US 5,489,300 A · Surgical method for implanting a corneal implant

Abstract

A corneal prosthesis including an optical element having an optically transparent central portion and an anterior surface capable of supporting a layer of epithelial cells, the optical element being made of optical material having water content between 50% and 90% and a tensile strength greater than 20 kg/cm.sup.2, and a porous outer skirt secured to the periphery of said element, said skirt being sufficiently porous to permit cell ingrowth and tissue attachment. Also disclosed are methods of making, seeding and using corneal implants having epithelial layers thereon and porous implant material of a coherent mass of randomly oriented fibers having an interconnected network of pores.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A surgical method of implanting a corneal prosthesis comprising

providing a corneal prosthesis including an optical element having an optically transparent central portion and an anterior surface capable of supporting a layer of epithelial cells, said optical element being made of optical material having a water content between 50% and 90% and a tensile strength greater than 20 kg/cm.sup.2,
surgically implanting said prosthesis in a patient's eye, replacing part or all of the patient's cornea, and
growing epithelial cells on said anterior surface only of said optical element so as to avoid extrusion,
wherein said growing comprises seeding epithelial cells on said anterior surface prior to said implanting.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

08/082,261Filed 24 Jun 1993 · continuation

Priority

2 Mar 1988

Granted

6 Feb 1996

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61F 2/142
Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes: cornea, e.g. artificial corneae, keratoprostheses or corneal implants for repair of…
A61F 2/15
Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes: implant having one or more holes, e.g. for nutrient transport, for facilitating handling
A61L 27/14
Materials for grafts or prostheses or for coating grafts or prostheses: macromolecular materials
A61L 27/16
Macromolecular materials: obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds

Surgical method for implanting a corneal implant

Life of this patent

Surgical method for implanting a corneal implant

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19