US 4,976,716 AGranted

Intraocular lens insertion device

OwnerJ. Stuart Cumminginventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An improved surgical instrument having lens gripping fingers straddled by backup fingers for implanting a foldable intraocular lens in a patient's eye by (a) closing the backup fingers to close the gripping fingers with an unfolded lens positioned between slender tip portions of the gripping fingers in such a way that the lens is folded and gripped between the tip portions, (b) inserting the gripping finger tip portions and the folded lens into the eye thru a corneal incision, (c) extending the gripping fingers beyond the backup fingers and further into the eye to free the tip portions for gradual separation by the elastic strain energy in the folded lens and thereby free the lens to gradually unfold, (d) pushing the unfolding lens from the gripping fingers to release the lens to unfold to its normal lens configuration within the eye, and (e) retracting the gripping fingers relative to the backup fingers and then withdrawing the instrument from the eye. The preferred surgical instrument embodies a disposable lens insertion capsule assembly including the lens gripping fingers and a reusable capsule holder including the backup fingers. A surgical aid in the form of a sterilizable instrument package containing a tray supporting an unfolded lens to be implanted and either the complete surgical instrument or the insertion capsule assembly only with which the capsule holder is engagable on the tray to form the complete instrument after the package is opened.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A surgical aid for inserting a foldable intraocular lens into a patient's eye thru an corneal incision with the lens in a folded configuration and then releasing the lens within the eye for return of the lens to its normal unfolded lens configuration by elastic strain energy stored in the folded lens, said surgical aid comprising:

a lens insertion instrument including lens gripping members having slender lens gripping portions and movable away from one another to open positions wherein said gripping portions are spaced to straddle a foldable intraocular lens in its normal unfolded configuration and toward one another to closed positions to fold the lens and then grip the folded lens between said gripping portions;
backup members straddling said gripping members and movable away from one another to open positions wherein said backup members are spaced to straddle said gripping members in their open positions and toward one another to closed positions wherein said backup members retain said gripping members in their closed positions;
means for securing said backup members in their closed positions thereby to secure said gripping members in their closed positions;
and actuating means operable by the instrument user for extending said gripping portions of said gripping members beyond said backup members to permit insertion of said gripping portions into the patient's eye and separation of the gripping portions within the eye;
a tray for removably receiving said lens insertion instrument with said backup members and said lens gripping members in their open positions and removably receiving a foldable intraocular lens in its normal unfolded lens configuration in a position between said gripping portions of the open lens gripping members of said instrument;
closure means for closing said backup members to close said lens gripping members while the insertion instrument is positioned on said tray, thereby to fold and then grip said lens between said gripping portions of said gripping members;
and wherein
said insertion instrument is removable from said tray with the folded lens gripped between said lens gripping portions of said lens gripping members for manipulation and operation of said actuating means by a user of the instrument to extend said gripping portions of said gripping members and a folded lens gripped thereby into the patient's eye thru a corneal incision and release the folded lens within the eye.

5 more elements

A surgical instrument for inserting a foldable intraocular lens into a patient's eye thru an corneal incision with the lens in a folded configuration and then releasing the lens within the eye for return of the lens to its normal unfolded lens configuration by elastic strain energy stored in the folded kens, said instrument comprising:

lens gripping members having slender lens gripping portions and movable away from one another to open positions wherein said gripping portions are spaced to straddle a foldable intraocular lens in its normal unfolded configuration and toward one another to closed positions to fold the lens and then grip the folded lens between said gripping portions;
backup members straddling said gripping members and movable away from one another to open positions wherein said backup members are spaced to straddle said gripping members in their open positions and toward one another to closed positions to close said gripping members;
means for securing said backup members in their closed positions and thereby securing said gripping members in their closed positions;
and actuating means operable by the instrument user for extending said gripping portions of said gripping members beyond said backup members to permit insertion of said gripping portions into the patient's eye and separation of the gripping portions within the eye;
and wherein
said instrument is manipulatable by a user with said backup members secured in their closed positions and with a folded lens gripped between said gripping portions of said lens gripping members to extend said gripping portions and the gripped folded lens into the patient's eye thru an corneal incision and then release the folded lens within the eye.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.