Active Bimodal Valve System For Real-Time IOP Control
AssigneeAlcon Research, Ltd.
InventorBruno Dacquay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An IOP control system provides drainage from an anterior chamber of the eye to a drainage location at the eye. The system has a valve with an open flow position and a closed zero flow position. A sensor system includes a first sensor arranged to detect a first pressure representative of IOP. A controller receives data representing the detected pressure from the sensor system and compares the data to an upper pressure threshold and a lower pressure threshold to determine whether to change the state of the valve system in a bimodal fashion.
Claims30
An IOP control system for implantation in an eye of a patient to provide drainage from an anterior chamber of the eye to a drainage location at the eye, comprising:
- a valve system having an fully open flow position and a closed zero flow position, the open flow position permitting fluid flow through the valve system, the closed zero flow position substantially preventing fluid flow through the valve system;
- a sensor system comprising a first sensor arranged to detect a first pressure representative of a real-time parameter of the eye;
- and
- a controller arranged to receive data from the sensor system and compare data representing the detected pressure to a preestablished upper pressure threshold and a preestablished lower pressure threshold to determine whether to change the state of the valve system in a bimodal fashion from one of a fully open flow position and the closed zero flow position to the other of the fully open flow position and the closed zero flow position.
A method for treating glaucoma using an IOP control system, comprising:
- receiving an input representing a target pressure range for an eye of a patient, the target pressure range having an upper pressure threshold and a lower pressure threshold the upper and lower thresholds being extreme ends of the range of the target pressure range;
- detecting with at least one pressure sensor an actual pressure associated with the eye of a patient;
- comparing the actual pressure to the target pressure range;
- and
- actuating a valve in a bimodal manner between a drainage flow-permitting condition and a drainage flow-preventing condition based on the comparison of the actual pressure to the target pressure range.
An IOP control system for implantation in an eye of a patient to provide drainage from an anterior chamber of the eye to a drainage location at the eye, comprising:
- a bimodal valve system having an open flow position and a closed zero flow position, the open flow position permitting fluid flow through the valve system, the closed position substantially preventing fluid flow through the valve system;
- a sensor system comprising:
- a first sensor arranged to detect a first pressure representative of a real-time parameter of the eye and a second sensor arranged to detect a second pressure;
- and
- a controller arranged to compare data representing the first and second pressures to a preestablished upper pressure threshold and a preestablished lower pressure threshold to determine whether to change the state of the valve system in a bimodal fashion between the open position and the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.