DEVICES AND METHODS FOR GLAUCOMA TREATMENT
First Claim
1. An instrument for delivering implants for treating an ophthalmic condition and dispensing implants through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway, the instrument comprising:
- an elongate body, said elongate body comprising a tube and sized to be introduced into an eye through an incision in the eye;
a trocar in said tube, wherein said trocar has a cutting edge sufficiently sharp to cut through said wall of said physiologic outflow pathway;
a plurality of biocompatible implants positioned in the elongate body, each of said implants sized and shaped to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce elevated intraocular pressure; and
said elongate body further comprising an actuator that serially dispenses the implants from the elongate body for implanting in eye tissue.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Intraocular stents and applicators are disclosed for treating glaucoma. The stents are configured to extend between the anterior chamber of the eye and Schlemm'"'"'s canal for enhancing outflow of aqueous from the anterior chamber so as to reduce intraocular pressure. The stents can have features for anchoring the stent into Schlemm'"'"'s canal as well as preventing the walls of Schlemm'"'"'s canal from closing the outlet of the stents. The applicators can be steerable so as to make implantation easier. Additionally, the applicators can be configured to hold a plurality of stents so that multiple stents can be implanted through one incision without removing the applicator from the incision between serial implantations.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. An instrument for delivering implants for treating an ophthalmic condition and dispensing implants through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway, the instrument comprising:
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an elongate body, said elongate body comprising a tube and sized to be introduced into an eye through an incision in the eye;
a trocar in said tube, wherein said trocar has a cutting edge sufficiently sharp to cut through said wall of said physiologic outflow pathway;
a plurality of biocompatible implants positioned in the elongate body, each of said implants sized and shaped to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce elevated intraocular pressure; and
said elongate body further comprising an actuator that serially dispenses the implants from the elongate body for implanting in eye tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of implanting a plurality of implants for treating glaucoma, comprising:
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inserting an instrument into an eye through an incision;
providing a plurality of biocompatible implants that, when implanted, convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce intraocular pressure;
utilizing said instrument to deliver a first biocompatible implant through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway at a first location within the eye; and
utilizing said instrument to deliver a second biocompatible implant through a wall of said physiologic outflow pathway at a second location within the eye, without removing said instrument from the eye between said deliveries of said implants. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of implanting a plurality of implants for treating glaucoma, comprising:
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inserting an instrument into an eye through an incision;
utilizing said instrument to deliver a first implant through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway at a first location; and
utilizing said instrument to deliver a second implant through a wall of said physiologic outflow pathway at a second location;
wherein said locations are angularly spaced along said physiologic outflow pathway by at least 20 degrees. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of implanting a plurality of implants for treating glaucoma, comprising:
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inserting an instrument into an eye through an incision;
utilizing said instrument to deliver a first biocompatible implant through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway at a first location; and
utilizing said instrument to deliver a second biocompatible implant through a wall of said physiologic outflow pathway at a second location;
wherein said implants have different flow characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An instrument for delivering implants for treating an ophthalmic condition and dispensing implants through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway, the instrument comprising:
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an elongate body, said elongate body sized to be introduced into an eye through an incision in the eye;
a plurality of biocompatible implants positioned in the elongate body, each of said implants sized and shaped to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce elevated intraocular pressure; and
said elongate body further comprising an actuator that serially dispenses the implants from the elongate body for implanting in eye tissue wherein at least one of said implants comprises a cutting member. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An instrument for delivering implants for treating an ophthalmic condition and dispensing implants through a wall of a physiologic outflow pathway, the instrument comprising:
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an elongate body, said elongate body comprising a tube and being sized to be introduced into an eye through an incision in the eye;
a trocar being disposed within and being axially moveable through said tube, wherein said trocar has a cutting edge sufficiently sharp to cut through said wall of said physiologic outflow pathway;
a plurality of biocompatible implants positioned in the elongate body, each of said implants sized and shaped to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce elevated intraocular pressure; and
said elongate body further comprising an actuator that serially dispenses the implants from the elongate body for implanting in eye tissue.
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40. A method of implanting a plurality of implants for treating glaucoma, comprising:
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inserting an instrument into an eye through an incision;
positioning said instrument at a first location and utilizing said instrument to deliver a first implant into a posterior segment of the eye at said first location; and
moving said instrument to a second location and utilizing said instrument to deliver a second implant into the posterior segment of the eye at the second location, without removing said instrument from the eye between said deliveries of said implants.
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41. A method of treating an eye condition, the method comprising:
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making an incision into a naturally-occurring space of an eye;
inserting an instrument through the incision; and
serially dispensing a plurality of preloaded implants from the instrument into eye tissue at a respective plurality of locations within the eye, said dispensing comprising moving the instrument a respective plurality of times without removing the instrument from the incision.
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42. A method of treating glaucoma, comprising:
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providing first and second biocompatible implants that, when implanted, convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of an eye to a fluid outflow path of the eye so as to reduce intraocular pressure;
implanting said first biocompatible implant in tissue at a first location to convey said aqueous humor and reduce intraocular eye pressure; and
implanting said second biocompatible implant in tissue at a second location to convey said aqueous humor and reduce intraocular eye pressure, said first and second locations being selected such that implanting the second implant significantly reduces the intraocular eye pressure relative to the reduction achieved by implanting only the first implant.
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Specification