DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE FOR THE EYE
First Claim
1. A method, of maintaining an opening in a trabecular meshwork of a patient'"'"'s eye to conduct fluid from an anterior chamber to Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye, comprising:
- positioning an intraocular implant through an opening in the trabecular meshwork of the eye, the implant having a proximal portion configured to reside in the anterior chamber of the eye, a distal portion configured to reside in Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye, a middle portion having an outer cross-sectional dimension that is less than a cross-sectional dimension of the distal portion, and a passageway extending from a proximal end of the implant to a distal end of the implant; and
conducting fluid, through the passageway, from the proximal end of the implant to the distal end of the implant, such that fluid flows from the anterior chamber to Schlemm'"'"'s canal through the implant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and delivery system are disclosed for creating an aqueous flow pathway in the trabecular meshwork, juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork and Schlemm'"'"'s canal of an eye for reducing elevated intraocular pressure. Pulsed laser radiation is delivered from the distal end of a fiber-optic probe sufficient to cause photoablation of selected portions of the trabecular meshwork, the juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork and an inner wall of Schlemm'"'"'s canal in the target site. The fiber-optic probe may be advanced so as to create an aperture in the inner wall of Schlemm'"'"'s canal in which fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye flows. The method and delivery system may further be used on any tissue types in the body.
54 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method, of maintaining an opening in a trabecular meshwork of a patient'"'"'s eye to conduct fluid from an anterior chamber to Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye, comprising:
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positioning an intraocular implant through an opening in the trabecular meshwork of the eye, the implant having a proximal portion configured to reside in the anterior chamber of the eye, a distal portion configured to reside in Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye, a middle portion having an outer cross-sectional dimension that is less than a cross-sectional dimension of the distal portion, and a passageway extending from a proximal end of the implant to a distal end of the implant; and
conducting fluid, through the passageway, from the proximal end of the implant to the distal end of the implant, such that fluid flows from the anterior chamber to Schlemm'"'"'s canal through the implant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method, of reducing intraocular pressure in an eye, comprising:
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advancing through an anterior chamber of the eye an implant having a proximal portion, a distal portion configured to reside in a natural aqueous outflow space of the eye, a middle portion extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, the middle portion sized and shaped to extend through eye tissue when the proximal portion resides in the anterior chamber and the distal portion resides in the natural aqueous outflow space, and a substantially straight passageway extending from the proximal portion of the implant to the distal portion of the implant, the middle portion having a substantially uniform outer diameter between the proximal portion and the distal portion;
positioning the implant in the eye, such that the middle portion extends through the eye tissue, the implant extending from the anterior chamber to the natural aqueous outflow space; and
conducting fluid from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the implant through the substantially straight passageway. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method, of treating glaucoma, comprising:
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advancing an implant through an incision in an eye, through the anterior chamber of the eye, and toward a trabecular meshwork of the eye;
positioning the implant such that the implant extends through eye tissue, the implant extending from the anterior chamber to a natural aqueous outflow space located beyond the anterior chamber;
wherein, after the positioning, the implant resides in an opening in the eye tissue, such that a proximal portion of the implant resides in the anterior chamber while a distal portion of the implant resides in the natural aqueous outflow space; and
wherein the distal portion of the implant has an outer cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the opening;
conducting fluid from the proximal portion to the distal portion of the implant. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An intraocular implant, comprising an elongate body, the elongate body comprising:
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a proximal portion, sized and shaped to reside in an anterior chamber of an eye;
a distal portion, sized and shaped to reside in a natural aqueous outflow space of the eye;
a middle portion, extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion, the middle portion sized and shaped to extend through a trabecular meshwork of an eye when the proximal portion resides in the anterior chamber and the distal portion resides in the natural aqueous outflow space, the middle portion having a substantially uniform outer cross-sectional dimension; and
a substantially straight passageway, extending through the elongate body between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongate body, the passageway being configured such that when the implant is positioned in the eye, the passageway conducts fluid from the anterior chamber, through the implant, and to the natural aqueous outflow space. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An intraocular implant, comprising:
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a proximal portion, sized and shaped to reside in an anterior chamber of an eye;
a distal portion, sized and shaped to reside in Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye;
a middle portion, sized and shaped to extend through a trabecular meshwork of the eye when the proximal portion resides in the anterior chamber and the distal portion resides in Schlemm'"'"'s canal; and
wherein, when the implant is positioned within the eye, an outer cross-sectional dimension of the distal portion is greater than an outer cross-sectional dimension of the middle portion; and
wherein the implant is configured to conduct fluid from the anterior chamber to Schlemm'"'"'s canal when the implant is positioned within the eye. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An intraocular implant, comprising:
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a proximal portion, sized and shaped to reside in an anterior chamber of an eye;
a distal portion, sized and shaped to reside in a natural aqueous outflow space of the eye, the distal portion having an expandable portion that, upon positioning of the implant within the eye and expansion of the expandable portion, increases an outer cross-sectional dimension of the distal portion;
a middle portion, sized and shaped to extend through a trabecular meshwork of the eye when the proximal portion resides in the anterior chamber and the distal portion resides in the natural aqueous outflow space; and
a passageway, extending through the implant between a proximal end and a distal end of the implant, the passageway being configured such that when the implant is positioned in the eye, the passageway conducts fluid from the anterior chamber, through the implant, and to the natural aqueous outflow space. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system, for reducing intraocular pressure, comprising:
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an intraocular implant, having a proximal portion sized and shaped to reside within an anterior chamber of an eye, a middle portion, a distal portion sized and shaped to reside within a natural aqueous outflow space of the eye, the distal portion having an outer cross-sectional dimension that, when implanted within the eye, is greater than an outer cross-sectional dimension of the middle portion; and
an inserter device that is configured to carry the intraocular implant, the intraocular implant being configured to be movable with respect to the inserter device;
wherein, when the intraocular implant is implanted within the eye, the inserter device guides the intraocular implant into position within an aperture in the eye tissue such that fluid is conducted through the intraocular implant from the anterior chamber to the natural aqueous outflow space. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method, of treating glaucoma, comprising:
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advancing a distal portion of an inserter device through an anterior chamber of an eye toward a trabecular meshwork of the eye; and
advancing an intraocular implant along the inserter device and into position within the trabecular meshwork;
wherein, when positioned in the trabecular meshwork, the implant conducts fluid from the anterior chamber through a substantially straight passageway of the implant, extending from a proximal end of the implant to a distal end of the implant, and a distal portion of the implant abuts an outer side of the inner wall of Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye.
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39. An intraocular implant, comprising:
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a body, having a proximal end and a distal end;
the proximal end being sized and shaped to reside in an anterior chamber of an eye;
the distal end being sized and shaped to reside in Schlemm'"'"'s canal of the eye;
a middle portion, sized and shaped to extend through a trabecular meshwork of the eye when the proximal end resides in the anterior chamber and the distal end resides in Schlemm'"'"'s canal; and
wherein the body further comprises a flange disposed at one end of the body.
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Specification