Adjustable flow glaucoma shunts and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11529258-B2
Application number	US-202117606661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Jan 23, 2020
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

The present technology is directed to adjustable shunts for treating glaucoma. In particular, some embodiments provide shunts having a plurality of individually actuatable flow control elements that can control the flow of fluid through associated ports and/or flow lumens. For example, each individually actuatable flow control element can be actuated to block and/or unblock a corresponding port and/or flow lumen. Accordingly, the shunts described herein can be manipulated into a variety of configurations that provide different drainage rates based on whether the ports and/or flow lumens are blocked or unblocked, therefore providing a titratable glaucoma therapy for draining aqueous from the anterior chamber of the eye.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for draining fluid, the system comprising:
a drainage element having a first end region positionable within a first body region and a second end region positionable within a second body region, wherein the first end region includes a first port, a second port, and a third port; and
a flow control mechanism for controlling the flow of fluid through the drainage element, the flow control mechanism including—
a first flow control element moveable between a first open position permitting fluid to flow into the drainage element via the first port and a first closed position substantially preventing fluid from flowing into the drainage element via the first port,
a second flow control element moveable between a second open position permitting fluid to flow into the drainage element via the second port and a second closed position substantially preventing fluid from flowing into the drainage element via the second port, and
a third flow control element moveable between a third open position permitting fluid to flow into the drainage element via the third port and a third closed position substantially preventing fluid from flowing into the drainage element via the third port,

wherein the first flow control element, the second flow control element, and the third flow control element are each independently and repeatably moveable between their respective open and closed positions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
when the first flow control element is in the first open position, the second flow control element is in the second closed position, and the third flow control element is in the third closed position, the system is configured to provide a first relative resistance to fluid flow;
when the second flow control element is in the second open position, the first flow control element is in the first closed position, and the third flow control element is in the third closed position, the system is configured to provide a second relative resistance; and
when the third flow control element is in the third open position, the first flow control element is in the first closed position, and the second flow control element is in the second closed position, the system is configured to provide a third relative resistance.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second relative resistance is less than the first relative resistance, and wherein the third relative resistance is less than the first relative resistance.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein a ratio between the first relative resistance, the second relative resistance, and the third relative resistance is about 4:2:1.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein a ratio between the first relative resistance, the second relative resistance, and the third relative resistance is about 3:2:1.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein a ratio between the first relative resistance, the second relative resistance, and the third relative resistance is about 1:1:1.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:
when the first flow control element is in the first open position, the second flow control element is in the second closed position, and the third flow control element is in the third closed position, the system is configured to provide a first relative drainage rate;
when the second flow control element is in the second open position, the first flow control element is in the first closed position, and the third flow control element is in the third closed position, the system is configured to provide a second relative drainage rate; and
when the third flow control element is in the third open position, the first flow control element is in the first closed position, and the second flow control element is in the second closed position, the system is configured to provide a third relative drainage rate.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the second relative drainage rate is greater than the first relative drainage rate, and wherein the third relative drainage rate is greater than the second relative drainage rate.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a ratio between the first relative drainage rate, the second relative drainage rate, and the third relative drainage rate is about 1:2:4.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein a ratio between the first relative drainage rate, the second relative drainage rate, and the third relative drainage rate is about 1:2:3.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein a ratio between the first relative drainage rate, the second relative drainage rate, and the third relative drainage rate is about 1:1:1.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the drainage element has a first channel fluidly coupled to the first port, a second channel fluidly coupled to the second port, and a third channel fluidly coupled to the third port.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first channel is configured to provide a greater relative resistance than the second channel, and wherein the second channel is configured to provide a greater relative resistance than the third channel.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first channel has a first cross sectional area, the second channel has a second cross sectional area greater than the first cross sectional area, and the third channel has a third cross sectional area greater than the second cross sectional area.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the first port has a first area, the second port has a second area greater than the first area, and the third port has a third area greater than the second area.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the first port includes a single aperture, the second port includes two apertures, and the third port includes three or more apertures.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the first port is a first inflow port, the second port is a second inflow port, and the third port is a third inflow port.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the first body region is an anterior chamber, and wherein the fluid is aqueous.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein
the first flow control element is selectively moveable between the first closed position and the first open position regardless of a position of the second flow control element and the third flow control element;
the second flow control element is selectively moveable between the second closed position and the second open position regardless of a position of the first flow control element and the third flow control element; and
the third flow control element is selectively moveable between the third closed position and the third open position regardless of a position of the first flow control element and the second flow control element.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein:
a position of the first flow control element is independent of a position of the second flow control element and the third flow control element;
a position of the second flow control element is independent of a position of the first flow control element and the third flow control element, and
a position of the third flow control element is independent of a position of the first flow control element and the second flow control element.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein:
when in the first closed position, the first flow control element seals the first port to prevent fluid from flowing therethrough,
when in the second closed position, the second flow control element seals the second port to prevent fluid from flowing therethrough, and
when in the third closed position, the third flow control element seals the third port to prevent fluid from flowing therethrough.

Assignees

• Shifamed Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Chang Robert
• Sapozhnikov Katherine
• Argento Claudio
• Saul Tom
• Lilly Richard

Classifications

• A61F2250/0004

  adjustable · CPC title

• A61F9/00781 Primary

  Apparatus for modifying intraocular pressure, e.g. for glaucoma treatment (drainage implants in general A61M27/002) · CPC title