Glaucoma Treatment Method

• US 20100222733A1
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ivantis Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schieber, Andrew T., Euteneuer, Charles L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• 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: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202

Abstract

An ocular implant adapted to reside at least partially in a portion of Schlemm'"'"'s canal of an eye. In some embodiments the implant has a body extending in a curved volume whose longitudinal axis forms an arc of a circle, and a plurality of open areas and strut areas formed in the body, the open areas extending over more than 50% of a surface defining the curved volume, the strut areas surrounding the open areas, the body having a diameter of between 0.005 inches and 0.04 inches. The invention also provides a method of treating glaucoma including the steps of supporting tissue forming Schlemm'"'"'s canal in an eye with an implant extending at least partially in the canal along an axial length within the canal; and contacting with the implant less than 50% of the tissue forming the canal along the axial length.

Claims

1. A method of treating glaucoma comprising:

supporting tissue forming Schlemm'"'"'s canal in an eye with an implant extending at least partially in the canal along an axial length within the canal; and

contacting with the implant less than 50% of the tissue forming the canal along the axial length.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the implant comprises open areas separated by spine areas along a first longitudinal section, the supporting step comprising orienting the first longitudinal section openings toward a trabecular mesh portion of the canal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the supporting step further comprises orienting a second longitudinal section of the implant which is at least 90% open opposite to the first longitudinal section within the canal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the supporting step comprises supporting with the implant tissue extending approximately 60°

-180°

around the canal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing fluid communication between an anterior chamber and the canal through the implant.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of providing fluid communication comprises engaging trabecular mesh tissue with the implant.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the supporting step comprises supporting the tissue with the implant such that material coverage of tissue by the implant in cross-sections of the implant perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the canal is less than 50% over greater than 90% of the axial length of the implant.