided. The insertion slot 10 is provided with insertion grooves 16 formed vertically by being cut out in the direction of the lens advancing axis A. A lens installation portion 11 is provided in front of the lens traveling axis A of the insertion opening 10. A transition part 12 is provided in front of the lens advancing axis A of the lens installation part 11, and the inner wall of the transition part 12 has a mortar shape that tapers toward the tip, and the nozzle part 13 at the tip. Communicating with As a result, the cartridge main body 14 is configured such that the intraocular lens 5 installed in the lens installation unit 11 from the insertion port 10 is pushed by the plunger 4, whereby the transition unit 12 from the lens installation unit 11 and the nozzle unit from the transition unit 12. It is formed to be movable in order to 13. The outer diameter of the nozzle portion 13 is formed in a shape that can be inserted into an incisional wound (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the insertion instrument body 3 includes a mounting portion 20 for detachably mounting the cartridge 2 and a support portion 21 for fixing a user's finger or the like, and is configured by a cylindrical synthetic resin member. ing. The mounting portion 20 is provided on the distal end side of the insertion instrument body 3 formed in a semicircular arc shape, and guide paths 22 and 22 for guiding the wing portions 15 and 15 of the cartridge 2, and the guide paths 22 and 22. It comprises locking pieces 23, 23 provided in front of the lens traveling axis A. The locking pieces 23 and 23 are configured to be able to lock the front ends of the wings 15 and 15 of the cartridge 2. The support portion 21 is configured by a flange-shaped member provided on the outer surface on the proximal end side of the insertion instrument body 3.

  Next, the plunger 4 which is a characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the plunger 4 includes an extrusion rod 30 that pushes out the intraocular lens 5, a pressing portion 31 provided at the proximal end of the extrusion rod 30, and a lens provided at the tip of the extrusion rod 30. A contact portion 32. The plunger 4 is assembled to the insertion instrument body 3 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction of the lens travel axis A in the insertion instrument body 3. The plunger 4 assembled to the insertion instrument body 3 causes the lens abutment portion 32 to abut on the intraocular lens 5 installed in the lens installation portion 11 when the user presses the pressing portion 31, so that the intraocular lens 5 Is configured to extrude.

  The extrusion rod 30 includes a core member 33 and a covering member 34 formed integrally with the core member 33. The covering member 34 covers the entire core member 33. Since the core member 33 is made of a material harder than the covering member 34, the core member 33 can resist the force received from the intraocular lens 5 when the intraocular lens 5 is pushed out. Further, the extrusion rod 30 is formed with a large diameter so that the proximal end side from the approximate center can slide through the insertion hole 24 formed in the insertion instrument body 3, and the distal end side from the approximate center is the transition portion 12 and the nozzle portion 13. It is formed in a small diameter so that can be inserted. The extrusion rod 30 needs to be covered with a covering member 34 at least at a portion (for example, a tip portion) that touches the eye tissue.

  Various materials can be considered as the material constituting the core member 33. For example, stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, Co-Cr alloy, shape memory alloy, superelastic alloy, and bioceramics such as alumina ceramics and zirconia ceramics. Etc. can be appropriately selected from the above. Moreover, a hard synthetic resin can also be used.

  Further, since the covering member 34 covers the entire core member 33, the core member 33 is not exposed to the outer surface of the plunger 4. Accordingly, since the components of the core member 33 can be prevented from eluting to the outside of the plunger 4, the intraocular lens 5 is not affected by the core member 33 even if the plunger 4 directly touches the eye tissue. Can be released. Thereby, if it is a material provided with the rigidity which can oppose the reaction force received from the intraocular lens 5 when extruding the intraocular lens 5, even if it is other than the said material, for example, a cemented carbide may be selected. it can.

  Various materials can be considered for the covering member 34, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polymethyl methacrylate, epoxy, polyamideimide, polyimide, silicone, etc. You can choose.

  Further, the covering member 34 is not limited to the above-described material as long as it is a material that has excellent biocompatibility and can withstand sterilization because it comes into contact with the eye tissue.

  The plunger 4 configured as described above is preferably manufactured by integrally molding the core member 33 and the covering member 34 by insert molding, and is most suitably performed by transfer molding. . That is, since transfer molding is particularly suitable for molding complex parts, it is possible to easily cope with shapes according to various applications from simple shapes to complicated shapes. Further, since it is possible to form a thin and long cylinder with a bottom, the plunger 4 can be formed by inserting the entire core member 33.

  Thus, the plunger 4 can more reliably prevent the covering member 34 from falling off the core member 33 by integrally forming the core member 33 and the covering member 34. Furthermore, the possibility of harmful components entering the gap between the core member 33 and the covering member 34 can be reduced.

  Also, the transfer molding is suitable for a molded article having a large strength and having a thick or thin wall like the plunger 4 or a long molded article.

  Further, in the transfer molding, since the molding material is pushed into the mold after the mold is closed or clamped, almost no burrs are generated on the separation surface of the mold. Therefore, according to transfer molding, the finished product has a good finish, so that the number of hand finishing can be significantly reduced compared to other molding methods. As a result, the production cost can be reduced.

  In transfer molding, since the molding material is filled in the mold in a plasticized state, the mold is less worn and the life of the mold can be extended. Therefore, the maintenance frequency can be reduced and the repair cost of the mold can be reduced, so that the production cost can be reduced.

  In addition, there are various other molding methods and mold types in the molding process. As the manufacturing method of the present invention, transfer molding is the most suitable, but the type of molding method and the type of mold are not limited as long as the product obtained by molding does not cause functional problems in use. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plunger 4 configured in this manner is inserted through the lens contact portion 32 from the proximal end of the insertion instrument main body 3 into the insertion instrument main body 3, and on the distal end side of the insertion instrument main body 3. The lens abutting portion 32 is attached to the insertion instrument body 3 such that the pressing portion 31 is disposed on the proximal end side of the insertion instrument body 3.

  Next, the operation and effect of the intraocular lens insertion device 1 will be described. First, the intraocular lens 5 folded using a lever (not shown) is installed from the insertion port 10 in the lens installation portion 11 of the cartridge 2 that is previously filled with an ophthalmic viscoelastic substance.

  Next, in the cartridge 2 in which the intraocular lens 5 is installed in the lens installation unit 11, the wings 15 and 15 are placed on the guide paths 22 and 22, and are slid toward the front of the lens advancing axis A. By locking the front end to the locking pieces 23, 23, the front end is attached to the mounting portion 20 of the insertion instrument body 3.

  The insertion instrument main body 3 to which the cartridge 2 is attached inserts the nozzle portion 13 into the eye from an incision (not shown) by the user. And the intraocular lens 5 passes the transition part 12 toward the nozzle part 13 from the lens installation part 11 when a user pushes the plunger 4 to the front of the lens advancing axis A. Since the transition portion 12 has a tapered shape, the intraocular lens 5 receives a force from the inner wall of the transition portion 12, and the force increases as the intraocular lens 5 moves in the forward direction of the lens travel axis A.

  At the same time, the force that the intraocular lens 5 receives from the inner wall of the transition portion 12 acts on the plunger 4 as a reaction force. That is, the plunger 4 that pushes out the intraocular lens 5 receives a reaction force in the backward direction of the lens traveling axis A from the intraocular lens 5. Due to the reaction force from the intraocular lens 5, a compressive stress is generated in the plunger 4. This compressive stress increases as the force received by the intraocular lens 5 from the inner wall of the transition portion 12 increases as the intraocular lens 5 moves as described above, and therefore increases as the plunger 4 is pushed out.

  Incidentally, when the plunger 4 is simply formed of a synthetic resin, the plunger 4 cannot withstand the compressive stress and is bent. Then, the plunger 4 may not be able to accurately push out the intraocular lens 5 due to the lens contact portion 32 riding on the intraocular lens 5 or scratching the intraocular lens 5 to cause intraocular The lens 5 will be damaged.

  However, in the plunger 4 according to the present invention in which the extrusion rod 30 is composed of the core member 33 and the covering member 34, the rigidity can be dramatically improved as compared with the case where the plunger 4 is simply formed of synthetic resin. Therefore, since the plunger 4 can counteract the force received from the intraocular lens 5 with the core member 33 made of a material harder than the covering member 34, the plunger 4 is less likely to bend and pushes out the intraocular lens 5. Can do. Thereby, the intraocular lens 5 is pushed out of the lens installation part 11 by the plunger 4 and moves through the transition part 12, and is stably discharged from the nozzle part 13 into the eye. In this manner, the intraocular lens insertion device 1 according to the present invention can stably release the intraocular lens 5 installed in the lens installation unit 11 from the nozzle unit 13 having a small tip diameter into the eye.

  Further, since the plunger 4 covers the entire core member 33 with the covering member 34, it is possible to prevent the components of the core member 33 from eluting to the outside of the plunger 4. Therefore, even if the plunger 4 directly touches the eye tissue, the intraocular lens 5 can be released without being affected by the core member 33.

  Further, since the covering member 34 is formed to have a large diameter so that the proximal end side from the substantially center can slide through the insertion hole 24 formed in the insertion instrument body, the plunger is moved by the reaction force received from the intraocular lens 5. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of deflection from the approximate center of 4 to the base end side.

  Further, since the core member 33 only needs to have a function of ensuring at least the strength of the extrusion rod 30, it is not necessary to have a wide range of material selection and strict processing accuracy, and therefore can be manufactured at low cost. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the intraocular lens insertion instrument is described in which an intraocular lens is installed in the cartridge and the cartridge is attached to the insertion instrument body provided with the plunger. The present invention can also be applied to an intraocular lens insertion device that can be used as an intraocular lens package in which an intraocular lens is previously installed in the inner lens insertion device.

  In addition, the plunger according to the present embodiment can be applied to a known insertion instrument body in which all parts other than the plunger are made of metal.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the intraocular lens insertion instrument which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a structure of a cartridge same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an insertion instrument main body same as the above. It is a front view which shows the structure of a plunger same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 Intraocular lens insertion device 4 Plunger 5 Intraocular lens
11 Lens installation section
12 Transition Department
13 Nozzle
33 Core material
34 Covering material

Claims (4)

A lens installation section for installing an intraocular lens;
A plunger that pushes out the intraocular lens installed in the lens installation unit;
A transition part for deforming the intraocular lens pushed out by the plunger;
In an intraocular lens insertion device comprising a nozzle unit that discharges the deformed intraocular lens,
The plunger is
A core member;
It consists of a covering member made of a biocompatible resin formed integrally with the core member,
The intraocular lens insertion device, wherein the core member is made of a material harder than the covering member.   The intraocular lens insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is configured by insert molding the core member.   The intraocular lens insertion device according to claim 2, wherein the plunger is configured by transfer molding.   The intraocular lens insertion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the covering member is configured to cover the entire core member.

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