Ocular implants with asymmetric flexibility
First Claim
1. An ocular implant adapted to be disposed within a canal of Schlemm in a human subject'"'"'s eye, the implant comprising a body comprising:
- first, second and third spine sections, each spine having a circumferential extent;
a frame extending between the first and second spine sections, and a frame extending between the second and third spine sections, each frame comprising two struts, each frame having a circumferential extent greater than the circumferential extent of an adjacent spine; and
an elongate opening disposed on an outer side of the body and defined along its entire length by the circumferential extents of the spine sections and the circumferential extents of the frames, the circumferential extents of the spine sections and the circumferential extents of the frames being less than 360 degrees so that the elongate opening extends continuously along the spine sections and the frames;
the spine sections and frames being disposed in a cylindrical volume having a curved longitudinal axis and a diameter of between 0.005 inches and 0.04 inches, the curved longitudinal axis defining a first plane;
the body having a first flexibility when bent along the first plane and a second flexibility different from the first flexibility when bent along a second plane that intersects the first plane and is not coincident with the first plane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ocular implant having a body extending along a generally curved longitudinal axis, the curved longitudinal axis defining a first plane, the body having a diameter of between 0.005 inches and 0.04 inches and being adapted to be disposed within a canal of Schlemm in a human subject'"'"'s eye; wherein the body has a first flexibility when bent along the first plane and a second flexibility different from the first flexibility when bent along a second plane that intersects the first plane and is not coincident with the first plane. Another aspect of the invention provides a method of treating a human eye, including the steps of: inserting an implant into Schlemm'"'"'s canal of a human eye, the implant having a first flexibility when bent along a first plane and a second flexibility different from the first flexibility when bent along a second plane that intersects the first plane and is not coincident with the first plane; and supporting tissue forming Schlemm'"'"'s canal with the implant.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An ocular implant adapted to be disposed within a canal of Schlemm in a human subject'"'"'s eye, the implant comprising a body comprising:
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first, second and third spine sections, each spine having a circumferential extent; a frame extending between the first and second spine sections, and a frame extending between the second and third spine sections, each frame comprising two struts, each frame having a circumferential extent greater than the circumferential extent of an adjacent spine; and an elongate opening disposed on an outer side of the body and defined along its entire length by the circumferential extents of the spine sections and the circumferential extents of the frames, the circumferential extents of the spine sections and the circumferential extents of the frames being less than 360 degrees so that the elongate opening extends continuously along the spine sections and the frames; the spine sections and frames being disposed in a cylindrical volume having a curved longitudinal axis and a diameter of between 0.005 inches and 0.04 inches, the curved longitudinal axis defining a first plane; the body having a first flexibility when bent along the first plane and a second flexibility different from the first flexibility when bent along a second plane that intersects the first plane and is not coincident with the first plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification