Method and Apparatus for Ophthalmic Medication Delivery and Ocular Wound Recovery

• US 20080243095A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Theta Research Consultants, LLC
• Original Assignee: Theta Research Consultants, LLC
• Inventors: Prenner, Jonathan L., Kaiser, Richard S.
• Application Number:
  US12/055,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243095A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/294
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/42 Proteins; Polypeptides; Degradation products thereof; Derivatives thereof, e.g. albumin, gelatin or zein oligopeptides having up to five amino acids A61K47/183; polyamino acids A61K47/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0051 Ocular inserts, ocular implants
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00

Abstract

An annular device may include a biocompatible material. The device may be configured to substantially conform to a curvature of an eye. The device may be placed on a surface of the eye such that the device surrounds, but does not cover, the cornea. The device may cover a site of one or more incisions in a sclera of the eye without extending past an edge of a bulbar conjunctiva of the eye.

Claims

1. A method of administering ophthalmic medication to a site of one or more incisions in a sclera of an eye comprising applying an annular device to the site, wherein the device comprises a biocompatible material, an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the inner edge surrounds a cornea of the eye without covering the cornea, wherein the outer edge covers the site of the one or more incisions without extending past an edge of a bulbar conjunctiva of the eye, and wherein the device releases the ophthalmic medication to at least the site of the one or more incisions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

soaking the device to absorb ophthalmic medication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying an anesthetic to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible material comprises collagen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the collagen comprises crosslinked collagen and partially hydrolyzed collagen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible material comprises high purity type I collagen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner edge defines a substantially circular shaped central opening having a diameter between about 10 millimeters and about 14 millimeters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer edge forms a substantially circular shape having a diameter between about 14 millimeters and about 26 millimeters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is between about 2 millimeters and about 8 millimeters.

10. An annular device comprising a biocompatible material, wherein the device is configured to:

substantially conform to a curvature of an eye; and

be placed on a surface of the eye such that;

the device surrounds a cornea of the eye without covering the cornea, and

the device covers a site of one or more incisions in a sclera of the eye without extending past an edge of a bulbar conjunctiva of the eye.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the biocompatible material comprises collagen.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the collagen comprises crosslinked collagen and partially hydrolyzed collagen.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the biocompatible material comprises high purity type I collagen.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the biocompatible material comprises at least 95% type I collagen.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the biocompatible material comprises at least 98% type I collagen.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an inner edge, wherein the inner edge defines a substantially circular shaped central opening having a diameter between about 10 millimeters and about 14 millimeters.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an inner edge, wherein the inner edge defines a substantially circular shaped central opening having a diameter greater than about 14 millimeters.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an outer edge, wherein the outer edge forms a substantially circular shape having a diameter between about 14 millimeters and about 26 millimeters.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an outer edge, wherein the outer edge forms a substantially circular shape having a diameter between about 24 millimeters and about 25 millimeters.

20. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein a distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is about 6 millimeters.

21. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein a distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is about 10 millimeters.

22. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a caruncular cutout.

23. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an absorbed amount of ophthalmic medication.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the device is further configured to release the ophthalmic medication over a period of time to at least the site of the one or more incisions when the device is placed on the surface of the eye.

25. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an antimicrobial agent.

26. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an anesthetic.

27. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is microbicidal.

28. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is microbistatic.

29. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is further configured to be transparent and translucent such that the site of the one or more incisions in the sclera of the eye may be viewed through the device.

30. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is further configured to dissolve within an amount of time, wherein the amount of time is between about 12 hours and about 72 hours.

31. The device of claim 10, wherein the device conforms to contours of the sclera of the eye.

32. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a sclera base radius of curvature that conforms to contours of the sclera of the eye.

33. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a sclera base radius of curvature between about 9 millimeters and about 13 millimeters.

34. The device of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises one or more openings, wherein each opening is configured to receive a surgical instrument.

35. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an inner edge and an outer edge, and wherein the device further comprises an acute tapered angle between about 0 degrees and about 90 degrees from the outer edge to the inner edge along a central axial length corresponding to a line of sight of the eye.

36. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises an alignment feature.

37. An annular device comprising a biocompatible material and an ophthalmic medication, the device having an inner edge and an outer edge, wherein the device is configured to:

substantially conform to a curvature of an eye;

be placed on a surface of the eye such that;

the inner edge surrounds a cornea of the eye without covering the cornea, and

the outer edge covers a site of one or more incisions in a sclera of the eye without extending past an edge of the a bulbar conjunctiva of the eye; and

release the ophthalmic medication over a period of time to at least the site of the one or more incisions when the device is placed on the surface of the eye.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the inner edge defines a substantially circular shaped central opening having a diameter between about 10 millimeters and about 14 millimeters.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein the outer edge forms a substantially circular shape having a diameter between about 14 millimeters and about 26 millimeters.

40. The device of claim 37, wherein a distance between the inner edge and the outer edge is between about 2 millimeters and about 8 millimeters.

41. An annular device comprising a biocompatible material and an absorbed amount of an ophthalmic medication, the device having:

an inner edge, wherein the inner edge has a diameter of at least about 10 millimeters; and

an outer edge, wherein the outer edge has a diameter of no more than about 26 millimeters;

wherein the device is configured to;

substantially conform to a curvature of an eye,

be placed on a surface of the eye such that;

the inner edge surrounds a cornea of the eye without covering the cornea, and

the outer edge covers a site of one or more incisions in a sclera of the eye without extending past an edge of a bulbar conjunctiva of the eye, and

release the ophthalmic medication over a period of time to at least the site of the one or more incisions when the device is placed on the surface of the eye.