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US 5,653,715 AGranted
Apparatus for preparing an intraocular lens for insertion
AssigneeChiron Vision Corporation
InventorsCary J. Reich, Todd A. Mendelson, Bradley S. Stone, Michael W. Orchowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An IOL compression chamber for folding an IOL includes a hollow chamber having a loading area, a staging area and a distal tip. The loading area has a distally extending slot in the wall which allows for easy removal of a forceps holding the IOL from the chamber following insertion of the IOL into the chamber with the forceps. The staging area holds the IOL in a folded state until the chamber is placed into an IOL insertion instrument having a plunger which forces the IOL distally out of the staging area and into the eye through the distal tip.
Claims25
An apparatus in which a deformable or compressible intraocular lens can be received and staged for insertion into a patient's eye, comprising:
- (a) a single-piece elongated compression chamber having an outer peripheral wall and proximal and distal ends and an internal longitudinal passageway defined by said wall extending between the ends;
- (b) a loading area formed in a first portion of the passageway adjacent to the proximal end of the compression chamber, said loading area having proximal and distal ends, with said loading area passageway gradually decreasing in size from said proximal end of said loading area to said distal end of said loading area for deforming or compressing an intraocular lens as the lens is moved along the passageway;
- (c) a staging area formed in a second portion of the passageway and communicating with the loading area passageway with at least a portion of the staging area passageway being sized to retain the intraocular lens in a deformed or compressed condition, said staging area passageway having proximal and distal ends, said staging area including tab means projecting outwardly from the staging area for allowing the chamber to be conveniently gripped by a user;
- (d) the chamber wall having an open portion extending distally from the proximal end of the chamber and communicating with the loading area passageway for permitting withdrawal of a holding means used for holding and pushing the intraocular lens through the loading area passageway and into the staging area passageway, whereby the pushing of the intraocular lens through the loading area passageway deforms or compresses the lens;
- (e) the compression chamber being sized and shaped to allow for the receiving and deforming or compressing of an intraocular lens, and being configured to be placed in an insertion instrument for inserting the intraocular lens into an eye of the patient.
2 more elements
An apparatus in which a deformable or compressible intraocular lens can be received and staged for insertion into a patient's eye, comprising:
- (a) an elongated compression chamber having an outer peripheral wall and proximal and distal ends and an internal longitudinal passageway defined by said wall extending between the ends;
- (b) a first portion of the chamber adjacent to the chamber proximal end forming a loading area in which the passageway gradually decreases in size from said proximal end to said distal end for deforming and compressing an intraocular lens as the lens is moved along the passageway at loading area;
- said loading area having proximal and distal ends;
- (c) a staging area formed in a second portion of the chamber, the passageway at the staging area communicating with the loading area passageway with at least a portion of the staging area passageway being sized to retain the intraocular lens in a deformed or compressed condition;
- (d) the outer peripheral wall at the loading area having at least a flexible portion at the proximal end of the loading area so the loading area can deform as the intraocular lens is pushed through the loading area passageway and into the staging area passageway, said wall being thinner at the proximal end of the loading area relative to the wall at the distal end of the loading area with said wall gradually increasing in width from the proximal end of the loading area towards the staging area;
- (e) the compression chamber being sized and shaped to allow for the receiving and deforming or compressing of an intraocular lens.
3 more elements
A compression apparatus to fold a foldable intraocular lens, comprising:
- (a) a single-piece non-hinged chamber having an outer peripheral wall and proximal and distal ends and an internal longitudinal passageway defined by said wall extending between the ends;
- (b) the internal passageway having an inner surface, with the inner surface of the passageway at the proximal end of the chamber having a greater cross-sectional area than the inner surface of the passageway at the distal end of the chamber, the wall having withdrawal means extending from the proximal end for permitting withdrawal of a holding means used for holding the lens and inserting the lens into the proximal end of the chamber's passageway said withdrawal means including an opening in said wall extending distally from the proximal end of the chamber, and communicating with said internal passageway;
- (c) the inner surface shaped so that an inserted lens folds into a smaller diameter as the lens is moved from the proximal end of the chamber to the distal end of the chamber;
- and
- (d) wherein the chamber in which the lens has been folded is capable of being inserted into a device adapted for pushing the folded lens through the passageway and out the distal end of the chamber.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.