Adjustable glaucoma treatment devices and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12447046-B2
Application number	US-202318161526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2023
Priority date	Apr 16, 2020
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

The present technology is directed to implantable medical devices for draining fluid from a first body region to a second body region. Some embodiments of the present technology provide adjustable devices that are selectively titratable to provide various levels of therapy. For example, the adjustable devices can have a drainage element with a lumen extending therethrough, a flow control element, and an actuation assembly. The actuation assembly can drive movement of the flow control element to change a dimension of and/or a flow resistance through the lumen, thereby increasing or decreasing the relative drainage rate of aqueous from an eye. In some embodiments, the actuation assembly and the flow control element together operate as a ratchet mechanism that can selectively move the flow control element between a plurality of positions and lock the device in a desired configuration until further actuation of the actuation assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. An implantable device for shunting fluid within a patient, the device comprising:
a drainage element having a lumen extending therethrough;
a flow control element moveable between at least a first position and a second position and configured to change a flow resistance through the device;
an actuation element, wherein at least a portion of the actuation element is transitionable from a first material state to a second material state when heated above a transition temperature, and wherein the actuation element is configured to move the flow control element from the first position toward the second position when heated above the transition temperature; and
a deflective element configured to direct energy received at the deflective element toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element above the transition temperature; wherein the deflective element is configured to direct energy received in the form of visible and/or infrared radiation toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element; and
wherein the device is configured such that energy can be delivered directly to the actuation element in addition to being delivered to the actuation element via the deflective element.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a frame coupled to the drainage element, wherein the frame includes the deflective element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the deflective element is positioned on the drainage element.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the deflective element is configured to direct energy received in the form of laser energy toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the deflective element is composed of a first material and the actuation element is composed of a second material, and wherein the first material is less absorptive than the second material.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the deflective element includes a reflective element configured to reflect energy toward the actuation element.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the reflective element is at least partially composed of gold, palladium, and/or platinum.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the reflective element includes a mirror.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the deflective element includes a refractive element configured to refract energy toward the actuation element.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the refractive element is at least partially composed of glass.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein the refractive element includes a prism.

12. An implantable device for shunting fluid within a patient, the device comprising:
a drainage element having a lumen extending therethrough;
a flow control element moveable between at least a first position and a second position and configured to change a flow resistance through the device;
an actuation element, wherein at least a portion of the actuation element is transitionable from a first material state to a second material state when heated above a transition temperature, and wherein the actuation element is configured to move the flow control element from the first position toward the second position when heated above the transition temperature; and
a deflective element configured to direct energy received at the deflective element toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element above the transition temperature;
wherein the deflective element is configured to direct energy received in the form of visible and/or infrared radiation toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element, and
wherein the deflective element includes a refractive element configured to refract energy toward the actuation element.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuation element includes a plurality of actuatable regions, and wherein the deflective element includes a plurality of deflective regions, with individual deflective regions of the deflective element corresponding to individual actuatable regions of the actuation element such that the individual actuation regions may be selectively actuated by selectively providing energy to the corresponding individual deflective regions.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the first material state is a martensitic material state and the second material state is an austenitic material state.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the actuation element is a first actuation element and wherein the deflective element is a first deflective element, the device further comprising:
a second actuation element, wherein at least a portion of the second actuation element is transitionable from a third material state to a fourth material state when heated above a transition temperature of the second actuation element, and wherein the second actuation element is configured to move the flow control element from the second position toward the first position when heated above the second actuation element transition temperature; and
a second deflective element configured to direct energy received at the second deflective element toward the second actuation element to heat the second actuation element above the second actuation element transition temperature.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the third material state is a martensitic material state and the fourth material state is an austenitic material state.

17. An implantable device for shunting fluid within a patient, the device comprising:
a drainage element having a lumen extending therethrough;
a flow control element moveable between at least a first position and a second position and configured to change a flow resistance through the device;
an actuation element, wherein at least a portion of the actuation element is transitionable from a first material state to a second material state when heated above a transition temperature, and wherein the actuation element is configured to move the flow control element from the first position toward the second position when heated above the transition temperature; and
a deflective element configured to direct energy received at the deflective element toward the actuation element to heat at least the portion of the actuation element above the transition temperature;
wherein the first material state is a martensitic material state and the second material state is an austenitic material state.

Assignees

• Shifamed Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Chang Robert
• Saul Tom
• Argento Claudio
• Schultz Eric
• Sapozhnikov Katherine
• Lilly Richard
• Drews Michael

Classifications

• A61F2250/0013

  for adjusting fluid pressure · CPC title

• A61F2250/001

  for adjusting a diameter · CPC title

• 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