Eye implant for relieving glaucoma, and device and method for use therewith

A surgical implant device for use in an eye subject to glaucoma, comprising:

• a thin body of semi-rigid, resilient, biocompatible material which is wettable by liquids of the eye, said body being of the order of 10 mm in length, of the order of 6 mm in width and of the order of 0.3 mm in thickness and in the configuration of a crucifix having a main stem and a cross-arm;
• the top of said main stem remote from the cross-arm of said crucifix having a sharp edge;
• said body having a radius of curvature along its length of about 1.2 cm;
• said body being corrugated along its length dimension to provide channels extending from one end to the other thereof;
• said body having perforations extending transversely through the sides of said corrugations, about 1 mm apart and of a diameter of about (5-0 suture).

The method of providing an eye implant for relieving excess eye pressure, comprising:

• cutting a flap in and through the conjunctiva to expose the underlying sclera from a position adjacent to the limbus to a position above the underlying choroid;
• cutting part-way through said exposed sclera to form a scleral flap and to define an underlying scleral bed extending from a position adjacent the limbus to a position adjacent the choroid;
• making an anterior incision through said scleral bed adjacent to the limbus to form a sclerotomy;
• making a posterior incision through said scleral bed on the side of said anterior incision toward the choroid to form another sclerotomy;
• providing a thin prosthetic implant device of biocompatible material having at least one surface channel extending along its length;
• inserting one end of said device through said first incision, and along a path between the ciliary body and the sclera, into the peripheral angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, until the opposite end of said device lies between said anterior and posterior incisions;
• thereafter sliding said device lengthwise in the posterior direction, inserting said opposite end of said device through said posterior incision, and continuing said sliding motion until said opposite end enters the suprachoroidal space;
• thereafter, suturing said device to the scleral bed while said one end of said device is in said peripheral angle and said opposite end is in said suprachoroidal space, and successively closing said scleral flap and said conjunctival flap.