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US 2013/0220346 A1Published application
Balloon punctal plug
OwnerVictor Lust, Jeffrey Miller +3inventors
InventorsVictor Lust, Jeffrey Miller, Gerald Yewey, Robert Wade Allen, Richard W. Mendius
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Abstract
A lacrimal insert such as a punctal plug may incorporate a balloon or other similar structure to facilitate anchoring of the punctal plug within the lacrimal canaliculus. The balloon may be inflated once it is positioned and deflated if removal is required or desired. The balloon may be affixed to an external portion of the punctal plug or incorporated into a chamber within the punctal plug.
Claims18
A lacrimal insert comprising:
- a punctal plug including a body portion having first and second ends;
- and
- an inflatable/deflatable element cooperatively associated with the first end of the body portion.
A method for treating an eye of a patient, the method comprising:
- implanting a punctal plug, having a body portion with a first end and a second end, into a punctum of an eyelid;
- and
- inflating an inflatable/deflatable element cooperatively associated with the first end of the body portion to anchor the punctal plug in a lacrimal canaliculus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.