Device for the treatment of macular degeneration and other eye disorders

• US 6,146,366 A
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RAS Holding Corp.
• Original Assignee: RAS Holding Corp.
• Inventors: Schachar, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/185,155
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 351/200, 623/4, 623/5, 623/6, 514/277, 604/289, 604/294
• US Class Current: 604/294
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery

Abstract

Introduced is a device that may be used to treat the effects of macular degeneration and other eye disorders by increasing the optical effect of the retinal surface of the eye. This may be accomplished using a device whose body has a shape prescribed to increase the depth of the fovea and, in the process, make the sides of the clivus more convex, thereby utilizing the varying optical properties of the retinal area. A suitable association of this device with the eye will cause an image beam traveling from the lens through the vitreous humor to magnify and impinge an image perception area encompassing the macula. According to one advantageous embodiment, the device includes a body adapted for association with the eye to manipulate the retina of the eye to effectively augment the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula of the eye. The body of the device may be that of a band, a segment, a partial band, a plate, or, for that matter, any shape suitably adapted to perform the functions described herein to treat the effects of macular degeneration as well as other eye disorders.

Claims

1. A device to treat the effects of macular degeneration comprising a body adapted for association with an eye and having a shape prescribed to manipulate the retina of the eye to effectively augment the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula of the eye.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device is one of a band, a segment, a partial band, and a plate.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device is capable, when associated with the eye, of altering the optical effect of the clivus.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the depth of the fovea.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the convexity of the clivus, effectively augmenting the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula the eye, thereby forming an increased image perception area encompassing the macula to treat the effects of macular degeneration.

6. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body of said device has at least two surfaces that are sufficiently separated to exert a force with respect to the eye.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

8. The device as set forth in claim 6 further adapted for association with a surgically formed pocket within the eye whereby said at least two surfaces exert said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

9. A device for association with an eye that is adapted to manipulate the retina of the eye, comprising a body capable of exerting a force with respect to the eye to thereby alter the shape of the retina of the eye and the optical effect of the clivus.

10. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said body having a prescribed shape of one of a band, a segment, a partial band, and a plate.

11. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said body of said device is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the depth of the fovea.

12. The device as set forth in claim 11 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye to alter the shape of the retina of the eye to reduce said relative distance between said lens of the eye and said macula of the eye.

13. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said body of said device is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the convexity of the clivus, effectively augmenting the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula the eye and effectively forming an increased image perception area encompassing the macula.

14. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said body of said device is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to effectively augment the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula of the eye.

15. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said device has at least two surfaces that are sufficiently separated to exert said force with respect to the eye.

16. The device as set forth in claim 15 further adapted for association with a surgically formed pocket within the eye whereby said at least two surfaces exert said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

17. The device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said body of said device exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

18. A device for association with an eye to treat the effects of macular degeneration, comprising a plurality of segments, each of said plurality of segments having a body having a prescribed shape that enables said plurality of segments to cooperatively manipulate the retina of the eye to effectively augment the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula of the eye thereby forming an increased image perception area encompassing the macula.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein at least one of said plurality of segments is capable of being associated with at least one other of said plurality of segments.

20. The device as set forth in claim 19 wherein said plurality of associated segments form one of a band, a combined segment, a partial band, and a plate.

21. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein said prescribed shape of at least one said body of said plurality of segments is capable, when associated with the eye, of altering the optical effect of the clivus.

22. The device as set forth in claim 21 wherein said prescribed shape of at least one said body of said plurality of segments is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the depth of the fovea.

23. The device as set forth in claim 22 wherein said prescribed shape of at least one said body of said plurality of segments is capable of manipulating the retina of the eye to alter the convexity of the clivus, effectively augmenting the photoreceptor cells proximate the macula the eye, thereby forming said increased image perception area encompassing the macula to treat the effects of macular degeneration.

24. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein at least one said body of said plurality of segments has at least two surfaces that are sufficiently separated to exert a force with respect to the eye.

25. The device as set forth in claim 24 wherein said prescribed shape of at least one said body of said plurality of segments exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

26. The device as set forth in claim 24 wherein said at least one said body of said plurality of segments is further adapted for association with a surgically formed pocket within the eye whereby said at least two surfaces exert said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

27. A device for association with an eye and adapted to alter the relative distance between the lens of the eye and the macula of the eye, comprising a body having a shape prescribed to modify the shape of the eye to alter said relative distance between said lens of the eye and said macula of the eye.

28. The device as set forth in claim 27 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device is one of a band, a segment, a partial band, and a plate.

29. The device as set forth in claim 27 wherein said body of said device has at least two surfaces that are sufficiently separated to exert said force with respect to the eye.

30. The device as set forth in claim 29 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye.

31. The device as set forth in claim 30 wherein said prescribed shape of said body of said device exerts said force inwardly with respect to the eye to alter the shape of the retina of the eye to reduce said relative distance between said lens of the eye and said macula of the eye.

32. The device as set forth in claim 29 further adapted for association with a surgically formed pocket within the eye whereby said at least two surfaces exert said force inwardly with respect to the eye.