Method and apparatus for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye
First Claim
1. A method for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye, which comprises:
- (a) creating an opening in the limbus corneae that is about 2.5 mm-3 mm wide to provide access to the anterior chamber of said eye;
(b) providing a filtering implant, said implant being generally rectangular in shape and having two side notches defining a foot portion and a body portion, said foot portion measuring approximately 1 mm (length)×
6 mm (width);
(c) placing said foot portion through said opening into said anterior chamber; and
(d) completely burying said body portion in a surgical bed beneath a scleral flap to a depth between 50 and 70 percent of the scleral thickness.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye is disclosed and claimed. In the method of the invention, an opening is created in the limbus corneae region of the eye. A filtering implant having a foot portion and a body portion is provided for implantation. The foot portion of the implant is placed through the limbal opening into the anterior chamber of the eye, and the body portion is buried beneath a scleral flap. The apparatus of the invention is a filtering implant comprising a cellulosic membrane adapted to extend from the anterior chamber of the eye to a drainage area. Besides its draining function, the apparatus inhibits wound healing by occupying the space of the limbal opening. In its preferred embodiment, the implant comprises a goblet-shaped glucose homopolymer membrane having foot, neck and body portions. The foot portion of the membrane is of a general rectangular shape, while the body portion is bell-shaped. The neck segment connects the foot portion to the body portion.
311 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye, which comprises:
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(a) creating an opening in the limbus corneae that is about 2.5 mm-3 mm wide to provide access to the anterior chamber of said eye; (b) providing a filtering implant, said implant being generally rectangular in shape and having two side notches defining a foot portion and a body portion, said foot portion measuring approximately 1 mm (length)×
6 mm (width);(c) placing said foot portion through said opening into said anterior chamber; and (d) completely burying said body portion in a surgical bed beneath a scleral flap to a depth between 50 and 70 percent of the scleral thickness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye, which comprises:
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(a) thoroughly rinsing a cellulosic membrane in distilled water; (b) heating said cellulosic membrane to 100°
C. for 30 minutes in 2% sodium bicarbonate and 1% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid;(c) cooling said cellulosic membrane at 4°
C. in 2% formaldehyde or balanced saline solution;(d) rinsing said cellulosic membrane in a balanced saline solution; (e) cutting said cellulosic membrane into a generally rectangular shape having altered margins so as to form a foot portion and a body portion; (f) creating an opening in the limbus corneae; (g) placing said foot portion through said opening into the anterior chamber of said eye; and (h) burying said body portion beneath a scleral flap. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification