Systems and processes for inserting an intraocular lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504561-B2
Application number	US-201414162463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Various systems and techniques for inserting an intraocular lens are disclosed. In particular implementations, a system and a technique for inserting an intraocular lens may include the ability to move, in response to a force being applied in a first direction along a longitudinal axis, a first plunger tip along the longitudinal axis and into a delivery cartridge to fold an intraocular lens and move in a second direction along the longitudinal axis in response to the applied force being reduced. The system and the technique may also include the ability to engage a second plunger tip and move, in response to a force being applied in the first direction along the longitudinal axis, the second plunger tip along the longitudinal axis and into the delivery cartridge to insert the intraocular lens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An intraocular lens insertion system, the system comprising:
a lens chamber adapted to receive an intraocular lens;
a delivery cartridge coupled to the lens chamber and adapted to fold and compress an intraocular lens as the intraocular lens is moved therethrough;
a plunger adapted to be manipulated by a user;
a plunger chamber adapted to allow the plunger to be moved therein along a longitudinal axis and move a plunger tip along the longitudinal axis; and
a plunger tip chamber, the plunger tip chamber adapted to house a first plunger tip and a second plunger tip and to alternately switch between alignment of the first plunger tip and the plunger and alignment of the second plunger tip with the plunger,
wherein the plunger tip chamber is laterally moveable so as to alternatingly align the first plunger tip and the second plunger tip with the plunger.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plunger tip chamber is adapted to switch between the plunger tips by altering which plunger tip is aligned with the longitudinal axis.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plunger tip chamber comprises a cassette adapted to hold the first plunger tip and the second plunger tip and to move laterally within the plunger tip chamber to align alternatingly the first plunger tip and the second plunger tip with the plunger.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the cassette is adapted to lock into a first position in which the first plunger tip is aligned with the plunger and to lock into a second position in which the second plunger tip is aligned with the plunger.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plunger tip chamber comprises a spring adapted to compress when the first plunger tip is moved by the plunger and adapted to retract the first plunger tip and the plunger when the plunger is released.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plunger is adapted to engage the first plunger tip via abutting contact and wherein the plunger is adapted to engage the second plunger tip via an interlocking relationship.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens chamber is adapted to prevent advancement of the first plunger tip beyond a predetermined distance.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to a distance associated with substantially folding an intraocular lens.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an insertion tip coupled to the delivery cartridge and adapted to be inserted in an eye for injection of a folded, compressed intraocular lens.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first plunger tip comprises a material having a first hardness and the second plunger tip comprises a material having a second hardness, and wherein the first hardness is substantially greater than the second hardness.

11. An intraocular lens insertion system, the system comprising:
a lens chamber adapted to receive an intraocular lens;
a delivery cartridge coupled to the lens chamber and adapted to fold and compress an intraocular lens as the intraocular lens is moved therethrough;
a plunger adapted to be manipulated by a user;
a plunger chamber adapted to allow the plunger to be moved therein along a longitudinal axis and move a plunger tip along the longitudinal axis; and
a plunger tip chamber, the plunger tip chamber adapted to house a first plunger tip and a second plunger tip and to alternately switch between alignment of the first plunger tip and the plunger and alignment of the second plunger tip with the plunger,
wherein the plunger tip chamber comprises a cassette adapted to hold the first plunger tip and the second plunger tip and to move laterally within the plunger tip chamber to align alternatingly the first plunger tip and the second plunger tip with the plunger.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the cassette is adapted to lock into a first position in which the first plunger tip is aligned with the plunger and to lock into a second position in which the second plunger tip is aligned with the plunger.

13. An intraocular lens insertion system, the system comprising:
a lens chamber adapted to receive an intraocular lens;
a delivery cartridge coupled to the lens chamber and adapted to fold and compress an intraocular lens as the intraocular lens is moved therethrough;
a plunger adapted to be manipulated by a user;
a plunger chamber adapted to allow the plunger to be moved therein along a longitudinal axis and move a first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and a second intraocular lens-engaging tip along the longitudinal axis; and
a plunger tip chamber, the plunger tip chamber adapted to house the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and to alternately switch between alignment of the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the plunger and alignment of the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip with the plunger.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger tip chamber is adapted to switch between the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip by altering which of the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging tip is aligned with the longitudinal axis.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger tip chamber is laterally moveable so as to alternatingly align the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip with the plunger.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger tip chamber comprises a cassette adapted to hold the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and to move laterally within the plunger tip chamber to align alternatingly the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip with the plunger.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cassette is adapted to lock into a first position in which the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip is aligned with the plunger and to lock into a second position in which the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip is aligned with the plunger.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger tip chamber comprises a spring adapted to compress when the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip is moved by the plunger and adapted to retract the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip and the plunger when the plunger is released.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plunger is adapted to engage the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip via abutting contact and wherein the plunger is adapted to engage the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip via an interlocking relationship.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the lens chamber is adapted to prevent advancement of the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip beyond a predetermined distance.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to a distance associated with substantially folding an intraocular lens.

22. The system of claim 13 , further comprising an insertion tip coupled to the delivery cartridge and adapted to be inserted in an eye for injection of a folded, compressed intraocular lens.

23. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip comprises a material having a first hardness and the second intraocular lens-engaging plunger tip comprises a material having a second hardness, and

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Wu Yinghui

Classifications

• A61F2/167 Primary

  with pushable plungers · CPC title

• A61F2/1667 Primary

  with rotatable plungers · CPC title

• A61F2/1672 Primary

  with a two-stage plunger, e.g. rotatable and pushable or rotatable at different speeds · CPC title

• A61F2/1662

  Instruments for inserting intraocular lenses into the eye · CPC title

• A61F2/1678

  with a separate cartridge or other lens setting part for storage of a lens, e.g. preloadable for shipping · CPC title