Ophthalmic knife and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12171694-B2
Application number	US-202318237684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2023
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ophthalmic knife and methods of its use for treatment of various conditions including eye diseases, such as glaucoma, using minimally invasive surgical techniques. The device is configured for cutting the tissues within the eye, for example, a trabecular meshwork (TM).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for severing a trabecular meshwork in an eye, the method comprising:
grasping a handle of an ophthalmic knife;
inserting a distal end of a shaft into the eye, the shaft extending distally from the handle along a longitudinal axis;
piercing, by a first tip of a first platform connected to the distal end of the shaft and extending at an angle from the longitudinal axis, the trabecular meshwork in the eye;
elevating, by a first top surface of the first platform, the first top surface extending from the first tip, the trabecular meshwork;
severing, by first and second sides of the first platform extending from a first bottom surface of the first platform to the first top surface and from the first tip laterally toward the shaft, the trabecular meshwork as the trabecular meshwork advances in a rearward direction over the first top surface;
disposing, a second platform connected to the shaft longitudinally proximal from the first platform, on a top surface of the trabecular meshwork when the first platform is in the trabecular meshwork; and
engaging without severing, by a second bottom surface of the second platform, the top surface of the trabecular meshwork as the trabecular meshwork advances in the rearward direction under the second bottom surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second platform comprises a second top surface extending from a second tip and third and fourth sides extending from the second bottom surface to the second top surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
advancing the first platform through at least 90 degrees of arc in the eye.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first top surface of the first platform comprises a planar ramp extending from a distal side to a proximal side of the first platform opposite the distal side, the method comprising:
advancing the first platform between the trabecular meshwork and an outer wall of a Schlemm's canal;
elevating a portion of the trabecular meshwork on the planar ramp away from the outer wall of the Schlemm's canal without cutting the portion of the trabecular meshwork from surrounding portions of the trabecular meshwork; and
guiding the elevated portion of the trabecular meshwork toward the shaft.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the planar ramp extends at an obtuse angle from the shaft.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first side of the first platform includes a first lateral element and the second side of the first platform includes a second lateral element, the method comprising:
severing, by the first and second lateral elements, the trabecular meshwork as the trabecular meshwork advances in the rearward direction over the first platform.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second sides of the first platform define first and second cutting blades, the method comprising:
severing, by the first and second cutting blades, the trabecular meshwork as the trabecular meshwork advances in the rearward direction over the first platform.

8. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
elevating, by the planar ramp, the trabecular meshwork toward a plane extending perpendicular to the first and second sides of the first platform as the planar ramp is advancing between the trabecular meshwork and the outer wall of the Schlemm's canal.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
rotating, by a user's grasp, the handle of the ophthalmic knife; and
directing the first tip of the first platform in a direction of treatment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom surface of the first platform comprises a flat surface, the method further comprising:
advancing the first bottom surface of the first platform along a curved outer wall of a Schlemm's canal; and
cupping, by the Schlemm's canal, outer side edges of the first bottom surface so that a portion of the first bottom surface disposed between the outer side edges does not touch the curved outer wall of the Schlemm's canal.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
injecting, through a lumen of the ophthalmic knife, a viscoelastic fluid into the eye.

12. A method for severing a trabecular meshwork in an eye, the method comprising:
grasping a handle of an ophthalmic knife;
inserting a distal end of a shaft into the eye, the shaft extending distally from the handle along a longitudinal axis;
piercing, by a tip at a distal side of a platform connected to the distal end of the shaft and extending at an angle from the longitudinal axis, the trabecular meshwork in the eye;
elevating, by a planar ramp extending from the distal side of the platform to a proximal side of the platform opposite the distal side, a portion of the trabecular meshwork away from an outer wall of a Schlemm's canal;
severing, by first and second parallel lateral sides of the platform disposed between first and second angled sides of the platform and a proximal side of the platform, the elevated portion of the trabecular meshwork as the trabecular meshwork advances in a rearward direction over the planar ramp; and
receiving, in a recess disposed above an entirety of a top surface of the planar ramp, a portion of the severed trabecular meshwork.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first lateral side includes a first lateral element disposed above the first angled side and the second lateral side includes a second lateral element disposed above the second angled side.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and second lateral elements define first and second cutting blades, the method comprising:
severing the elevated portion of the trabecular meshwork with the first and second cutting blades.

15. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
advancing the platform between the trabecular meshwork and the outer wall of the Schlemm's canal;
elevating the portion of the trabecular meshwork away from the outer wall of the Schlemm's canal without cutting the portion of the trabecular meshwork from surrounding portions of the trabecular meshwork; and
guiding the elevated portion of the trabecular meshwork toward the shaft.

16. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
elevating, by the planar ramp, the trabecular meshwork toward a plane extending perpendicular to the first and second parallel lateral sides of the platform as the planar ramp is advancing between the trabecular meshwork and the outer wall of the Schlemm's canal.

17. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
rotating, by a user's grasp, the handle of the ophthalmic knife; and
directing the tip of the platform in a direction of treatment.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein a bottom surface of the platform comprises a flat surface, the method comprising:
advancing the bottom surface of the platform along a curved outer wall of the Schlemm's canal; and
cupping, by the Schlemm's canal, outer side edges of the bottom surface so that a portion of the bottom surface disposed between the outer side edges does not touch the curved outer wall of the Schlemm's canal.

19. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
advancing the platform through at least 90 degrees of arc in the eye.

20. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
injecting, through a lumen of the ophthalmic knife, a viscoelastic fluid into the eye.

Assignees

• Univ Colorado Regents
• New World Medical Inc

Inventors

• Kahook Malik Y
• Mansour Khalid
• Abdullah Suhail
• Porteous Eric
• Balan Vijay R

Classifications

• A61F9/00736

  Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments (A61F9/008 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2217/005

  with suction drainage system · CPC title

• A61B17/3211

  Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor · CPC title

• A61B2017/320082

  for incising tissue · CPC title

• A61B2017/00867

  shape memory effect · CPC title