Punctum plug

A puncture plug for closing a punoral opening of a lacrimal duct of a human eye, comprising:

• an enlarged cap having a cap through-opening;
• a tube having a tube through-passage;
• wherein said cap is permanently affixed to said tube such that said through-opening and said through-passage are aligned;
• wherein said cap has a rounded rearward surface anti a generally fiat forward surface;
• a resilient body portion secured to said tube and having a hollow interior and an opening communicating with said tube through-passage;
• wherein said body portion has a normal rounded bulbous configuration;
• an elongate tool;
• wherein said body portion is stretchable to an elongate configuration by insertion of said elongate tool in through said through-opening and application of pressure against a forward surface of said hollow interior;
• wherein said body portion when in the elongate configuration is insertable into a lacrimal duct of a human eye and thereby into an inserted position;
• wherein said body portion when in the inserted position resiliently returns to the bulbous configuration upon removal of said tool therefrom to anchor said body portion in the duct;
• and
• wherein said fiat forward surface of said cap contacts tissue surrounding the punctal opening with said body portion in the inserted position.

A punctum plug system for closing a punctal opening of a lacrimal duct of a human eye, comprising:

• an enlarged cap;
• an elongate shaft attached to said cap, said cap and said shaft having an aperture passing therethrough;
• a resilient hollow body portion attached to said shaft and stretchable, when a stretching force is exerted thereon, from a natural bulbous configuration to an elongate stretched configuration and back to the bulbous configuration upon release of the stretching force;
• wherein said cap, said shaft and said body portion together form a puncture plug;
• and
• elongate tool means for insertion into and through said aperture and into said body portion to thereby exert the stretching force on said body portion for inserting said body portion into a lacrimal duct of a human eye and closing the punctal opening of the eye and for subsequent removal from said body portion and said aperture such that said body portion returns to the bulbous configuration to thereby anchor said body portion in the duct, wherein said punctum plug is in an inserted position.

A method for closing a punctal opening of a lacrimal duct of a human eye, comprising the steps of:

• providing a puncture plug having a cap, an elongate shaft attached to the cap and a resilient hollow body portion attached to the shaft at an opposite end thereof, wherein an aperture passes through the cap and the shaft and into the body portion;
• inserting an elongate tool into the aperture and thereby stretching the body portion from a normal bulbous configuration to an elongate configuration;
• with the tool in the aperture and the body portion in the elongate configuration, inserting the body portion into a punctal opening and a distance into the lacrimal duct of a human eye and thereby into an inserted position;
• and
• with the body portion in the inserted position, removing the tool from the punctum plug and thereby allowing the body portion to resiliently return to the bulbous configuration engaging the duct walls and anchoring the plug in place in the duct.