Insertion tool for an eye disease treatment device
AssigneeAvisi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRui Jing Jiang, Brandon Kao, Georgia Griggs, Michael Yates
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are insertion tools for inserting a treatment device into a pocket formed between conjunctival tissue and scleral tissue for treating high intraocular pressure and glaucoma. An insertion tool (800) includes a scissoring mechanism or an expandable mechanism that is configured to expand a pocket formed between conjunctival tissue and scleral tissue. The scissoring mechanism or the expandable mechanism is also configured to unfurl a treatment device within the pocket.
Claims20
A system for lowing intraocular pressure, the system comprising:
- an insertion tool including:
- a first arm connected to a second arm at a pivot point forming a scissoring mechanism;
- a first prong connected to a first end of the first arm;
- and
- a second prong connected to a first end of the second arm,
- wherein the first and second prongs are configured to have a combined dimension that is less than a length of an incision of conjunctival tissue of a patient's eye when the first and second arms are in a closed position, and
- wherein the first and second arms are configured to be actuated to an open position after the first and second prongs are inserted into a pocket formed between the conjunctival tissue and scleral tissue of the patient's eye, wherein actuation to the open position causes the first and second prongs to separate and increase a width of the pocket;
- and
- a treatment device configured to furl or wrap around the first and second prongs when the first and second arms are in a closed position,
- wherein the first and second prongs are configured to cause the treatment device to unfurl or spread to a flat shape in the pocket when the first and second arms are actuated to the open position.
An insertion tool for a device that lowers intraocular pressure, the insertion tool comprising:
- a first arm having a first end and a second end;
- and
- a second arm having a first end and a second end, the second end of the second arm being connected to or integrally formed with the second end of the first arm,
- wherein the first arm and the second arm are bent or angled with respect to each other forming an expandable mechanism such that a first end of the first arm contacts the first end of the second arm when external force is absent,
- wherein the first ends of the first and second arms are configured to have a combined dimension that is less than a length of an incision of conjunctival tissue of a patient's eye when the first and second arms are in a closed position, and
- wherein the first and second arms are configured to be actuated to an open position after the first ends of the first and second arms are inserted into a pocket formed between the conjunctival tissue and scleral tissue of the patient's eye, wherein actuation to the open position causes the first ends to separate and increase a width of the pocket.
A method of inserting a treatment device to lower intraocular pressure, the method comprising:
- causing the treatment device to wrap around two prongs or ends of an expandable mechanism when the two prongs or ends are in a closed position;
- causing an incision to be made in conjunctival tissue of a patient's eye;
- causing the two prongs to go through the incision forming a pocket between the conjunctival tissue and scleral tissue of the patient's eye, an extension portion of the treatment device protruding from the incision;
- causing the two prongs to separate to an open position, thereby causing a width of the pocket to widen and causing the treatment device to unwrap to a flat sheet within the pocket;
- causing the two prongs to move to the closed position;
- and
- causing the two prongs of the expandable mechanism to be removed from the pocket through the incision,
- wherein a diameter of the two prongs and the wrapped treatment device is less than a diameter of the incision.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.