Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/16—Intraocular lenses
  • A61F2/1662—Instruments for inserting intraocular lenses into the eye
  • A61F2/167—Instruments for inserting intraocular lenses into the eye with pushable plungers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
  • A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
  • A61F2/14—Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes
  • A61F2/148—Implantation instruments specially adapted therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to ocular surgery. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for injecting a lens into the eye to treat presbyopia.
• Presbyopia is the gradual loss of near vision, which often accompanies the aging process.
• the eyes of a person suffering from presbyopia have a diminished ability to focus on near objects such as books, magazines, or a computer screen.
• Symptoms of presbyopia can include difficulty reading fine print and blurred vision when transitioning the focus of the eye between near and distant objects.
• Reading glasses provide magnification of near objects to provide for improved vision.
• bifocal glasses which provide a portion of the glasses lens for assisting with distance vision and a portion for assisting with near vision. While bifocals provide a single pair of glasses for both near and distance vision correction, they can cause disorientation.
• Contact lenses for the surface of the eye have also been developed which provide vision correction for both near and distance vision. Although these treatments provide vision correction for a person suffering from presbyopia, each requires at least one an additional accessory or pair of contact lenses that must be worn or used daily. Additionally, very small lenses for insertion into the eye are being developed. However, these lenses cannot be handled manually or with conventional tools.
• an apparatus in some embodiments includes a design for a lens injector apparatus and method.
• an apparatus for injecting a lens into an eye includes a syringe having a distal end and a proximal end.
• An outer wall of the syringe can define a lumen extending through the handle, and the lumen of the syringe can be configured to hold saline.
• a plunger can extend movably through the lumen of the syringe and can have a distal end and a proximal end. The plunger can also be configured to eject the saline from the lumen of the syringe.
• a paddle can extend from the distal end of the syringe and can be configured to hold the lens to be inserted into the eye.
• the paddle can also define a fluid flow path in fluid communication with the lumen of the syringe and configured to allow saline to flow onto the paddle to lift the lens from the paddle such that the lens can be inserted into the eye.
• the paddle can include a fill channel defining the fluid flow path on the paddle and a flood channel configured to fill with saline.
• the fill channel can be configured to extend to the flood channel such that the fill channel and the flood channel are in fluid communication.
• the flood channel can also include concentric flood channels, and therefore, the fill channel can be configured to extend through the concentric flood channels such that the fill channel and the flood channels are in fluid communication.
• the paddle can be configured such that the lens nests on a top surface of the paddle.
• an apparatus for injecting a lens into a corneal pocket or flap includes a handle having a distal end and a proximal end.
• the handle can also include an outer wall defining a lumen extending through the handle.
• the apparatus can also include a plunger extending movably through the lumen of the handle having a distal end and a proximal end.
• a paddle having a proximal end and a distal end can extend from the distal end of the handle.
• the paddle can include a tubular portion positioned at the proximal end of the paddle, wherein the tubular portion defines an inner lumen in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the handle.
• the paddle can also include a generally flat disc portion configured to hold the lens to be inserted into the eye wherein the disc portion is in fluid communication with the tubular portion. Additionally, the paddle can be configured to allow saline to flow onto the flat disc portion of the paddle to lift the lens, such that the lens can be inserted into the corneal pocket or flap.
• the paddle can include a fill channel defining the fluid flow path on the paddle and a flood channel configured to fill with saline.
• the fill channel can be configured to extend to the flood channel such that the fill channel and the flood channel are in fluid communication.
• the flood channel can also include concentric flood channels, and therefore, the fill channel can be configured to extend through the concentric flood channels such that the fill channel and the flood channels are in fluid communication.
• the paddle can be configured such that the lens nests on a top surface of the paddle.
• a method for injecting a lens into a corneal pocket or flap can include positioning a lens on a paddle disposed at a distal end of a device for injecting the lens into the corneal flap or pocket.
• the method can also include injecting the lens into a corneal flap or pocket.
• the method can include, positioning the paddle in the corneal flap or pocket and depressing a plunger of the device for injecting the lens into the corneal flap or pocket to dispense saline onto the paddle such that the saline lifts the lens off of the paddle.
• the method can also include removing the paddle from the pocket, such that the lens remains in position in the corneal flap or pocket.
• the method can include filling a fill channel defined by the paddle with Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline.
• the method can also include filling a flood channel in fluid communication with the fill channel with Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline, wherein the flood channel can include concentric flood channels.
• the method can also include nesting the lens on a top surface of the paddle. Additionally, the method can include creating a Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline droplet on the top surface of the paddle between the top surface of the paddle and the lens.
• BSS Balanced Salt Solution
• FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the distal end of the lens injector illustrated in FIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the distal end of the lens injector illustrated in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the distal end of the lens injector illustrated in FIG. 3.
• FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the distal end of the lens injector illustrated in FIG. 4.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a paddle of a lens injector in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view taken along axis A of a paddle of a lens injector illustrated in FIG. 7.
• FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view taken along axis B of a paddle of a lens injector illustrated in FIG. 7.
• FIG. 10 a top view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 1 a side view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 12 illustrates a method of inserting a lens using a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides an apparatus and method for injecting a lens into a flap or pocket in the cornea.
• This lens or pocket preferably is created by a laser used in conventional Lasik surgery.
• the apparatus includes a syringe or handle, a plunger extending movably through the lumen of the syringe, and a paddle.
• the paddle extends from the distal end of the syringe and is configured to hold the lens to be injected into the eye.
• the paddle also defines a fluid flow path in fluid communication with the lumen of the syringe and configured to allow saline to flow onto the paddle to lift the lens from the paddle, such that the lens can be inserted into the eye.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view of a lens injector apparatus 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• the lens inserter apparatus 10 includes a syringe or handle 12, which has a distal end 14 and a proximal end 16.
• the lens inserter 10 also includes a paddle 18 disposed on a paddle arm 20, which extends from the distal end 14 of the handle 12.
• the paddle 18 has a length in a range of 10 mm to 30 mm and a width in a range of 2 mm to 8 mm.
• the paddle 18 has a thickness in a range of 100 microns to 400 microns.
• the paddle 18 can be formed from plastic or any other suitable material.
• the paddle 18 is disposed at a distal end 22 of the paddle arm 20.
• the paddle arm 20 is bent at an angle a which is in the range of 100° to 160°.
• a plunger 26 extends through the syringe 12.
• the plunger can be formed from metal or plastic or any other suitable non corrosive material.
• a finger rest 30 is coupled to the plunger 26. The finger rest 30 can be used to move the plunger 28 through the lumen of the syringe 12.
• the lens inserter apparatus 10 also includes a longitudinal axis "a.”
• FIG. 1 also illustrates the lens injector 10 in its resting, loaded state.
• a lens 32 is disposed on a top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the paddle 18 can be configured such that the lens 32 nests within a depression 36 on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• FIG. 2 also illustrates the lens injector 10 after the plunger 26 has been depressed. As the plunger 26 is depressed, Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline is dispensed on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18. A Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline droplet 38 is formed on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18, lifting the lens 32 off of the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• BSS Balanced Salt Solution
• saline droplet 38 is formed on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18, lifting the lens 32 off of the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a view of the distal end of the lens injector as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
• FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a lens 32 disposed on the paddle 18.
• the lens 32 is approximately 2.5mm to 3.5 mm in diameter and has an edge thickness of less than 20 microns.
• FIG. 3 illustrates the lens injector 10 in its resting, loaded state.
• the lens 32 is disposed on a top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the paddle 18 can be configured such that the lens 32 nests within a depression 36 on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• FIG. 4 illustrates the lens injector 10 after the plunger 26 has been depressed.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrates a side view of the distal end of the lens injector illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.
• the paddle arm 20 defines a lumen 40 extending therethrough.
• the lumen 40 at the proximal end 42 of the paddle arm 20 is in fluid communication with the syringe 12 and the lumen 40 at the distal end 22 of the paddle arm 20 is in fluid communication with the paddle 18.
• FIG. 5 further illustrates the lens injector 10 in its resting, loaded state.
• the lens 32 is disposed on a top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the paddle 18 can be configured such that the lens 32 nests within a depression 36 on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• FIG. 6 further illustrates the lens injector 10 after the plunger 26 has been depressed. As the plunger 26 is depressed, saline is dispensed on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18. The saline flows through the fluid flow path created from the syringe 12 to the paddle 18. This forms a saline droplet 38 on the top surface 34 of the paddle 18, lifting the lens 32 off of the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a paddle of a lens injector in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• a fill channel 44 preferably extends into at least a portion of the length of the paddle
• the fill channel 44 can extend to near a proximal end 45 of the paddle 18.
• the fill channel has a width in a range of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.
• the paddle 18 also can include a flood channel 46 extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the paddle 18. As illustrated in FIG. 7, there can also be multiple flood channels 46 positioned concentrically, over the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the flood channel 46 has a width in a range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.
• the fill channel 44 can be in fluid communication with the flood channels 46, such that when saline flows through the fill channel 44 it then flows into the flood channels 46.
• the saline Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or droplet shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6 can be formed.
• BSS saline Balanced Salt Solution
• FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate sectional views taken along axis A and B, respectively, of a paddle of a lens injector illustrated in FIG. 7.
• FIGS. 8 and 9 show depression 36 in the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the lens 32 can then be positioned in the depression 36 of the paddle.
• the depression 36 has a depth in a range of 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm.
• the fill channel 44 preferably extends into at least a portion of the length of the paddle 18. Alternately the fill channel 44 can extend to near a proximal end 45 of the paddle 18.
• the fill channel has a width in a range of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm and a depth in a range of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.
• the paddle 18 also can include the flood channel 46 extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the paddle 18. There can also be multiple flood channels 46 positioned concentrically, over the top surface 34 of the paddle 18.
• the flood channel 46 has a width in a range of 0.3 mm to 0.5mm and a depth in a range of 0.1 mm to 0.3mm
• the fill channel 44 can be in fluid communication with the flood channels 46, such that when Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline flows through the fill channel 44 it then flows into the flood channels 46.
• BSS Balanced Salt Solution
• FIGS. 10 and 1 1 illustrate a top view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and a side view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, respectively.
• FIGS. 10 and 1 1 illustrate a top view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and a side view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, respectively.
• FIGS. 10 and 1 1 illustrate a top view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and a side view of a lens injector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,
• the injector 10 and 1 1 show the injector 10 being used to insert the lens 32 (not shown) into a pocket 50 in a cornea 52 of an eye 54.
• the paddle arm 20 injector 10 includes the angle a, which is in the range of 15° to 30°.
• the angle a can also be any angle configured to insert the paddle 18 into the pocket 50 of the cornea 52.
• FIG. 12 illustrates a method of inserting a lens into a pocket or flap in a cornea in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• Step 100 includes positioning the lens 32 on the paddle of the lens injector 10 for placement in the pocket or flap in the cornea.
• the lens 32 is approximately 2.5mm to 3.5 mm in diameter and has an edge thickness of less than 20 microns. Any lens suitable for insertion into a pocket or flap in a cornea can be used.
• the paddle can be positioned in the corneal flap or pocket.
• Step 120 includes depressing a plunger of the device for injecting the lens into the corneal flap or pocket to dispense Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) or saline onto the paddle such that the saline lifts the lens off of the paddle.
• BSS Balanced Salt Solution
• the paddle can be removed from the pocket, such that the lens remains in position in the corneal flap or pocket.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Cardiology (AREA)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
• Transplantation (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Prostheses (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=47753709

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (9)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2011
  • 2011-09-07 US US13/226,918 patent/US9186245B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2012
  • 2012-09-05 CN CN201280048956.8A patent/CN103917201B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-09-05 WO PCT/US2012/053733 patent/WO2013036500A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-09-05 AU AU2012304721A patent/AU2012304721B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-09-05 JP JP2014529808A patent/JP2014528789A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2012-09-05 CA CA2848188A patent/CA2848188A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-09-05 EP EP20120829255 patent/EP2753274A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-09-05 KR KR1020147009159A patent/KR20140078652A/ko not_active Withdrawn
• 2014
  • 2014-03-09 IL IL231412A patent/IL231412A0/en unknown
• 2017
  • 2017-05-08 JP JP2017092398A patent/JP2017140473A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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