Segmented scleral band for treatment of presbyopia and other eye disorders
First Claim
1. A segmented scleral expansion band adapted for implantation within or fastening to a zone of the sclera of an eye lying outside of and adjacent to the ciliary body of the eye, said segmented scleral expansion band comprisinga plurality of adjacent arcuate segments, each segment having a curved anterior edge and a curved posterior edge and structural spacing means extending between said anterior edge and said posterior edge and rigidly spacing said edges apart, each segment having lateral ends provided with means for fastening said ends of said adjacent segments together to form a band, said anterior edges and said posterior edges forming, when assembled into said band, an anterior rim and a posterior rim, respectively, of said band, and said segments being sized so that said anterior rim of said band will lie outside at least a portion of an anterior portion of said scleral zone and said posterior rim will lie outside at least a portion of a posterior portion of said scleral zone, at least one of said anterior rim, said posterior rim and said spacing means having a diameter greater than the exterior diameter of said scleral zone adjacent thereto.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A segmented scleral expansion band adapted for implantation within or fastening to a segment of the sclera of an eye lying outside of and adjacent to the ciliary body of the eye, is formed from a number of arcuate segments, curved to match the curvature of the globe of the eye, and joined together at each end to form a complete scleral expansion band. The band is implanted in the sclera of the eye by forming circumferential tunnels, inserting the band segments through the tunnels, and joining the ends of the segments to form a complete scleral expansion band. The scleral expansion band is useful in treating presbyopia and other ocular disorders.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A segmented scleral expansion band adapted for implantation within or fastening to a zone of the sclera of an eye lying outside of and adjacent to the ciliary body of the eye, said segmented scleral expansion band comprising
a plurality of adjacent arcuate segments, each segment having a curved anterior edge and a curved posterior edge and structural spacing means extending between said anterior edge and said posterior edge and rigidly spacing said edges apart, each segment having lateral ends provided with means for fastening said ends of said adjacent segments together to form a band, said anterior edges and said posterior edges forming, when assembled into said band, an anterior rim and a posterior rim, respectively, of said band, and said segments being sized so that said anterior rim of said band will lie outside at least a portion of an anterior portion of said scleral zone and said posterior rim will lie outside at least a portion of a posterior portion of said scleral zone, at least one of said anterior rim, said posterior rim and said spacing means having a diameter greater than the exterior diameter of said scleral zone adjacent thereto.
-
14. A segment of a scleral expansion band adapted to be assembled to form a scleral expansion band, said segment comprising
a curved anterior edge and a curved posterior edge and structural spacing means extending between said anterior edge and said posterior edge and rigidly spacing said edges apart, said segment having lateral ends provided with means for fastening said ends to adjacent segments to form a scleral expansion band.
-
30. A method for restoring the amplitude of accommodation of an eye comprising forming at least one circumferentially oriented tunnel in the tissue of the sclera of an eye in a circumferential zone of the sclera lying outside the ciliary body of said eye, inserting in said tunnels segments of a scleral expansion band, and joining said segments to form a scleral expansion band,
each of said segments of said scleral expansion band having a curved anterior edge and a curved posterior edge and structural spacing means extending between said anterior edge and said posterior edge and rigidly spacing said edges apart, each of said segments of said scleral expansion band having lateral ends provided with means for fastening said ends of said adjacent segments together to form a band, said anterior edges and said posterior edges forming, when assembled into said scleral expansion band, an anterior rim and a posterior rim, respectively, of said band, and said segments of said scleral expansion band being sized so that said anterior rim of said band will lie outside at least a portion of an anterior portion of said scleral zone and said posterior rim will lie outside at least a portion of a posterior portion of said scleral zone, at least one of said anterior rim, said posterior rim and said spacing means having a diameter greater than the exterior diameter of said scleral zone adjacent thereto.
Specification