# US 5,707,614 A · Diagnostics apparatus for determining precorneal retention time of ophthalmic formulations

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- Number: US 5,707,614 A
- Document ID: US5707614A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/673,197
- Filed: 1996-06-27
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1995-01-26
- Assignees: Allergan, Inc.
- Inventors: Abhay Joshi; David Meadows; Jerry Paugh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707614A

## CPC

- A61B 3/135: Slit-lamp microscopes
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Apparatus and method for measuring ophthalmic formulation retention on the surface of an eye include dissolving a fluorescent macromolecule in an ophthalmic formulation to form a fluorescently labelled formulation; topically administering the fluorescently labelled formulation to an eye, said fluorescently labelled formulation forming a thin film on the eye surface. Apparatus is provided for illuminating the eye to cause fluorescence of the fluorescently labelled formulation as the fluorescently labelled formulation thin film is eliminated from the eye by normal blinking and lacrimation; and for measuring fluorescence from the thin film as a function of time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ophthalmic formulation for measuring ophthalmic formulation retention in an eye, said ophthalmic formulation comprising a pharmaceutical agent for an eye and a fluorescent macromolecule having a molecular weight greater than about 2,000 Daltons.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 1 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, an agent for contact lens wetting and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 1 wherein the fluorescent macromolecule comprises a fluorescent compound having a molecular weight less than about 2,000 Daltons covalently attached to a nonfluorescent compound.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 1 wherein the fluorescent macromolecule comprises FITC with Dextran covalently bonded thereto.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 1 wherein the fluorescent macromolecule comprises TRITC with Dextran covalently bonded thereto.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 1 wherein the fluorescent macromolecule comprises a phycobiliprotein.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 4 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, an agent for contact lens wetting and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 5 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, an agent for contact lens wetting and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 6 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, an agent for contact lens wetting and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 3)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 3 wherein the nonfluorescent compound comprises Dextran.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 10 wherein the fluorescent compound comprises fluorescein isothrocyanate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 11 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, an agent for contact lens wetting and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 13

An ophthalmic formulation for measuring ophthalmic formulation retention in an eye, said ophthalmic formulation comprising a pharmaceutical agent for an eye and a fluorescent macromolecule having a molecular weight greater than about 2,000 Daltons, the fluorescent macromolecule comprising fluorescent TRITC and nonfluorescent Dextran covalently bonded.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The ophthalmic formulation according to claim 13 wherein said pharmaceutical agent is selected from the group consisting of an agent for treatment of dry eye, and an agent for wound healing.

### Claim 15

An ophthalmic formulation for measuring ophthalmic formulation retention in an eye, said ophthalmic formulation comprising an agent for sustaining release of other ocular pharmaceutical agents and a fluorescent macromolecule having a molecular weight greater than about 2000 Daltons.