Non-invasively adjustable valve implant for the drainage of aqueous humor in glaucoma

• US 6,077,299 A
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eyetronic LLC
• Original Assignee: Eyetronic LLC
• Inventors: Schluter, Paul S., Adelberg, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEWART, ALVIN J
• Application Number:
  US09/102,022
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 623/24, 623/12, 623/2, 623/4, 623/5, 604/9, 604/294, 604/296, 604/297, 604/8
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00781 Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment drainage implants in general A61M27/002

Abstract

A medical implant valve, for example, a glaucoma valve, is configured to be non-invasively adjustable. A rotor is operatively coupled to the valve to enable the position of valve to be adjusted between an open and closed position; the rotor being responsive to a magnetic field. An external instrument is used to control rotation of the rotor.

Claims

1. A medical implant, comprising:

a non-invasively adjustable implantable medical valve having open and closed positions, said medical valve being continuously adjustable between said open and closed positions by an external magnetic field; and

an implanted circuit configured to provide an indication in response to said external magnetic field representative of the position of said valve after it has been implanted.

2. A medical implant according to claim 1, wherein said medical valve includes a rotatable armature responsive to said magnetic field to adjust the position of the medical valve.

3. A medical implant according to claim 2, wherein said medical valve includes a rotor operably coupled to said rotatable armature, and configured to drive said armature responsive to said magnetic field.

4. A medical implant according to claim 1, wherein said circuit includes a resonant circuit.

5. A medical implant according to claim 4, a frequency of said resonant circuit configured to be read by an external device.

6. A system for controlling fluid flow in a body, comprising:

an implant having an adjustable valve, said valve including means for providing a position indication in response to an external magnetic field of the position of the valve; and

an external device for non-invasively adjusting the position of said valve in response to said position indication.

7. A system according to claim 6, said valve being magnetically adjustable.

8. A system according to claim 7, said implant including a resonant circuit, said resonant circuit responsive to a setting of said valve.

9. A system according to claim 8, said resonant circuit readable by said external instrument.

10. A system according to claim 7, said valve being adjustable by a rotating magnetic field.

11. A system according to claim 10, said implant including a rotor configured to respond to said rotating magnetic field.

12. A system according to claim 11, said rotor operably coupled to a rotatable armature.

13. A method for controlling an implantable device having an adjustable valve the method comprising:

receiving an electronic signal indicative of the position of the valve in said implantable device;

applying a magnetic field to adjust the position of said valve in said implantable device between an open position and closed position in response to said signal.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said magnetic field is applied from external to said device.

15. A method for varying the intraocular pressure of a subject comprising the steps of:

(a) implanting a continuously adjustable valve, said valve configured to relieve said ocular pressure as a function of the position of said valve;

(b) initially setting the position of said valve at the time of the implant;

(c) non-invasively checking the position of the valve after implant; and

(d) externally changing the position of the valve in response to the information regarding the position of the valve.