Canalicular plug, method and kit for treating dry eye
OwnerPaul Gavarisinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plug for occluding an ocular canaliculus comprises a cylindrical body member having a first outer diameter. The cylindrical body member is provided along an external surface with at least one outwardly extending projection having a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter and larger than an inner diameter of an ocular canaliculus. The first outer diameter of the plug is typically less than and approximately equal to the inner diameter of the canaliculus.
Claims22
A plug for occluding an ocular canaliculus, comprising a cylindrical body member, said cylindrical body member having a first outer diameter, said cylindrical body member being provided along an external surface with at least one projection extending outwardly to a second outer diameter greater than said first outer diameter, said second outer diameter being greater than an inner diameter of the ocular canaliculus.
A kit for use in treating dry eye syndrome, comprising:
- a container;
- and a plurality of plugs disposed in said container, each of said plugs having a cross-section accommodating insertion of the respective plug in an ocular canaliculus of a human patient, at least a first one of said plugs having a first length, at least a second one of said plugs having a second length a first fraction of said first length, at least a third one of said plugs having a third length a second fraction of said first length.
A method for treating dry eye syndrome, comprising:
- (a) inserting a first canalicular plug into an upper canaliculus of a patient's eye, said first canalicular plug having a first length;
- (b) carrying out a testing or calibration process to determine an optimal length of a second canalicular plug for a lower canaliculus of the patient's eye, said testing or calibration process including (i) inserting a first test or calibration plug into a lower canaliculus of the patient's eye, said first test or calibration plug having a second length, (ii) after a first testing period of predetermined duration during which tear accumulation in the patient's eye is monitored, inserting a second test or calibration plug into the lower canaliculus of the patient's eye and adjacent said first test or calibration plug, (iii) optionally repeating steps (i) and (ii) using additional test or calibration plugs of respective lengths, and (c) after a determination that tear accumulation in the patient's eye is satisfactory, inserting a long-term or extended-wear canalicular plug of said optimal length into the lower canaliculus of the patient's eye, said optimal length being a total length that is at least approximately equal to a sum of the lengths of a set of the test or calibration plugs disposed in the lower canaliculus of the patient's eye upon termination of said testing or calibration process.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.