Patient interface for ophthalmologic diagnostic and interventional procedures

• US 9,044,302 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiMedica Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: OptiMedica Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Gooding, Philip, Beltran, Christine
• Primary Examiner(s): Towa, Rene
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABOUELELA, MAY A
• Application Number:
  US13/279,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20130102922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 600/558, 600/587, 600/588, 606/2, 606/4, 606/5, 606/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/201 with beam delivery through a hollow tube, e.g. forming an articulated arm through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/10 Eye inspection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/0087 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00887 Cataract
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00889 Capsulotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00897 Scanning mechanisms or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00802 for photoablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00825 for photodisruption
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/009 Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, e.g. goniolenses apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a patient interface system for ophthalmic intervention on an eye of a patient, comprising: a housing; an optical lens coupled to the housing and having a focal axis; a eye surface engagement assembly coupled to the housing and comprising an inner seal having an inner seal diameter and being configured to circumferentially engage the eye, an outer seal having an outer seal diameter and being configured to circumferentially engage the eye, and a tissue migration bolster structure configured to be positioned circumferentially between the inner and outer circumferential seals and to prevent migration of tissue of the eye toward the eye surface engagement assembly when a vacuum load is applied within the assembly to cause vacuum engagement of the inner and outer seals against the eye.

Claims

1. A patient interface system for ophthalmic intervention on an eye of a patient, comprising:

a. a housing;

b. an optical lens coupled to the housing and having a focal axis;

c. an eye surface engagement assembly coupled to the housing and comprising an inner seal having an inner seal diameter and being configured to circumferentially engage the eye, an outer seal having an outer seal diameter and being configured to circumferentially engage the eye, a vacuum chamber being defined by the eye surface engagement assembly and between the inner and outer seals, and a tissue migration bolster structure configured to be positioned circumferentially between the inner and outer circumferential seals and at least partially within the vacuum chamber to prevent migration of tissue of the eye toward the eye surface engagement assembly when a vacuum load is applied within the vacuum chamber to cause vacuum engagement of the inner and outer seals against the eye, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure is a separate element from those that define the vacuum chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a frustoconical shape having proximal and distal ends and defining a substantially open volume therebetween.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a liquid containment reservoir when the inner and outer seals are sealably engaged against the eye and the patient is positioned lying on his back.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the eye surface engagement assembly is configured to be removably coupled to the eye such that the focal axis of the optical lens is substantially parallel with a geometric axis of the eye of the patient.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has a proximal side and a distal side, the distal side being configured to be interfaced with a surface of the eye, and wherein the distal side has a convex radius of curvature.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the convex radius of curvature is between about 7 mm and about 9 mm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure comprises a spherical surface configured to be interfaced with the eye of the patient.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure defines one or more ports configured to allow gases to pass across the tissue migration bolster structure from a position immediately adjacent the eye to a position opposite of the tissue migration bolster structure from the eye.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more ports have a diameter between about 1/2 mm and about 2 mm.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a pressure equalizing volume fluidly coupling the one or more ports opposite of the tissue migration bolster structure from the eye.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure is fixedly coupled between the inner and outer seals.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure is removably coupled between the inner and outer seals.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of:

aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and alloys thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of:

polycarbonate, polyethylene, nylon, polypropylene, isoprene, and copolymers thereof.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer seals extend proximally to form inner and outer seal walls that are joined to a proximal circumferential seal member.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein wherein the tissue migration bolster structure has an orientation confirmation feature for registering with the proximal circumferential seal member and ensuring correct angular orientation of the tissue migration bolster structure relative thereto.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the ports are distributed around the tissue migration bolster structure and also extend radially between the tissue migration bolster structure and the eye.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the inner and outer seal walls are substantially cylindrical in shape.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the vacuum chamber has a width defined between the outer and inner seal walls, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure is configured to occupy at least a portion of the width about a circumference within the vacuum chamber.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the tissue migration bolster structure substantially engages both the outer and inner walls of the base structure about the circumference of the vacuum chamber.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the vacuum chamber, and the tissue migration bolster structure has a vacuum port that registers with a vacuum source inlet through the proximal circumferential seal member when the orientation confirmation feature is registered with the proximal circumferential seal member.