Method and apparatus for reducing intraocular pressure
First Claim
1. A drainage apparatus to reduce intraocular pressure in an eyeball that includes an anterior chamber having aqueous humor disposed therein, a cornea and a surrounding marginal limbus by which the cornea is continuous with a scleral layer and a conjunctival layer disposed on an exposed surface of the eyeball and under eyelids, said apparatus comprising:
- an inlet assembly configured to be disposed at the anterior chamber of the eyeball;
an outlet assembly configured to be disposed at the external surface of the eyeball, said outlet assembly comprising inner and outer convex members;
said inner and outer convex members being separated, thereby providing openings to allow aqueous humor to exit around an outer periphery thereof onto the external ocular surface, said inner and outer convex members being configured to generally correspond to the external surface of the eyeball, said inner member having a central cavity disposed therein and said outer member having a central chamber and at least one aperture disposed therein, where said central cavity and said central chamber are configured to matingly engage one another;
a tube extending between said inlet and outlet assemblies and configured to promote fluid communication between said inlet and outlet assemblies; and
control structure disposed within said outlet assembly for controlling a flow of aqueous humor through said tube from said anterior chamber of the eyeball to said external surface of the eyeball;
said control structure further comprising a replaceable filter disposed within said central chamber of said outer convex member, said replaceable filter having a medicinal agent applied thereto for preventing occlusion or bacterial contamination of the replaceable filter by inhibiting at least one of the formation of fibrotic membranes or other extracellular matrix formations which can occlude the replaceable filter and lead to increased intraocular pressure or infection, said outer convex member being configured to be removable to facilitate removal and replacement of said replaceable filter without removing said inner convex member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drainage apparatus is disclosed to reduce intraocular pressure in an eyeball that includes an anterior chamber having aqueous humor disposed therein, a cornea and a surrounding marginal limbus by which the cornea is continuous with a scleral layer and a conjunctival layer disposed on an exposed surface of the eyeball and under eyelids, the apparatus comprising an inlet assembly configured to be disposed at the anterior chamber of the eyeball, an outlet assembly configured to be disposed at the external surface of the eyeball, the assembly having a central chamber, a tube extending between the inlet and outlet assemblies and configured to promote fluid communication between the inlet and outlet assemblies, and control means disposed within the outlet assembly for controlling a flow of aqueous humor through the tube from the anterior chamber of the eyeball to the external surface of the eyeball, the control means further comprising a replaceable filter disposed within the central chamber of the outer member to prevent intraocular infection, the filter having a medicinal agent applied thereto for preventing occlusion of the filter or bacterial contamination by inhibiting at least one of the formation of fibrotic membranes, inflammatory membrane, or bacterial adhesions or biofilms, thereby preventing increased of intraocular pressure or infection.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A drainage apparatus to reduce intraocular pressure in an eyeball that includes an anterior chamber having aqueous humor disposed therein, a cornea and a surrounding marginal limbus by which the cornea is continuous with a scleral layer and a conjunctival layer disposed on an exposed surface of the eyeball and under eyelids, said apparatus comprising:
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an inlet assembly configured to be disposed at the anterior chamber of the eyeball; an outlet assembly configured to be disposed at the external surface of the eyeball, said outlet assembly comprising inner and outer convex members; said inner and outer convex members being separated, thereby providing openings to allow aqueous humor to exit around an outer periphery thereof onto the external ocular surface, said inner and outer convex members being configured to generally correspond to the external surface of the eyeball, said inner member having a central cavity disposed therein and said outer member having a central chamber and at least one aperture disposed therein, where said central cavity and said central chamber are configured to matingly engage one another; a tube extending between said inlet and outlet assemblies and configured to promote fluid communication between said inlet and outlet assemblies; and control structure disposed within said outlet assembly for controlling a flow of aqueous humor through said tube from said anterior chamber of the eyeball to said external surface of the eyeball; said control structure further comprising a replaceable filter disposed within said central chamber of said outer convex member, said replaceable filter having a medicinal agent applied thereto for preventing occlusion or bacterial contamination of the replaceable filter by inhibiting at least one of the formation of fibrotic membranes or other extracellular matrix formations which can occlude the replaceable filter and lead to increased intraocular pressure or infection, said outer convex member being configured to be removable to facilitate removal and replacement of said replaceable filter without removing said inner convex member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A drainage apparatus to reduce intraocular pressure within an eyeball, the eyeball having aqueous humor, a curved external surface having multiple points of ingress disposed thereon, and an anterior chamber, a conjunctival layer and a limbus, said apparatus comprising:
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an inlet assembly disposed within the anterior chamber for ingress of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber; an outlet assembly disposed externally to the eyeball for draining aqueous humor exterior to the eyeball, said outlet assembly comprising inner and outer convex members with a central chamber located in one of said inner and outer convex members, said inner and outer convex members having a space between them, thereby providing openings to allow aqueous humor to exit around the outer periphery thereof onto the external ocular surface, said members being configured to matingly engage one another, said outer convex member being removable from said inner convex member, and said inner convex member abutting the external surface of the eyeball; a conduit for conducting a flow of aqueous humor between said inlet assembly and outlet assembly; control structure for controlling the flow of aqueous humor between said inlet assembly and outlet assembly, said control structure disposed within said central chamber and comprising a replaceable filter and a replaceable valve, said replaceable filter having a medicinal agent applied thereto for preventing occlusion or bacterial contamination of the replaceable filter by inhibiting at least one of the formation of fibrotic membranes or other extracellular matrix formations which can occlude the replaceable filter and lead to increased intraocular pressure or infection; and an anchor structure for preventing extrusion of said apparatus.
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Specification