Glaucoma implant with valveless flow bias
First Claim
1. An implant for treating glaucoma in an eye, the implant comprising:
- an inflow portion sized and shaped to fit in the anterior chamber of the eye;
an outflow portion sized and shaped to fit in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein; and
a lumen that permits fluid communication from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the implant, the lumen being configured such that (i) a pressure difference AP between a higher pressure at the inflow end and a lower pressure at the outflow end will yield a flow F(i-o) through the lumen in a direction from an inflow end of the implant to an outflow end of the implant, and (ii) a pressure difference of the same magnitude Δ
P between a higher pressure at the outflow end and a lower pressure at the inflow end will yield a flow F(o-i) through the lumen in a direction from the outflow end to the inflow end, said flow F(i-o) being significantly greater than said flow F(o-i).
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implant for treating glaucoma in an eye is described, the implant including an inflow portion sized and shaped to fit in the anterior chamber of the eye; an outflow portion sized and shaped fit in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein; and a lumen that permits fluid communication from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the implant, the lumen being configured such that, for a first flow F(i-o) through the lumen in a direction from an inflow end of the implant to an outflow end of the implant, at a first pressure difference P(i-o) between a higher pressure at the inflow end and a lower pressure at the outflow end, said first flow F(i-o) is greater than a second flow F(o-i) through the lumen in a direction from the outflow end to the inflow end, at a second pressure difference P(o-i) between a higher pressure at the outflow end and a lower pressure at the inflow end, where the magnitude of P(o-i) is equal to P(i-o).
405 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An implant for treating glaucoma in an eye, the implant comprising:
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an inflow portion sized and shaped to fit in the anterior chamber of the eye;
an outflow portion sized and shaped to fit in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein; and
a lumen that permits fluid communication from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the implant, the lumen being configured such that (i) a pressure difference AP between a higher pressure at the inflow end and a lower pressure at the outflow end will yield a flow F(i-o) through the lumen in a direction from an inflow end of the implant to an outflow end of the implant, and (ii) a pressure difference of the same magnitude Δ
P between a higher pressure at the outflow end and a lower pressure at the inflow end will yield a flow F(o-i) through the lumen in a direction from the outflow end to the inflow end, said flow F(i-o) being significantly greater than said flow F(o-i). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An implant for treating glaucoma in an eye, the implant comprising:
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an inflow portion sized and shaped to fit in the anterior chamber of the eye;
an outflow portion sized and shaped fit in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein; and
a lumen that permits fluid communication from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the implant, the lumen gradually decreasing in cross-sectional area in a direction extending from the outflow portion to the inflow portion.
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11. An implant for treating glaucoma in an eye, the implant comprising:
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an inflow portion sized and shaped to fit in the anterior chamber of the eye;
an outflow portion sized and shaped fit in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein; and
a lumen that permits fluid communication from the inflow portion to the outflow portion of the implant, the lumen having a taper such that a first cross-sectional area of the lumen in the outflow portion is greater than a second cross-sectional area of the lumen in the inflow portion.
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12. A method of treating glaucoma in an eye, comprising:
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providing an implant having a lumen that permits fluid communication from an inflow end to an outflow end of the implant, the lumen being configured such that (i) a pressure difference AP between a higher pressure at the inflow end and a lower pressure at the outflow end will yield a flow F(i-o) through the lumen in a direction from an inflow end of the implant to an outflow end of the implant, and (ii) a pressure difference of the same magnitude Δ
P between a higher pressure at the outflow end and a lower pressure at the inflow end will yield a flow F(o-i) through the lumen in a direction from the outflow end to the inflow end, said flow F(i-o) being significantly greater than said flow F(o-i); and
placing the implant into the eye, such that the inflow end of the implant is in the anterior chamber of the eye, and the outflow end of the implant is in at least one of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, an aqueous collector channel, and an episcleral vein. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification