Glaucoma implant device

• US 7,594,899 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnFocus, Inc. (Santen Pharmaceutical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Innfocus, LLC
• Inventors: Pinchuk, Leonard, Fantes, Francisco, Parel, Jean-Marie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deak; Leslie R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wiest; Philip R
• Application Number:
  US11/561,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 604 8- 10, 604 15- 18, 604/30, 604/108, 604/184, 604/185, 604/264, 604272-280, 604/175, 604/294, 604/43, 604/27, 623/4, 623/5, 623/8, 606/108, 606/109, 606/166, 606/184, 606/185
• US Class Current: 604/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0071 thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002

Abstract

A surgical method is provided for diverting aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye. A surgical tool is provided having a hollow support member that supports a portion of an aqueous humor drainage device. The device has an elongate duct structure and preferably at least one fixation member that extends therefrom. The distal end of the hollow support member is inserted into the anterior chamber of the eye through an opening passing through the sclera. The aqueous humor drainage device is deployed from the hollow support member for placement into the eye. In one embodiment, the fixation member is realized by a tab that is spaced apart from the two ends of the elongate duct structure. In another embodiment, the fixation member is realized by a pair of tines that extend in traverse directions relative to the central axis of the elongate duct structure.

Claims

1. A surgical method for diverting aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye, the surgical method comprising:

providing an implantable aqueous humor drainage device having an elongate duct structure having two ends opposite one another and a fixation member that extends radially outward from said elongate duct structure, said fixation member spaced apart from said ends of said elongate duct structure;

creating a pouch by separating Tenon'"'"'s membrane from the sclera in a region extending rearward of the limbus of the eye, wherein the pouch defines interior space bounded above by a portion of Tenon'"'"'s membrane disposed rearward of the limbus and bounded below by a portion of the sclera disposed rearward of the limbus;

forming an opening through the sclera into the anterior chamber of the eye;

inserting a distal portion of the elongate duct structure through the opening through the sclera into the anterior chamber of the eye;

positioning the fixation member and a proximal portion of the elongate duct structure in the pouch, the fixation member for fixing the elongate duct structure in the pouch; and

closing the pouch.

2. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the pouch is closed with sutures.

3. A surgical method according to claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a drug carrier into the pouch, wherein the drug carrier is loaded with at least one therapeutic agent that minimizes fibrosis of ocular tissue.

4. A surgical method according to claim 3, wherein:

said at least one therapeutic agent is selected from the group including an agent containing verteporfin, an agent containing ranibizumab, an agent containining combretastatin, an agent containing tin ethyl etiopurpurin, an agent containing hydrochiorothiazide and telmisartan, an agent that binds or inhibits Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, an agent containing Taporfin Sodium, an agent carrying the Pigment Epithelium—

Derived Factor (PEDF) gene, an agent carrying endostatin and angiostatin, Integrin, an agent containing 2-methoxyestradiol, Anecortave Acetate, an agent that inhibits Angiotensin II, an agent containing isotretinoin, an agent containing PEGylated aptamer, an agent containing Motexafin lutetium mitomycin C, 5-fluorouracil, corticosteroids, modified toxins, methotrexate, adriamycin, radionuclides, protein kinase inhibitors, nitric oxide releasing compounds or analogs or functional equivalents thereof, paclitaxel or analogs or functional equivalents, inhibitors of specific enzymes, superoxide dismutase inhibitors, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferas, reverse transcriptase, antisense oligonucleotides that suppress cell proliferation, angiogenesis inhibitors, rapamycin, cerivastatin, and flavopiridol and suramin and the like, peptidic or mimetic inhibitors, pericytes, growth factors, homing receptors, extracellular matrix receptors, subfragments of heparin, triazolopyrimidine, lovastatin, and prostaglandins E1 or I2.

5. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

a portion of the aqueous humor drainage device is realized from a polymeric material that is loaded with at least one therapeutic agent that minimizes fibrosis of ocular tissue.

6. A surgical method according to claim 5, wherein:

said at least one therapeutic agent is selected from the group including an agent containing verteporfin, an agent containing ranibizumab, an agent containing combretastatin, an agent containing tin ethyl etiopurpurin, an agent containing hydrochiorothiazide and telmisartan, an agent that binds or inhibits Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, an agent containing Taporfin Sodium, an agent carrying the Pigment Epithelium—

Derived Factor (PEDF) gene, an agent carrying endostatin and angiostatin, Integrin, an agent containing 2-methoxyestradiol, Anecortave Acetate, an agent that inhibits Angiotensin II, an agent containing isotretinoin, an agent containing PEGylated aptamer, an agent containing Motexafin lutetium mitomycin C, 5-fluorouracil, corticosteroids, modified toxins, methotrexate, adriamycin, radionuclides, protein kinase inhibitors, nitric oxide releasing compounds or analogs or functional equivalents thereof, paclitaxel or analogs or functional equivalents, inhibitors of specific enzymes, superoxide dismutase inhibitors, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferas, reverse transcriptase, antisense oligonucleotides that suppress cell proliferation, angiogenesis inhibitors, rapamycin, cerivastatin, and flavopiridol and suramin and the like, peptidic or mimetic inhibitors, pericytes, growth factors, homing receptors, extracellular matrix receptors, subfragments of heparin, triazolopyrimidine, lovastatin, and prostaglandins E1 or I2.

7. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the opening through the sclera into the anterior chamber of the eye is created with a needle.

8. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the fixation member comprises a tab that extends radially outward along a length of said elongate duct structure.

9. A surgical method according to claim 8, wherein:

said tab comprises a first part that extends to a second part, wherein said first part is narrower in thickness than said second part.

10. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the fixation member comprises a tine that extends in a direction transverse to a central axis of said elongate duct structure.

11. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the pouch extends rearward to a posterior portion of the globe of the eye adjacent the equator of the eye.

12. A surgical method according to claim 11, wherein:

the pouch extends rearward at least 15 mm away from the limbus.

13. A surgical method according to claim 12, wherein:

the pouch extends rearward 17 mm to 20 mm away from the limbus.

14. A surgical method according to claim 11, wherein:

the posterior portion of the pouch is larger than a portion of the pouch adjacent the limbus.

15. A surgical method according to claim 1, wherein:

the pouch is created by delaminating Tenon'"'"'s membrane from the sclera with blunt scissors.

16. A surgical method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deploying the aqueous humor drainage device from a tool having a hollow support member that supports the aqueous humor drainage device therein.

17. A surgical method according to claim 16, further comprising:

inserting a distal end of the hollow support member of the tool into the anterior chamber of the eye through the opening through the sclera for deployment of the aqueous humor drainage device.