Methods, apparatuses, and systems for reducing intraocular pressure as a means of preventing or treating open-angle glaucoma
First Claim
1. A method of lowering a patient'"'"'s intraocular pressure, comprising the steps of:
- measuring an intraocular pressure level of a patient'"'"'s eye;
transferring a regulated heat from a heating device to a trabecular meshwork of the patient'"'"'s eye to provide a temperature level at the trabecular meshwork sufficient to loosen or relax one or more clogs in the trabecular meshwork to improve or restore an outflow path for aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork;
maintaining the regulated heat transfer to the trabecular meshwork for a period of time sufficient to loosen or relax the one or more clogs in the trabecular meshwork to improve or restore the outflow path for aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork;
preferentially directing a force to a circumference area of the patient'"'"'s sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork, wherein preferentially directing the force to the circumference area of the patient'"'"'s sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork comprises preferentially directing the force to the circumference area of the sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork and outside or out of line with a pupil and an iris; and
wherein the steps of transferring the regulated heat and maintaining the regulated heat transfer are performed based on the intraocular pressure level in the patient'"'"'s eye.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments include methods, apparatuses, and systems for reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in a patient to either prevent or treat open-angle glaucoma. Heat is applied to the trabecular meshwork in the patient'"'"'s eye without damaging proteins in the trabecular meshwork. The application of heat to the trabecular meshwork has the effect of relaxing or loosening protein clogs or other inhibitors in the trabecular meshwork, which are either reducing or obstructing of the outflow of aqueous humor, thereby increasing the patient'"'"'s IOP and causing ocular hypertension (OHT). By loosening or relaxing clogs or other inhibitors in the trabecular meshwork, the outflow path for aqueous humor is increased or restored, which can lower IOP and either prevent or treat glaucoma. Force may also be applied to the patient'"'"'s eye to apply pressure to the trabecular meshwork to further assist in the loosening or relaxing of clogs or other inhibitors in the trabecular meshwork.
311 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of lowering a patient'"'"'s intraocular pressure, comprising the steps of:
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measuring an intraocular pressure level of a patient'"'"'s eye; transferring a regulated heat from a heating device to a trabecular meshwork of the patient'"'"'s eye to provide a temperature level at the trabecular meshwork sufficient to loosen or relax one or more clogs in the trabecular meshwork to improve or restore an outflow path for aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork; maintaining the regulated heat transfer to the trabecular meshwork for a period of time sufficient to loosen or relax the one or more clogs in the trabecular meshwork to improve or restore the outflow path for aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork; preferentially directing a force to a circumference area of the patient'"'"'s sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork, wherein preferentially directing the force to the circumference area of the patient'"'"'s sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork comprises preferentially directing the force to the circumference area of the sclera in a line towards the trabecular meshwork and outside or out of line with a pupil and an iris; and wherein the steps of transferring the regulated heat and maintaining the regulated heat transfer are performed based on the intraocular pressure level in the patient'"'"'s eye. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification