METHODS FOR PLACING A SHUNT INTO THE INTRA-SCLERAL SPACE

• US 20130150770A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Horvath, Christopher, Romoda, Laszlo O., Anderson, Cory
• Granted Patent: US 8,852,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00861 adapted for treatment at a particular location
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00865 Sclera
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• 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 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00763 with rotating or reciprocating cutting elements, e.g. concentric cutting needles atherectomy cutting instruments A61B17/3207; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• 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

The present invention generally relates to intraocular shunts, and in particular, to intraocular shunts configured to form a drainage pathway between the anterior chamber and the intra-scleral space.

Claims

1. A method of deploying an intraocular shunt into an eye, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting into the eye a hollow shaft configured to hold the intraocular shunt,

deploying the shunt from the hollow shaft such that the shunt forms a passage from the anterior chamber of the eye to the intra-scleral space of the eye; and

withdrawing the hollow shaft from the eye.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt is deployed between a sclera and a ciliary muscle of the eye.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt is a soft gel shunt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting step comprises ab interno insertion of the hollow shaft into the eye.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein ab interno insertion comprises inserting the hollow shaft into the eye above the corneal limbus.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein ab interno insertion comprises inserting the hollow shaft into the eye below the corneal limbus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft is inserted into the eye without removing an anatomical feature of the eye.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the anatomical feature of the eye is selected from the group consisting of:

the trabecular meshwork, the iris, the cornea, and the aqueous humor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed without inducing subconjunctival blebbing or endophthalmitis.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt drains fluid from an anterior chamber into an episcleral vessel complex of the eye.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt is from about 2 mm to about 10 mm.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprising a material that has an elasticity modulus that is compatible with an elasticity modulus of tissue surrounding the shunt.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the material has an elasticity modulus that is substantially identical to the elasticity modulus of the tissue surrounding the shunt.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the material has an elasticity modulus that is greater than the elasticity modulus of the tissue surrounding the shunt.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprising a hollow body, wherein at least a portion of the body is comprised of a flexible material that allows for fluctuation of an inner diameter of the portion of the shaft based upon pressure exerted from surrounding tissue and/or fluid in the organ.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the portion of the body that is comprised of the flexible material is a distal portion of the body.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the portion of the body that is comprised of the flexible material is a middle portion of the body.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the entire shaft comprises the flexible material.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises more than two ports.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the proximal portion comprises more than one port and the distal portion comprises a single port.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the proximal portion comprises a single port and the distal portion comprises more than one port.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the proximal and the distal portions comprise more than one port.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the ports is oriented 90°

to the length of the body.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the ports is oriented at an angle to the length of the body.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises a body having at least one slit.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the slit is located in proximity to the inlet.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the slit has a width that is substantially the same or less than an inner diameter of the inlet.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the slit is located in proximity to the outlet.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the slit has a width that is substantially the same or less than an inner diameter of the outlet.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the slit does not direct the fluid unless the outlet is obstructed.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein both the inlet and the outlet comprise a slit.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein shunt comprises a body having a variable inner diameter that increases along the length of the body length from the inlet to the outlet.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the inner diameter continuously increases along the length of the body.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the inner diameter remains constant along portions of the length of the body.