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Apparatus for reducing intraocular pressure

  • US 5,372,577 A
  • Filed: 02/18/1993
  • Issued: 12/13/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for relieving the fluid pressure in the human eye associated with glaucoma, comprising:

  • a strand defining an outer surface with said outer surface of said strand defining a first end, a middle and a second end;

    said strand being formed from an open celled biocompatible material and defining a plurality of pores defined therein with said plurality of pores communicating with adjacent pores for enabling liquid entering one portion of said outer surface of said strand to pass to other portions of said outer surface of said strand;

    said plurality of pores being sufficiently large for enabling the flow of aqueous humor therethrough and concomitantly sufficiently small to inhibit the ingress of pathogens therein;

    said strand being flexible and sufficiently rigid to maintain the size of said plurality of pores;

    said strand being implantable beneath the superficial layers of the cornea of the eye with the middle portion of said strand being disposed within the anterior chamber of the eye and straddling the limbus of the eye; and

    said first and second ends of said strand extending external to the eye and on the ocular surface of the eye for permitting aqueous humor fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye to pass from said middle portion of said strand through said plurality of pores in said strand and pass onto the ocular surface of the eye for relieving the fluid pressure in the eye associated with glaucoma; and

    means for connecting said first end of said strand directly to said second end of said strand external to the eye for maintaining the position of said strand within the eye, wherein said first and second ends are in direct contact.

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