ENHANCING PERFORMANCE OF A CAPSULOTOMY DEVICE

• US 20180036170A1
• Filed: 07/19/2017
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: Ghannoum, Ziad R., Jia, Guangyao, Madden, Sean Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 11,076,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0266 means for severing sample
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0275 with sample notch, e.g. on the side of inner stylet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/141 Snare
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00889 Capsulotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00754 for cutting or perforating the anterior lens capsule, e.g. capsulotomes
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a capsulotomy device having a unique insertion sleeve configuration comprising beveling and two notches at the distal end of the insertion sleeve. The unique configuration assures that the motion the capsulotomy loop comprising the heating element goes through during deployment from and retraction into the insertion sleeve is minimized and predictable.

Claims

1. A capsulotomy device comprising:

a tubular insertion sleeve beveled at a distal end of the tubular insertion sleeve and further comprising two notches disposed opposite one another at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve, and wherein a top portion of each notch extends further distally than the bottom portion of each notch;

an insulating portion slidably disposed within the tubular insertion sleeve, wherein the insulating portion at a distal end comprises an electrically insulating material separating first and second ends of a heating element; and

a substantially planar loop comprising the heating element coupled to the distal end of the insulating portion, wherein the first and second ends of the heating element define a transitional neck that extends at an upward angle from the substantially planar loop, and wherein the substantially planar loop is disposed within the two notches when deployed and retracted from the tubular insertion sleeve.

2. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein proximal ends of the notches are vertically asymmetrically offset at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve.

3. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein the proximal ends of the notches are vertically asymmetrically offset 0.20-0.60 mm.

4. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element formed of a nickel titanium alloy.

5. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the bottom portion of each notch is recessed 0.30-1.00 mm from a distal end of the top portion of each notch.

6. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the bottom portion of each notch is 0.25-0.75 mm from a proximal end of each notch.

7. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein the loop has a bottom face for placing against an anterior lens capsule or a posterior lens capsule of an eye, a top face opposite the bottom face, and wherein the heating element further comprises a thermally insulating layer disposed on at least the top face of the loop but absent from the bottom face of the loop.

8. The capsulotomy device of claim 7, wherein the insulating layer is deposited on the heating element by vapor deposition.

9. The capsulotomy device of claim 8, wherein the insulating layer is removed from the bottom face of the loop by laser ablation.

10. The capsulotomy device of claim 1, wherein the loop has an elliptical shape before deployment in an eye, and wherein the loop has a round shape after deployment in the eye.

11. A capsulotomy device comprising:

a tubular insertion sleeve beveled at a distal end of the tubular insertion sleeve and further comprising two notches disposed opposite one another at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve, wherein proximal ends of the notches are vertically asymmetrically offset at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve, and wherein a top portion of each notch extends further distally than the bottom portion of each notch;

an insulating portion slidably disposed within the tubular insertion sleeve, wherein the insulating portion at a distal end comprises an electrically insulating material separating first and second ends of a heating element; and

a substantially planar loop comprising the heating element coupled to the distal end of the insulating portion, wherein the first and second ends of the heating element define a transitional neck that extends at an upward angle from the substantially planar loop, and wherein the substantially planar loop is disposed within the two notches when deployed and retracted from the tubular insertion sleeve.

12. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein the proximal ends of the notches are vertically asymmetrically offset 0.20-0.60 mm.

13. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element formed of a nickel titanium alloy.

14. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein a distal end of the bottom portion of each notch is recessed 0.30-1.00 mm from a distal end of the top portion of each notch.

15. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein a distal end of the bottom portion of each notch is 0.25-0.75 mm from a proximal end of each notch.

16. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein the loop has a bottom face for placing against an anterior lens capsule or a posterior lens capsule of an eye, and a top face opposite the bottom face, and wherein the heating element further comprises a thermally insulating layer disposed on at least the top face of the loop but absent from the bottom face of the loop.

17. The capsulotomy device of claim 16, wherein the insulating layer is deposited on the heating element by vapor deposition.

18. The capsulotomy device of claim 17, wherein the insulating layer is removed from the bottom face of the loop by laser ablation.

19. The capsulotomy device of claim 11, wherein the loop has an elliptical shape before deployment in an eye, and wherein the loop has a round shape after deployment in the eye.

20. A capsulotomy device comprising:

a tubular insertion sleeve beveled at a distal end of the tubular insertion sleeve and further comprising two notches disposed opposite one another at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve, wherein proximal ends of the notches are vertically asymmetrically offset at the distal end of the tubular insulation sleeve, and wherein a top portion of each notch extends further distally than the bottom portion of each notch.