Intravitreal medicine delivery
First Claim
1. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eye having an eyeball covered by conjunctiva, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for enabling passage of medicine out of the reservoir means, and means for attaching both the reservoir means and the enabling means under the conjunctiva of an eye so that the entire device is under the conjunctiva, said enabling means being adapted to enable passage of medicine into the vitreal cavity of the eye.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An intravitreal medicine delivery device and method that includes an implant device through which a wide variety of beneficial medicines including drugs or other pharmacological agents can be introduced into the vitreous cavity over an extended period of time with only a single initial surgery to implant the device. The device and method minimize the surgical incision needed for implantation and avoid future or repeated invasive surgery or procedures. Additional amounts of the initial medicine can readily be introduced or the medication can be varied or changed, as required. Furthermore, the device and method allow the dosage delivered to the vitreous cavity to be controlled, and the device is constructed so as to filter medicines delivered to the cavity and also avoids damage to or interference with other parts of the eye during implantation or during use.
271 Citations
28 Claims
- 1. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eye having an eyeball covered by conjunctiva, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for enabling passage of medicine out of the reservoir means, and means for attaching both the reservoir means and the enabling means under the conjunctiva of an eye so that the entire device is under the conjunctiva, said enabling means being adapted to enable passage of medicine into the vitreal cavity of the eye.
- 8. A device for delivering medicine into the vitreous cavity of an eye including an eyelid and an eyeball, said eye also having conjunctiva and Tenon'"'"'s capsule covering the eyeball, comprising a housing having a reservoir for holding a supply of medicine, a tube having one end connected to the housing in communication with the reservoir and an opposite end, and means for attaching the housing to an eyeball so that the housing and both ends of the tube are under the conjunctiva and Tenon'"'"'s capsule whereby the housing and the tube are covered by the conjunctiva and Tenon'"'"'s capsule, said opposite end of the tube being adapted to project through the eyeball into the vitreous cavity, the housing having wall portions surrounding the reservoir, one of said wall portions including a reservoir refilling means which faces anteriorly of the eye when the housing is attached to the eyeball and which is then accessible to a refilling instrument, said refilling means allowing a refilling instrument to introduce medicine through the conjunctiva and Tenon'"'"'s capsule into the reservoir but preventing medicine from escaping from the reservoir.
- 15. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for attaching the reservoir means within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, said reservoir means including a relatively low-profile housing having an eyeball-shaped, spherical curvature adapted to fit closely against the eyeball under the conjunctiva and Tenon'"'"'s capsule, said housing including a reservoir having a minimal height dimension measured radially of said curvature and lateral dimensions measured spherically of the housing and being substantially greater than the height dimension, said enabling means including a tube projecting from the housing and having an angular extension for projecting into the vitreal cavity.
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17. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity within an eyeball in the socket of an eye in a living body, comprising a housing having a reservoir capable of containing medicine;
- means for attaching the housing within the socket of an eye adjacent to the vitreal cavity of the eyeball;
means for conducting medicine in a fluid medium from the reservoir into the vitreal cavity; and
valve means in the conducting means, actuatable exteriorly of the body in which the eye is located, and having a dosage chamber in communication with said reservoir adapted to communicate with the vitreal cavity through the conducting means, said valve means being actuatable to enable a predetermined dosage of medicine to be collected in the dosage chamber and to be forced therefrom through said conducting means into the vitreal cavity. - View Dependent Claims (18)
- means for attaching the housing within the socket of an eye adjacent to the vitreal cavity of the eyeball;
- 19. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for attaching the reservoir means within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, the medicine in the reservoir being incorporated in particulate matter from which it diffuses, said enabling means including means for controlling the diffusion of medicine from the reservoir means into the vitreal cavity while restricting passage of said particulate matter into said cavity.
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23. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for attaching the reservoir means within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, and means for restricting passage of materials from the vitreal cavity into the reservoir means and for preventing non-medicinal materials from moving into the vitreous cavity.
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24. A device for delivering medication to the vitreous cavity of an eyeball comprising a housing having a plastic wall surrounding a reservoir for holding medication, said wall having a base of a first plastic material impenetrable to an injection instrument and adapted to fit complementarily against an eyeball, a top joined to the base having posterior and anterior portions and including an injection area in the anterior portion, said top being also of said first plastic material except for the injection area, said injection area being of a second plastic material which is penetrable by an injection instrument but which reseats after the instrument is withdrawn, and means connected to the housing in communication with the reservoir and projecting anteriorly away from the housing for insertion into the vitreous cavity of the eyeball for allowing movement of medicine from the reservoir into the vitreous cavity.
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25. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for attaching the reservoir means within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, the medicine in the reservoir being incorporated in particulate matter, and means for preventing passage of particulate matter from the reservoir means into the vitreal cavity.
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26. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity in the eyeball of an eye, comprising a relatively rigid, pre-formed plastic housing substantially all of which is of fluid-impervious material for holding a supply of medicine, said housing having a peripheral edge including anterior and posterior portions joined by opposed lateral portions, an outwardly convex top wall, and an outwardly concave bottom wall adapted to fit against an eyeball, said opposed portions of the peripheral edge being spaced by a lateral distance substantially greater than a height dimension between said top and bottom walls whereby said housing has a flat profile so as to hug an eyeball against which the bottom wall is placed, an elongated tube of fluid-impervious material and of oval cross- section and being connected to the housing in fluid communication therewith, said tube having a major axis and a minor axis, and a fluid-conducting elbow connected to the tube and having a terminal end projecting angularly from the tube for extension into the vitreal cavity of said eyeball, said tube projecting anteriorly of the housing and with its major axis converging anteriorly between the housing and the elbow.
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27. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, means for attaching the reservoir means and the enabling means under the conjunctiva within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball so that the entire device is under the conjunctiva, the reservoir means having wall means for holding a supply of medicine, the enabling means having wall means providing a passageway through which medicine can pass from the reservoir means to the vitreal cavity, and at least one of said wall means including a resiliently movable portion for applying pressure to move medicine from the reservoir means into the cavity.
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28. An intravitreal medicine delivery device for delivering medicine to the vitreal cavity of an eyeball covered by conjunctiva and within an eye socket, comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of medicine, means for attaching the reservoir means within an eye socket exteriorly of and closely adjacent to the eyeball, means for enabling passage of medicine from the reservoir means into said vitreal cavity, the enabling means being a resiliently compressible tube having upper and lower walls defining a passageway which contracts and expands in response to compression and release of the tube and including spaced upper and lower baffles mounted on the upper and lower walls respectively and projecting into the passageway toward the opposite wall to close the passageway when the passageway is contracted but to allow fluid flow when the passageway is expanded.
Specification