Corneal onlay lens

• US 4,810,082 A
• Filed: 07/01/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Abel Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Abel Jr
• Inventors: Abel, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Application Number:
  US07/068,359
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 351/160 R, 351/160 H, 351/161, 351/162, 623/4, 623/5
• US Class Current: 351/160.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/145 Corneal inlays, onlays, or lenses for refractive correction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/15 Implant having one or more holes, e.g. for nutrient transport, for facilitating handling
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00

Abstract

A device for correcting refractive errors in the eye comprising a synthetic corneal onlay lens. The lens has an annular projection received in an annular recess in the corneal outer surface and a mechanism for connecting the lens to the cornea. This mechanism comprises sutures received in throughbores in the lens and passing into the cornea, adhesive directly connecting the annular projection and the recess, or both. The annular projection and the recess can have conforming scalloped surfaces to increase the engaging surface areas, thereby reducing the chances of relative rotation and increasing the adhesion therebetween.

Claims

1. A device for correcting refractive error in the eye and adapted to overlay a cornea, the combination comprising:

a synthetic lens having an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and a radially outwardly facing peripheral edge connecting said surfaces;

a posteriorly extending projection defined by said posterior surface and said peripheral edge, said projection being received in a recess formed in the outer surface of the cornea; and

means for connecting said lens to the cornea including a plurality of throughbores extending from said anterior surface to said peripheral edge without penetrating said posterior surface, each of said throughbores having a diameter sufficient to accommodate suturing thread.

2. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said plurality of throughbores comprises at least eight of said throughbores.

3. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said peripheral edge has periodic recesses therein.

4. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said lens comprises at least eight of said throughbores.

5. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said means comprises sutures, said sutures being received in said throughbores and in the cornea.

6. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said lens is formed of a polymeric material.

7. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 6, wherein

said polymeric material comprises silicone, siloxane, styrene, glass, polymethyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, butyrate, a silicone-acrylate copolymer, a fluorocarbon, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, stretched polytetrafluoroethylene having approximately nine billion randomly spaced microscopic pores per square inch, or a combination thereof.

8. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said projection tapers inwardly in the posterior direction.

9. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said peripheral edge is cylindrical.

10. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said peripheral edge tapers.

11. A device for correcting refractive error as defined in claim 1, wherein

said posteriorally extending projection has a flat, annular distal edge.