Small Gauge Ablation Probe For Glaucoma Surgery

• US 20110202049A1
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcon Research Limited (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Alcon Research Limited (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Jia, Guangyao, Sussman, Glenn Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/707,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/08 by means of electrically-heated probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00868 Ciliary muscles or trabecular meshwork
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• 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: A61F 9/0079 using non-laser electromagnetic radiation, e.g. non-coherent light or microwaves

Abstract

An ablation probe for use in glaucoma surgery has a shaft, a heating element, and a pair of electrical connectors located on a distal end of the shaft. The pair of electrical connectors holds the heating element to the shaft. The heating element is sized and shaped to ablate a trabecular meshwork in a human eye. The ablation probe is advanced through a corneal incision until the heating element contacts the trabecular meshwork. An electrical current is passed through the heating element to ablate the trabecular meshwork.

Claims

1. An ablation probe comprising:

a shaft;

a heating element; and

a pair of electrical connectors located on a distal end of the shaft, the pair of electrical connectors holding the heating element to the shaft;

wherein the heating element is sized and shaped to ablate a trabecular meshwork in a human eye.

2. The ablation probe of claim 1 wherein the heating element has a size of between 34 to 44 gauge.

3. The ablation probe of claim 1 wherein the shaft has a size of between 21 and 27 gauge.

4. A method of ablating the trabecular meshwork of a human eye, the method comprising:

providing an ablation probe with a shaft, a heating element, and a pair of electrical connectors located on a distal end of the shaft, the pair of electrical connectors holding the heating element to the shaft;

wherein the heating element is sized and shaped to ablate a trabecular meshwork in a human eye; and

passing an electrical current through the heating element to ablate an opening in a trabecular meshwork of a human eye.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

advancing the distal end of the shaft through a corneal incision

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

performing cataract surgery through the corneal incision.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

injecting viscoelastic material into an anterior chamber of the human eye.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein passing an electrical current through the heating element further comprises passing a series of pulses of electrical current through the heating element.

9. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

ablating a second opening in the trabecular meshwork.