Deformable intraocular lens insertion system
AssigneeStaar Surgical Company, Inc.
InventorsThomas J. Chambers, Vladimir Feingold, Daniel C. Eagles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A deformable intraocular lens insertion system comprising a lens injecting device and a lens cartridge with a rotary connecting arrangement between the lens injecting device and the lens cartridge. The invention includes preloading the deformable intraocular lens insertion system, in particularly the lens cartridge to reduce the amount of packaging, prevent damage to the deformable intraocular lens during packaging and shipping, allow the preloaded lens cartridge to be autoclaved as a unit, and eliminate the step of loading the lens cartridge with the deformable intraocular lens by the end user to prevent potential damage during this step.
Claims15
A deformable intraocular lens insertion system for inserting a deformable intraocular lens into an eye, comprising:
- a lens cartridge for accommodating the deformable intraocular lens, said lens cartridge including a lens receiving portion connected to a nozzle portion;
- a lens injecting device having a lens cartridge receiver, said lens injecting device including a barrel with a locking portion located at one end of said barrel, said lens injecting device including a plunger movably disposed within said barrel;
- and
- a rotary connecting arrangement for connecting said lens cartridge in said lens cartridge receiver of said lens injecting device upon inserting said lens cartridge in said lens cartridge receiver of said lens injecting device, and then rotating said lens cartridge relative to said lens injecting device, said rotary connecting arrangement being defined by a longitudinal slot leading to a transverse slot in said locking portion, and said lens cartridge including a tab for cooperating with said longitudinal slot and said transverse slot to lock said lens cartridge in said lens cartridge receiver of said lens injecting device, said tab of said lens cartridge extending substantially outward a distance from said lens injecting device whereby a user can grip and rotate said tab to lock and unlock said lens cartridge within said lens cartridge receiver of said lens injecting device, said trasverse slot being defined by a first transverse slot portion leading to a second transverse slot portion, said second transverse slot portion being wider than said first transverse slot portion providing an opposed pair of locking edges in said transverse slot to prevent said lens cartridge from inadvertently rotating relative to said lens injecting device once locked into position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.