Apparatus and method for curling and inserting flexible intraocular lenses
AssigneeKabi Pharmacia Ophthalmics, Inc.
InventorsRobert S. Rheinish, Allan R. Tonks, Thomas P. Richards
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for folding or curling a flexible lens and for inserting the lens into an eye. The apparatus includes a loading and folding head having a slidable tubular member for curling the lens by constricting a loading chamber within the head, a cannula for entering the eye, and a body housing a plunger for advancing the curled lens out of the loading and folding head and through the cannula. The tubular lens-curling member is configured to enable the lens to curl gently in cooperation with a retaining lip on a wall of the loading chamber, in one smooth, simple and continuous motion.
Claims11
An apparatus for preparing a flexible intraocular lens for insertion into an eye, said apparatus comprising a lens loading and folding head having an inlet end and an outlet end, said loading and folding head including:
- a loading chamber having first and second opposed walls joined by a generally planar base surface and dimensioned to receive an intraocular lens, each of said walls having an arcuate inner surface and said first wall arcuate inner surface provided with a lens-retaining lip disposed longitudinally above said planar base surface;
- a laterally displaceable, tubular lens-curling member disposed within said loading chamber adjacent to said arcuate inner surface of said second wall, said lens-curling member having an arcuate lens-engaging inner surface with a longitudinal lens-receiving aperture disposed adjacent said planar base surface and dimensioned to engage said lens-retaining lip;
- and
- means for sliding said lens-curling member laterally along said planar base surface from a first position adjacent said second wall to a second position adjacent said first wall, thus engaging said lens retaining lip.
A method of preparing and inserting a foldable intraocular lens into an eye, comprising the steps of:
- providing a loading and folding head having a loading chamber and a displaceable lens-curling member, said loading chamber having a longitudinally disposed lens-retaining lip and said lens-curling member having a lens-receiving aperture dimensioned to engage said lens-retaining lip and having an arcuate inner surface;
- providing a cannula having a distal injection probe portion communicating with said loading and folding head, providing a main body having a tubular bore communicating with said loading and folding head, and providing a plunger longitudinally housed within said main body;
- placing said intraocular lens into said loading and folding head by situating a leading peripheral edge of said intraocular lens into said lens-receiving aperture and locating a diametrically opposite peripheral edge of said intraocular lens beneath said longitudinally lens-retaining lip;
- sliding said lens-curling member laterally within said chamber so that said lens leading peripheral edge is made to follow the contour of said lens-curling member arcuate surface while said opposite peripheral edge of said lens is held relatively fixed by said lens-retaining lip, thus achieving a fully folded lens when said lens-receiving aperture engages said lens-retaining lip;
- and
- advancing said plunger to engage said folded lens and eject said lens through said cannula into the eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.