Internal shunt and method for treating glaucoma
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of surgically treating glaucoma, comprising the steps of:
- a) placing a shunt below scleral tissue of an eye in order to divert aqueous humor from a scleral lake to a suprachoroidal space from which said aqueous humor is removed by blood flowing in choroidal and uveal tissues, whereby intra-ocular pressure is reduced;
b) maintaining an area of exposure of said aqueous humor with uveal tissue by physically preventing scarring of surrounding tissues; and
c) utilizing osmotic pressure of the blood to maximize flow of said aqueous humor from said scleral lake.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical technique and device wherein an indwelling shunt is placed in the eye of a patient having glaucoma. The shunt diverts aqueous humor from a deep scleral lake or directly from the anterior chamber to the suprachoroidal space from which it is removed by blood flowing in the choroidal and uveal tissues. This decreases the intraocular pressure. The indwelling shunt maintains the area of exposure of aqueous humor with the uvea by physically preventing scarring of the surrounding tissues. The method utilizes the 25 mm Hg driving force of the protein colloidal osmotic pressure of the blood to maximize the flow.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method of surgically treating glaucoma, comprising the steps of:
-
a) placing a shunt below scleral tissue of an eye in order to divert aqueous humor from a scleral lake to a suprachoroidal space from which said aqueous humor is removed by blood flowing in choroidal and uveal tissues, whereby intra-ocular pressure is reduced;
b) maintaining an area of exposure of said aqueous humor with uveal tissue by physically preventing scarring of surrounding tissues; and
c) utilizing osmotic pressure of the blood to maximize flow of said aqueous humor from said scleral lake. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of surgically treating glaucoma, comprising the steps of:
-
a) creating a scleral flap in scleral tissue of an eye;
b) performing a deep sclerectomy creating a deep scleral lake;
c) placing a tube-like shunt in a space below said scleral flap;
d) diverting aqueous humor from said deep scleral lake to an adjacent suprachoroidal space;
e) utilizing osmotic pressure of the blood flowing in choroidal and uveal tissues to maximize flow of said aqueous humor from said deep scleral lake to said adjacent suprachoroidal space. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
13. (canceled)
- 17. A device for the surgical treatment of glaucoma comprising a longitudinal structure comprising biologically compatible material that shunts aqueous humor from a deep scleral lake to the adjacent suprachoroidal space.
-
21. A method of surgically treating glaucoma, comprising the steps of:
-
a) creating a posterior scleral flap in the scleral tissue of an eye;
b) creating a posterior deep sclerectomy beneath said posterior scleral flap;
c) placing the anterior end of a tube-like shunt in a space below said posterior scleral flap through said scleral tissue into an anterior chamber of said eye;
d) placing the posterior end of said tube-like shunt into a suprachoroidal space;
e) diverting aqueous humor directly from said anterior chamber to said suprachoroidal space via said tube-like shunt from said anterior chamber through said adjacent scleral tissue, under said posterior scleral flap into said suprachoroidal space; and
f) utilizing osmotic pressure of the blood to maximize the flow of said aqueous humor from said suprachoroidal space into blood flowing in choroidal and uveal tissues. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
- 28. A device for the surgical treatment of glaucoma comprising a longitudinal structure composed of biologically compatible material that shunts aqueous humor from the anterior chamber through the sclera into the suprachoroidal space, without creating a permanent cyclodialysis cleft and without disinserting the ciliary body from a scleral spur.
Specification