Capillary drain for glaucoma

• US 3,915,172 A
• Filed: 03/26/1973
• Issued: 10/28/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lubomir Krejci, Otto Wichterle
• Original Assignee: Lubomir Krejci, Otto Wichterle
• Inventors: Wichterle, Otto, Krejci, Lubomir
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/344,477
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 128/348,35R,35V,334R 3/1
• US Class Current: 604/8
• 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: A61L 29/041 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. lubricating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/145 Hydrogels or hydrocolloids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like , i.e. wound drains, implanted drains negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90; implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ; middle ear drainage A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/20 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylonitrile C08L55/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/26 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide

Abstract

The invention relates to a capillary drain consisting of a flat bundle of capillaries made from hydrogels and suitable particularly for treating glaucoma in opthalmology. The drain is manufactured so that a system of parallel fibers or filaments is laid between parallel plates separated from each other by flat thin distance inserts or gaskets, an initiated monomer mixture suitable for producing water-swellable cross-linked hydrogels is filled into the mold thus obtained, the monomer mixture is allowed to polymerize under cross-linking conditions, the mold is removed and the fibers or filaments removed e.g., by dissolving or melting or pulling them out.

Claims

1. A surgical opthalmic drain for treating glaucoma comprising a sheet of a homogeneous physilogically inert hydrogel having a plurality of spaced capillary passages open at each end arranged parallel to the surface of said sheet and to each other whereby particles, such as cells, as well as fluid may be passed through the capillary passages.

2. Capillary drain according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogel contains about 30 to about 85% by weight of water in the swollen condition.

3. Capillary drain according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogel contains about 40 to about 60% by weight of water in the swollen condition.

4. Capillary drain according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogel is prepared from a monomer mixture comprising hydroxyethyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and anhydrous glycerol.

5. Capillary drain according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogel is prepared from a monomer mixture comprising aqueous zinc chloride, aCrylonitrile and acrylamide.

6. The drain according to claim 1 wherein the capillary passages are each in the range of from 0.03 to 2mm in diameter.