Delivering Ocular Implants Into the Eye

• US 20130158462A1
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ivantis Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wardle, John, Schieber, Andrew T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,663,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3454 Details of tips
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0033 made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementary-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0026 Ophthalmic product dispenser attachments to facilitate positioning near the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002

Abstract

A method of deploying an ocular implant into Schlemm'"'"'s canal of an eye. The method includes the steps of inserting a distal end of a cannula through a cornea of the eye and into an anterior chamber of the eye, the cannula having a distal opening extending from the distal end and through a side wall; placing the distal opening of the cannula into fluid communication with Schlemm'"'"'s canal; advancing the ocular implant distally through the cannula with a delivery tool engaged with the ocular implant, a proximal portion of the ocular implant engaging the delivery tool proximal to a distal portion of the delivery tool; and disengaging the ocular implant and the delivery tool when the proximal portion of the ocular implant reaches the cannula distal opening. The invention also includes a system for practicing the method.

Claims

1. A method of deploying an ocular implant into Schlemm'"'"'s canal of an eye, comprising:

inserting a distal end of a cannula through a cornea of the eye and into an anterior chamber of the eye, the cannula comprising a distal opening extending from the distal end and through a side wall;

placing the distal opening of the cannula into fluid communication with Schlemm'"'"'s canal;

advancing the ocular implant distally through the cannula with a delivery tool engaged with the ocular implant, a proximal portion of the ocular implant engaging the delivery tool proximal to a distal portion of the delivery tool; and

disengaging the ocular implant and the delivery tool when the proximal portion of the ocular implant reaches the cannula distal opening.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the disengaging step comprises separating the distal portion of the delivery tool and the ocular implant from each other when the distal portion of the delivery tool passes through the distal opening of the cannula.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the separating step is performed before the distal portion of the delivery tool reaches the distal end of the cannula.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the separating step comprises maintaining contact between the ocular implant and the cannula and moving the distal portion of the delivery tool away from the cannula.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the distal portion of the delivery tool has an at-rest shape, the separating step further comprising permitting the distal portion of the delivery tool to assume its at-rest shape.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at-rest shape is a curve having a smaller radius of curvature than a distal portion of the cannula.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting step comprises placing the distal end of the cannula in Schlemm'"'"'s canal and a portion of the cannula distal opening outside of Schlemm'"'"'s canal, the disengaging step comprising disengaging the ocular implant and the delivery tool while the proximal portion of the ocular implant is disposed outside of Schlemm'"'"'s canal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the disengaging step further comprises disengaging the ocular implant and the delivery tool while the proximal portion of the ocular implant is disposed inside the anterior chamber of the eye.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the disengaging step:

re-engaging the delivery tool and the ocular implant;

moving the delivery tool and the ocular implant in a proximal direction to withdraw at least a portion of the ocular implant from Schlemm'"'"'s canal;

advancing the ocular implant and delivery tool distally into Schlemm'"'"'s canal; and

disengaging the ocular implant and the delivery tool.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the disengaging step comprises disengaging an interlocking portion of the delivery tool from a complementary interlocking portion of the ocular implant.

11. A system comprising:

a cannula having a side wall defining a passageway, the cannula including an opening extending through a distal end and the side wall, the opening fluidly communicating with the passageway;

an ocular implant disposed inside the passageway defined by the cannula; and

a delivery tool having a distal interlocking portion engaging a complementary interlocking portion of the ocular implant to form a mechanically interlocking connection when the interlocking portion of the delivery tool is proximal to the trough portion of the cannula.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the distal interlocking portion of the delivery tool has an at-rest shape different from the shape of the cannula, the cannula side wall preventing the delivery tool from assuming its at-rest shape when the interlocking portion of the delivery tool is proximal to the trough portion of the cannula.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the delivery tool at-rest shape is a curve having a smaller radius of curvature than a radius of curvature of the cannula.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the system comprises a cannula subassembly including the cannula and a delivery tool subassembly including the delivery tool, the delivery tool subassembly and the cannula subassembly engaging one another at a keyed interface, the keyed interface being configured to permit the delivery tool to slide along the passageway defined by the cannula, and the keyed interface being configured to prohibit rotation of the delivery tool subassembly relative to the cannula subassembly so that a predetermined orientation between the delivery tool and the cannula is maintained.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivery tool subassembly includes a rotating rack gear defining a shaped hole having a predetermined shape in lateral cross-section and the cannula subassembly including a shaped portion configured to cooperate with the shaped hole of the rotating rack gear so that the delivery tool is free to slide along the passageway defined by the cannula and rotation of the delivery tool relative to the cannula is prohibited.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the opening extending through the distal end and the side wall of the cannula is dimensioned and positioned such that, when the ocular implant reaches a predefined location along the passageway, the delivery tool will move toward an undeformed shape in which the interlocking portion of the delivery tool disengages the complementary interlocking portion of the ocular implant to release the ocular implant.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the delivery tool further comprises a cannula wall engagement surface diametrically opposite the interlocking portion and a reduced diameter portion proximal to the interlocking portion.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the mechanically interlocking connection is configured to preclude axial movement of the ocular implant relative to the delivery tool.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the mechanically interlocking connection is configured to preclude rotation of the ocular implant relative to the delivery tool.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the mechanically interlocking connection comprises a peak of the delivery tool that is received in a valley of the ocular implant.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the mechanically interlocking connection comprises a peak of the ocular implant that is received in a valley of the delivery tool.

22. The system of claim 11 further comprising a motion control mechanism configured to be operated from a location outside of the eye to move the delivery tool and the ocular implant along the passageway defined by the cannula.