Ocular disorder treatment methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572963-B2
Application number	US-201313786363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Apr 7, 2001
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An embodiment of a system for shunting aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of an eye includes an implant having an elongated body made of biocompatible material and a delivery device. At least a portion of the elongated body is implantable between a sclera and a ciliary body while the elongated body resides entirely within the confines of the sclera and a cornea with the proximal end of the implant being configured to reside within an anterior chamber angle and a lumen extending from at least one inlet port of the implant, through at least a portion of the elongated body, to one or more outlet ports of the implant so as to drain fluid from the anterior chamber toward a choroid of the eye. The delivery device includes an elongated member with a curved distal end portion to deliver the implant using an ab interno procedure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating an ocular disorder comprising:
forming an incision in a cornea or a corneal limbus of an eye to access an anterior chamber of the eye;
introducing a shunt through the incision and into the anterior chamber of the eye using a delivery device;
forming an opening in ocular tissue at an anterior chamber angle; and
advancing the shunt from within the anterior chamber of the eye using a curved distal end portion of the delivery device, with an outlet portion of the shunt leading an inlet portion of the shunt, through the opening to an implantation location wherein at least a portion of the shunt is positioned between a sclera and a ciliary body of the eye while the shunt resides entirely within the confines of the sclera and the cornea of the eye and wherein a proximal end of the shunt is configured to reside in the anterior chamber when in the implantation location,
thereby facilitating draining of fluid from the anterior chamber such that fluid flows into an inlet port of the inlet portion and out through one or more outlet ports of the outlet portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein advancing the shunt involves positioning the shunt so that a first portion of the outer circumferential surface of the shunt is in contact with the ciliary body of the eye and so that a second portion of the outer circumferential surface of the shunt opposite the first portion is in contact with the sclera.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the incision involves forming a self-sealing incision.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein forming the opening in ocular tissue is performed using the delivery device.

5. The method of claim 3 additionally comprising removing the shunt from the delivery device by moving an actuator on a handpiece of the delivery device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the opening in ocular tissue is performed using the delivery device.

7. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising removing the shunt from the delivery device by moving an actuator on a handpiece of the delivery device.

8. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising actuating an actuator on a handpiece of the delivery device to cause a loaded spring within the handpiece to at least partially unload, thereby deploying the shunt from the delivery device.

9. A method of treating an ocular disorder, the method comprising:
inserting an implant into an anterior chamber of an eye, the implant comprising an elongated body made of biocompatible material that extends between a proximal end and a distal end of the implant, the proximal end comprising an inlet port and the distal end comprising an outlet port, and a lumen extending from the inlet port to the outlet port;
advancing the implant from within the anterior chamber of an eye to an anterior chamber angle of the eye using a delivery device having a curved distal end portion; and
positioning the implant such that the proximal end of the implant resides within the anterior chamber and such that at least a portion of the implant, which is between the proximal end and the distal end of the implant, is in contact with a sclera and a ciliary body of the eye while the elongated body resides entirely within the confines of the sclera and a cornea of the eye,
thereby facilitating drainage of aqueous humor out of the anterior chamber through the implant.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said advancing the implant from within the anterior chamber of the eye to the anterior chamber angle of the eye comprises advancing the implant with the distal end leading the proximal end.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said inserting the implant into the anterior chamber of the eye comprises inserting the implant through a self-sealing incision in the cornea.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting the implant comprises inserting a tubular implant.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said positioning the implant comprises positioning the implant so that a first portion of an outer circumferential surface of the implant is in contact with the ciliary body of the eye and so that a second portion of the outer circumferential surface of the implant is in contact with the sclera.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein inserting the implant comprises inserting a tubular implant.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said positioning the implant comprises positioning the implant so that a first portion of an outer circumferential surface of the implant is in contact with the ciliary body of the eye and so that a second portion of the outer circumferential surface of the implant is in contact with the sclera.

16. The method of claim 10 , additionally comprising removing the implant from the delivery device by moving an actuator on a handpiece of the delivery device.

17. The method of claim 9 , additionally comprising actuating an actuator on a handpiece of the delivery device to cause a loaded spring within the handpiece to at least partially unload, thereby deploying the implant from the delivery device.

18. A system for shunting aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of a living human eye, the system comprising:
an implant having an elongated body made of biocompatible material that extends between a proximal end and a distal end of the implant, at least a portion of the elongated body being implantable at a site between a sclera and a ciliary body of the eye while the elongated body resides entirely within the confines of the sclera and a cornea of the eye, the proximal end of the implant being configured to reside within an anterior chamber angle of the eye, and a lumen extending from at least one inlet port located at the proximal end of the implant, through at least a portion of the elongated body, and to one or more outlet ports located at or near the distal end of the implant so as to drain fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye; and
a delivery device having an elongated member with a curved distal end portion, the implant being positionable on the elongated member with its one or more outlet ports disposed closer to a distal end of the elongated member than the at least one inlet port of the implant so as to advance the implant from within the anterior chamber to said site between the sclera and the ciliary body using an ab interno procedure.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the delivery device is sized so as to fit through a self-sealing incision into the anterior chamber.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the implant has a sufficient length such that the distal end of the implant contacts uveal tissue of the eye when implanted in the eye.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the implant includes at least one anchor to inhibit movement of the implant once implanted with the portion of the elongated body located between the sclera and the ciliary body.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the elongated member of the delivery device is pointed.

23. The system of claim 19 , wherein the implant is configured such that when the proximal end of the implant is disposed within the anterior chamber of the eye, the distal end of the implant is in contact with the ciliary body.

24. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more outlet ports drain into a uveoscleral outflow path of the eye.

25. The system of claim 19 , wherein the delivery device comprises a spring within a handpiece of the delivery device, and wherein the spring is configured to

Assignees

• Glaukos Corp

Inventors

• Tu Hosheng
• Niksch Barbara A
• Haffner David Steven
• Smedley Gregory T
• Hill Richard A
• Bergheim Olav B

Classifications

• A61F9/00781 Primary

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

• A61M27/00 Primary

  Drainage appliance for wounds or the like {, i.e. wound drains, implanted drains} ({negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90;} implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 {; middle ear drainage A61F11/202}) · CPC title