Apparatus, system, and method for providing an implantable ring for altering a shape of the cornea

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070952-B2
Application number	US-201715419879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for constricting a cornea of a human eye are disclosed. A control device external to the subject eye, such as an induction generator, may be configured to create a stimulus, such as a magnetic field, for an implanted ring that, when stimulated, may change the curvature, and thus the dioptric power, of the eye, thereby approximating natural accommodation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for actively constricting a cornea of a human eye, the method comprising: receiving a stimulus from external to the human eye; and inducing a constriction in a ring implanted on or in the cornea, wherein the constriction alters the shape of the cornea in accordance with the received stimulus, the ring able to contract or relax in a controlled way in order to affect curvature of the cornea, the stimulus comprises a magnetic field generated by an induction generator, and the inducing comprises a magnetic coupling to the magnetic field; whereby changing curvature of the cornea, the ring changes dioptric power of the cornea and dioptric power of the eye.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising increasing the dioptric power in accordance with the induced constriction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received stimulus comprises a predefined voltage.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ring comprises an ionic polymeric material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is remote from the ring.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ring comprises a silicon shell.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ring is coated with a collagen film.

Assignees

• Amo Groningen Bv

Inventors

• Franssen Luuk
• Weeber Hendrik A
• Van Der Mooren Marrie H
• Canovas Vidal Carmen
• Li Kaccie Y
• Meijer Sieger
• Hartman Richard

Classifications

• A61F2/147

  Implants to be inserted in the stroma for refractive correction, e.g. ring-like implants · CPC title

• A61F2/142 Primary

  Cornea, e.g. artificial corneae, keratoprostheses or corneal implants for repair of defective corneal tissue · CPC title

• A61F2220/0075

  sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable · CPC title

• A61F2002/48

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61F2220/005

  using adhesives · CPC title