Intraocular shunt manufacture

• US 9,095,413 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Romoda, Laszlo O., Hamstrom, Brian, Chandrakant, Partha, Horvath, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): SELLMAN, CACHET I
• Application Number:
  US14/295,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20140287077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 118/56, 118/400, 118/404, 118/405, 118/422, 118/423
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/12 for treating work of indefinite length

Abstract

An intraocular shunt can be manufactured using a system that includes a liquid bath and a wire, which is moved through the bath. When moved through the bath, the wire is coated with a material, such as gelatin. For example, the liquid bath can have a top layer, including water, and a bottom layer, including gelatin. The coated wire passes through an aperture formed in a plate component of the system. The gelatin can be dried on the wire in a humidity-controlled space, thereby forming the shunt.

Claims

1. A system, for manufacturing a gelatin shunt, comprising:

a motor;

a wire operably coupled to the motor for movement of the wire;

a temperature controllable bath;

an aperture plate situated above a bottom portion of the bath; and

an ultrasonic fogger, positioned above the plate, for providing a fog;

wherein the system is configured such that the wire moves through the bath and the aperture plate and through the fog.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a path of the wire extends downwardly toward a bottom of the bath and then vertically out of the bath.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wire moves vertically through the fog.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the aperture plate is situated in a top portion of the bath.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wire moves through an aperture of the aperture plate.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a first camera positioned to view the wire at the aperture as the wire moves through the aperture plate.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a second camera and software configured to provide, based on data from the second camera, a thickness measurement of a coating on the wire.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a liquid gelatin filling a bottom layer of the bath and water filling a top layer of the bath.

9. A system, for manufacturing an intraocular shunt, comprising:

a container configured to hold a liquid material for forming a shunt;

a plate disposed above a bottom portion of the container, the plate comprising an aperture having a cross-sectional dimension; and

a wire, extending into the container and through the aperture, being movable relative to the bottom portion of the container;

wherein the wire can be pulled from the bottom portion through the aperture to coat the wire with a liquid material such that a cross-sectional dimension of the material is limited by the cross-sectional dimension of the aperture.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a motor operably coupled to the wire for driving movement of the wire through the container and aperture.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of liquid material within the container.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a pulley, disposed within the container and coupled to the wire for redirecting the wire through the aperture.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a path of the wire extends downwardly toward a bottom of the container, around the pulley, and then vertically out of the container through the aperture.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising an ultrasonic fogger, positioned above the container, configured to emit a fog for maintaining a desired humidity for the system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wire moves vertically through the fog.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a first camera positioned to view the wire as it moves through the aperture plate.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second camera and software configured to provide, based on data from the second camera, a thickness measurement of a coating on the wire.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the plate is disposed within the container.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising liquid material, wherein the plate is submerged in the liquid material.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the liquid material comprises a liquid gelatin filling a bottom layer of a bath and water filling a top layer of the bath, the plate being situated above the bottom layer.