METHODS FOR REDUCING PRESSURE IN AN ORGAN

• US 20100121249A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Trip, Roelof, Mufson, Daniel, Mantri, Surag, McCrea, James, Yang, Ying, Cringle, Stephen, Anderson, Cory, Nguyen, Hoang Van, Su, Er-Ning, Tan, Colin, Yu, Dao-Yi
• Application Number:
  US12/620,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/045 Gelatin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract

Abstract

Methods, system and apparatus for relieving pressure in an organ such as, but not limited to, the eye are disclosed. The method includes implanting a bioabsorbable channel into the selected area of the organ using a delivery apparatus.

Claims

1. A method, of implanting a channel into a patient'"'"'s eye, comprising:

advancing a distal portion of a delivery device through the cornea or the limbus of the eye and transocularly across the anterior chamber of the eye;

advancing the distal portion of the delivery device through eye tissue from the anterior chamber to a subconjunctival space of the eye without penetrating the conjunctiva of the eye;

advancing the channel, within the distal portion of the delivery device, relative to the delivery device, such that a distal end of the channel becomes distal to the distal end of the delivery device and becomes positioned within the subconjunctival space of the eye; and

withdrawing the delivery device, relative to the channel, such that the distal end of the channel remains positioned in the subconjunctival space and the delivery device is removed from the eye.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel is positioned such that the distal end of the channel is positioned in the subconjunctival space and a proximal end is positioned in the anterior chamber of the eye.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the eye tissue, through which the channel is advanced, comprises trabecular meshwork.

4. The method claim 1, wherein advancing through eye tissue comprises advancing the distal portion of the delivery device over a guidewire that extends through the eye tissue to the subconjunctival space.

5. The method claim 4, wherein the guidewire extends through a lumen of the channel during the advancing through eye tissue.

6. The method claim 4, further comprising withdrawing the guidewire proximally through a lumen of the channel after the advancing the channel.

7. The method claim 1, wherein advancing the channel comprises advancing a pusher distally within the delivery device, such that a distal end of the pusher abuts a proximal end of the channel, and distal advancement of the pusher relative to the delivery device advances the channel distally relative to the delivery device.

8. The method claim 7, further comprising withdrawing the pusher proximally relative to the delivery device after the advancing the channel.

9. The method claim 7, further comprising advancing a guidewire, extending through the delivery device and channel, through eye tissue prior to the advancing the channel.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising partially retracting the delivery device until the distal end of the pusher is visible

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising withdrawing the guidewire after the delivery device is partially retracted and the distal end of the pusher is visible.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery device comprises an arcuate distal portion and the channel resides in the arcuate distal portion prior to implanting the channel in the eye.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein advancing the channel comprises advancing the channel at a rate of from 0.25-0.65 mm/sec.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel, after implantation, provides a flow pathway with a diameter of from approximately 50 microns to approximately 250 microns.

15. A method, of implanting a channel into a patient'"'"'s eye, comprising:

advancing a distal portion of a delivery device through an anterior portion of the eye and transocularly across the anterior chamber of the eye;

advancing the distal portion of the delivery device through eye tissue, such that a passageway is created by the delivery device from the anterior chamber of the eye, through the eye tissue, and to a natural space of the eye;

advancing the channel, within the distal portion of the delivery device, relative to the delivery device, such that a distal end of the channel is advanced distal to the distal end of the delivery device and becomes positioned within the natural space of the eye; and

withdrawing the delivery device, relative to the channel, such that the channel remains extending from the anterior chamber of the eye to the natural space of the eye, and such that the delivery device is removed from the eye.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the anterior portion of the eye, through which the distal portion of the delivery device is advanced, comprises a cornea or a limbus of the eye.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the eye tissue, through which the channel is advanced, comprises trabecular meshwork.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the natural space of the eye comprises a subconjunctival space of the eye.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the advancing through eye tissue does not penetrate the conjunctiva.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the channel extends, after implantation, from the anterior chamber, through trabecular meshwork, and to the subconjunctival space.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the natural space of the eye comprises a suprachoroidal space of the eye.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the channel extends, after implantation, from the anterior chamber, through trabecular meshwork, and to the suprachoroidal space.

23. The method claim 15, wherein advancing through eye tissue comprises advancing the distal portion of the delivery device over a guidewire that extends through the eye tissue.

24. The method claim 23, wherein the guidewire extends through a lumen of the channel during the advancing through eye tissue.

25. The method claim 15, wherein advancing the channel comprises advancing a pusher distally within the delivery device, such that a distal end of the pusher abuts a proximal end of the channel, and distal advancement of the pusher relative to the delivery device advances the channel distally relative to the delivery device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising partially retracting the delivery device until the distal end of the pusher is visible beyond the distal end of the delivery device.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein advancing the channel comprising advancing the channel at a rate of from 0.25-0.65 mm/sec.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the channel, after implantation, provides resistance to flow, such that intraocular pressure is maintained between approximately 10-18 mmHg.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the channel, after implantation, provides a flow pathway with a diameter of from approximately 50 microns to approximately 250 microns.

30. A method, of implanting a channel into a patient'"'"'s organ, comprising:

advancing a distal portion of a delivery device through a first surface of organ tissue to a space of the organ, such that a passageway is created by the delivery device through the first surface to the space of the organ;

advancing the channel, with a pusher disposed within the distal portion of the delivery device, relative to the delivery device, such that a distal end of the channel is advanced distal to the distal end of the delivery device and is positioned within the space of the organ;

withdrawing the delivery device, relative to the channel and the pusher, until a proximal end of the channel is distal to the distal end of the delivery device; and

withdrawing the delivery device and the pusher from the organ, such that the channel remains extending from the first surface of the organ tissue, through the organ tissue, to the space of the organ.

31. The method claim 30, wherein advancing the distal portion comprises advancing the distal portion of the delivery device over a guidewire that extends through the organ tissue.

32. The method claim 31, wherein the guidewire extends through a lumen of the channel during the advancing the distal portion.

33. The method claim 30, wherein advancing the channel comprises advancing the pusher distally within the delivery device, such that a distal end of the pusher abuts the proximal end of the channel, and distal advancement of the pusher relative to the delivery device advances the channel distally relative to the delivery device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising partially retracting the delivery device until the distal end of the pusher is visible beyond the distal end of the delivery device.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein advancing the channel comprising advancing the channel at a rate of from 0.25-0.65 mm/sec.