Shunt placement through the sclera

• US 9,980,854 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AqueSys, Inc. (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Horvath, Christopher, Romoda, Laszlo O., Lewis, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCETICH, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US15/151,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20160278982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3454 Details of tips
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00891 Glaucoma
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• 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 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202

Abstract

An intraocular shunt can be placed into a human eye using a hollow shaft having a distal tip with a bevel. The hollow shaft can be advanced through the anterior chamber while the hollow shaft holds the intraocular shunt. The distal tip can penetrate the sclera until the bevel is positioned distal to a superficial wall of the sclera. The shunt can be advanced at least partially from the hollow shaft into a drainage space of lower pressure than the anterior chamber. The hollow shaft can be withdrawn from the eye, leaving the shunt extending from the anterior chamber completely through the sclera to the drainage space.

Claims

1. A method of placing an intraocular shunt into a human eye comprising an anterior chamber and a sclera, the method comprising:

advancing a hollow shaft through the anterior chamber, the hollow shaft holding the intraocular shunt and having a distal tip, the distal tip comprising a bevel, the shunt comprising a pharmaceutical or biological agent deliverable to the eye;

penetrating the sclera with the beveled distal tip until all of the bevel is positioned distal to a superficial wall of the sclera;

after all of the bevel has been positioned distal to the superficial wall, advancing the shunt at least partially from the hollow shaft into a drainage space of lower pressure than the anterior chamber; and

withdrawing the hollow shaft from the eye and leaving the shunt extending from the anterior chamber completely through the sclera to the drainage space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the human eye comprises a cornea, the method further comprising advancing the hollow shaft through the cornea.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising injecting an aqueous solution into the eye.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the human eye comprises a Tenon'"'"'s capsule, and the aqueous solution is injected deep to the Tenon'"'"'s capsule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the beveled distal tip comprises three bevels with a first bevel of the three bevels being located proximal to the other bevels, and wherein the sclera is penetrated with the beveled distal tip until an entirety of the first bevel is positioned distal to a superficial wall of the sclera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on a surface of the shunt.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on an exterior surface of the shunt.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on an interior surface of the shunt.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the shunt is impregnated with the pharmaceutical or biological agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a time-release pharmaceutical or biological agent.

11. A method of placing an intraocular shunt into an eye comprising an anterior chamber, a sclera, and a Tenon'"'"'s capsule, the method comprising:

inserting a hollow shaft from the anterior chamber through the sclera toward the Tenon'"'"'s capsule, the hollow shaft holding the intraocular shunt and having a beveled distal tip and an unbeveled portion proximal to the beveled distal tip, the shunt comprising a pharmaceutical or biological agent deliverable to the eye;

positioning the unbeveled portion distal to a superficial wall of the sclera; and

after positioning the unbeveled portion distal to the superficial wall of the sclera, withdrawing the hollow shaft from the eye and leaving (i) a distal end of the shunt in a drainage space superficial to the sclera and (ii) a proximal end of the shunt in the anterior chamber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the human eye comprises a cornea, the method further comprising advancing the hollow shaft through the cornea.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein further comprising injecting an aqueous solution into the eye.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the human eye comprises a Tenon'"'"'s capsule, and the aqueous solution is injected deep to the Tenon'"'"'s capsule.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed without inducing subconjunctival blebbing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on a surface of the shunt.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on an exterior surface of the shunt.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a coating on an interior surface of the shunt.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein a portion of the shunt is impregnated with the pharmaceutical or biological agent.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the pharmaceutical or biological agent comprises a time-release pharmaceutical or biological agent.