Intraocular shunt implantation methods and devices

• US 9,610,195 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Horvath, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Deak, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): WENG, KAI H
• Application Number:
  US13/778,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20140243730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting-in contact lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand caps with means for protecting the eyes A42B1/018; visors for helmets A42B3/22; retractors A61B17/02; manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; appliances to aid invalids to move about A61H3/00; exercisers for the eyes A61H5/00; eye baths A61H35/02; sunglasses or goggles having the same features as spectacles G02C
• 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

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to devices and methods of implanting an intraocular shunt into an eye. In certain aspects, methods of the invention involve creating an opening in the sclera, and positioning a shunt in the anterior chamber of the eye such that the shunt terminates via the opening in the intra-scleral space, thereby facilitating fluid flow through both the opening and the intra-scleral space.

Claims

1. A method for implanting an intraocular shunt in an eye, the eye comprising a sclera and an anterior chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a passage completely through the sclera to form a space within the sclera; and

positioning a shunt, having an inlet end and an outlet end, in the eye such that in a final position, the inlet end is in the anterior chamber, an entirety of the outlet end is in the space formed within the sclera by said creating, and the outlet end is completely surrounded by scleral tissue.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outlet end of the shunt is even with an outer surface of the sclera.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein creating the passage comprises advancing a shaft holding the shunt through the sclera to create the passage and thereafter retracting the shaft such that the outlet end is in the space within the sclera before releasing the shunt from the shaft.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a surgical instrument other than a shaft is used to create the passage.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shunt is at least partially disposed within the shaft.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a shaft holding the intraocular shunt is used to create the passage.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the shunt is at least partially disposed within the shaft.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt is a soft gel shunt.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises a material that has an elasticity modulus that is between 0.7×

10⁶ N/m² and 4.3×

10⁶ N/m².

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the material has an elasticity modulus that is substantially identical to an elasticity modulus of tissue surrounding the shunt.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the material has an elasticity modulus that is greater than an elasticity modulus of tissue surrounding the shunt.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises a hollow body, and wherein at least a portion of the hollow body is comprised of a flexible material that allows for fluctuation of an inner diameter of the hollow body based upon pressure exerted from surrounding tissue and/or fluid in an organ.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a portion of the hollow body that is comprised of the flexible material is selected from the group consisting of:

a proximal portion of the hollow body, a distal portion of the hollow body, a middle portion of the hollow body, and a combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises more than two ports.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises a body having one or more slits.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more slits are located at a position selected from the group consisting of the inlet end, the outlet end, and a combination thereof.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more slits do not direct a fluid unless the outlet end is obstructed.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shunt comprises a body having a variable inner diameter that increases along a length of the body from the inlet end to the outlet end.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising advancing the shunt across the anterior chamber before creating the passage completely through the sclera to form the space within the sclera.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outlet end is positioned in the space within the sclera such that the sclera closes partially around the outlet end.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outlet end is positioned in the space within the sclera such that the sclera closes completely around the outlet end.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the passage has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening is closer to the anterior chamber than is the second opening, and the outlet end of the intraocular shunt is positioned in the eye such that at least some fluid exiting the intraocular shunt through the outlet end flows through the second opening in the sclera.

37. The method according to claim 24, wherein the eye comprises a subconjunctival space, and at least some fluid exiting the intraocular shunt through the outlet end flows into the subconjunctival space through the second opening.

25. A method for implanting an intraocular shunt in an eye, the eye comprising a sclera and an anterior chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing a tool completely through the sclera to form a passage; and

implanting an intraocular shunt in the eye such that in a final position, the shunt extends from the anterior chamber into and terminates entirely in the passage formed by said advancing and at a location completely surrounded by scleral tissue.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein an outlet end of the shunt is positioned in the passage such that the sclera closes partially around the outlet end.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein an outlet end of the shunt is positioned in the passage such that the sclera closes completely around the outlet end.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the tool holds the shunt while being advanced through the sclera to form the passage.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, after advancing the tool completely through the sclera to form the passage, the tool is retracted such that an outlet end of the shunt is in the passage before releasing the shunt from the tool.

30. The method according to claim 25, further comprising advancing the tool across the anterior chamber before advancing the tool completely through the sclera to form the passage.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the tool is a shaft.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the shunt is at least partially disposed within the shaft.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein the intraocular shunt is implanted in the eye such that an outlet end of the shunt is even with an outer surface of the sclera.

35. The method according to claim 25, wherein the passage has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening is closer to the anterior chamber than is the second opening, and the intraocular shunt is implanted in the eye such that the shunt terminates at a location where at least some fluid exiting the intraocular shunt flows through the second opening in the sclera.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the eye comprises a subconjunctival space, and at least some fluid exiting the intraocular shunt flows into the subconjunctival space through the second opening.