SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING AN OCULAR DISORDER

• US 20110105987A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaukos Corporation
• Original Assignee: Glaukos Corporation
• Inventors: Gharib, Morteza (Mory), Bergheim, Olav B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,993,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0067 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• 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: A61K 9/0051 Ocular inserts, ocular implants
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 27/06 Antiglaucoma agents or miotics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/905 Eye

Abstract

Surgical methods and related medical devices for treating ocular disorders are disclosed. Some methods relate to delivering an implant within an eye, and involve providing an elongate guide device, such as, a flexible guide member or a guide wire. A distal end of the guide device can be advanced into an anterior chamber of an eye, or through at least a portion of a site of resistance along a physiologic outflow pathway of the eye, or from an anterior chamber of the eye to a location proximate a physiologic outflow pathway of the eye. The implant is advanced along the guide device toward the guide device distal end, and is positioned to conduct aqueous humor between the anterior chamber and the physiologic outflow pathway.

Claims

1. A system for treating an ocular disorder in a patient, comprising:

a delivery device, said delivery device comprising a handpiece and an elongate delivery member; and

an ophthalmic drainage implant which, following implantation at an implantation site, conducts fluid from an anterior chamber to an outflow pathway of an eye, said implant comprising;

a body having a proximal section and a distal section with respect to the handpiece of the delivery device, the proximal section comprising an inlet and the distal section comprising at least one outlet, the body having a maximum cross-sectional dimension sized to allow insertion of the body through a self-sealing opening in the eye to access the anterior chamber; and

a lumen extending through the body from the inlet of the proximal section to the at least one outlet of the distal section, said lumen defining a wall thickness of the body;

wherein a distal end of the distal section of the body is tapered;

wherein at least a portion of the lumen of the ophthalmic drainage implant receives at least a portion of the elongate delivery member in an orientation such that the distal section leads the proximal section;

wherein the elongate delivery member is configured for ab interno insertion of the ophthalmic drainage implant through the self-sealing incision and sized to extend across the anterior chamber; and

wherein said ophthalmic drainage implant has sufficient length between the proximal section and distal section such that, upon implantation, at least a portion of the proximal section of the ophthalmic drainage implant is disposed within the anterior chamber and at least a portion of the distal section of the ophthalmic drainage implant extends into and along a portion of the outflow pathway of the eye.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises one or more retention features.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more retention features comprise protrusions extending radially outwardly from the body.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more retention features are selected from the group consisting of stubs, ribs, pillars, textured surfaces, threads, flanges, and barbs.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate delivery member of the delivery device is flexible.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the body comprises more than one outlet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate delivery member of the delivery device comprises a wire.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of polyimide.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the body has a generally tubular shape.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate delivery member further comprises a cutting member configured to form an opening.

11. A method of treating an ocular disorder, comprising:

providing an ophthalmic drainage implant having a proximal section, a distal section and an internal lumen extending through the implant from at least a portion of the proximal section to at least a portion of the distal section, said distal section comprising a tapered distal end, the ophthalmic drainage implant having a maximum cross-sectional dimension sized to allow insertion of the implant through a self-sealing opening into the eye to access an anterior chamber of the eye;

providing an elongate delivery member configured for ab interno insertion of the ophthalmic drainage implant and sized to extend across the anterior chamber;

coupling the ophthalmic drainage implant and the elongate delivery member such that a distal end of the elongate delivery member receives at least a portion of the internal lumen of the ophthalmic drainage implant;

advancing the elongate delivery member from an anterior chamber of an eye into a physiologic outflow pathway through ocular tissue to form a drainage pathway from the anterior chamber to the physiologic outflow pathway such that at least a portion of the distal section of the ophthalmic drainage implant extends into and along a portion of the outflow pathway; and

removing the elongate delivery member from the eye.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein advancing the implant includes positioning the entire implant in the anterior chamber before inserting the implant into ocular tissue.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein advancing the implant includes positioning both the proximal and distal end segments of the implant in the anterior chamber.

14. A method of treating an ocular disorder, comprising:

forming a self-sealing opening to access an anterior chamber of an eye;

penetrating ocular tissue within the eye from within the anterior chamber to form an opening into a physiologic outflow pathway of the eye, thereby forming an aqueous drainage pathway from the anterior chamber to the physiologic outflow pathway;

inserting an ocular drainage implant through the opening into the physiologic outflow pathway; and

positioning the implant between opposing wall sections of the physiologic outflow pathway so as to increase patency of the aqueous drainage pathway.