Delivery system for ocular implant

• US 9,241,832 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transcend Medical Incorporated (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schaller, Michael, Lari, David, Clauson, Luke, White, Nathan, Lilly, Richard S., Newell, Matthew, Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCETICH, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/865,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/167 with pushable plungers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9505 having retaining means other than an outer sleeve, e.g. male-female connector between stent and instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9511 the retaining means being filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• 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: A61M 2005/206 With automatic needle insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09141 made of shape memory alloys which take a particular shape at a certain temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09183 having tools at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09191 made of twisted wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0905 extendable, e.g. mechanisms for extension
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3257 Semi-automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve extension requires a deliberate action by the user, e.g. manual release of spring-biased extension means

Abstract

A delivery system is disclosed which can be used to deliver an ocular implant into a target location within the eye via an ab interno procedure. In some embodiments, the implant can provide fluid communication between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal or supraciliary space while in an implanted state. The delivery system can include a proximal handle component and a distal delivery component. In addition, the proximal handle component can include an actuator to control the release of the implant from the delivery component into the target location in the eye.

Claims

1. A delivery device for delivering an ocular implant into an eye, the delivery device comprising:

a proximal handle portion;

a distal delivery portion coupled to a distal end of the handle portion and configured to releasably hold an ocular implant, the delivery portion comprising a sheath positioned axially over a guidewire that inserts through the ocular implant when the ocular implant is mounted on the guidewire such that only the guidewire is inserted into the ocular implant; and

an actuator coupled to a mechanism that releases the ocular implant from the delivery portion upon actuation of the actuator, wherein the guidewire is coupled to a part of the mechanism which includes a spring, wherein actuation of the actuator causes the spring to retract the guidewire; and

a dampener coupled to the handle portion, the dampener adapted to dampen retraction of the guidewire upon actuation of the actuator

wherein the guidewire includes at least one non-spiraled curved section that at least partially retains the implant on the guidewire during delivery into the eye, wherein the curved section forms a radius of curvature that is tighter than a radius of curvature of the entire guidewire.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the guidewire extends distally from a distal end of the sheath when the spring is in a first formation.

3. The delivery device of claim 2, wherein the distal end of the guidewire proximally retracts from the distal end of the sheath when the spring is in a second formation.

4. The delivery device of claim 3, wherein actuation of the actuator causes the spring to transition between the first formation and the second formation.

5. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the sheath at least one of receives or abuts a proximal end of the ocular implant and prevents the ocular implant from sliding in a proximal direction as the guidewire proximally retracts.

6. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the curved section includes a radius of curvature in the range of 0.425 inches to 0.525 inches with a central angle in the range of 20 degrees to 40 degrees.

7. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the guidewire includes at least one inner lumen.

8. The delivery device of claim 7, wherein the guidewire includes at least one opening along a length of the guidewire which provides fluid communication between the inner lumen of the guidewire and an area surrounding the guidewire.

9. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the implant includes at least one hole along a length of the ocular implant which provides fluid communication between the inner lumen of the implant and an area surrounding the ocular implant.

10. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the delivery device includes at least one fluid delivery feature which delivers fluid from a fluid source to at least one of the ocular implant or the eye.

11. The delivery device of claim 10, wherein the fluid from the fluid source includes one or more of a viscoelastic, a drug and a stem cell.