Punctum plug having a thin elongated lip and a distal starting tip and method of using

An implant comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends and an outer surface wherein one of said pair of ends includes an external retaining member which protrudes beyond the outer surface of the elongated member and is located approximately 300 degrees or less of the periphery of the elongated member leaving a posterior surface free from protruding into or from contacting with or abrading a surface of the eye including the cornea or conjunctiva and wherein said elongated member has a portion curved anteriorly relative to said external retaining member, said external retaining member being located on said elongated member to be positioned adjacent to said curved portion and in a generally anterior direction upon insertion into a punctum opening to position the posterior surface away from a surface of an eye, said elongated member being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctum opening of an eye.

An implant comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends and an outer surface wherein one of said pair of ends includes a collapsible flared section having an outer surface and the other of said pair of ends includes a thin elongated lip which protrudes beyond the outer surface of the elongated member and is located approximately 300 degrees or less of the periphery of the elongated member leaving a posterior surface free from protruding into or from contacting with or abrading a surface of the eye including the cornea or conjunctiva and wherein said elongated member is shaped to position the posterior surface away.sub.-- from a surface of an eye, said elongated member and said collapsible flared section being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctum opening of an eye.

A punctum plug comprising

• an elongated central member having a central axis and a pair of ends and an outer surface wherein one of said pair of ends includes means defining a collapsible flared section terminating in a starting tip which is capable of dilating a punctum opening by urging the punctum opening into a substantially oval shape and wherein said collapsible flared section is capable of being collapsed relative to said central axis in response to the application of force on the collapsible flared section in a direction to collapse the collapsible flared section and the other of said pair of ends includes a thin lip which protrudes beyond the outer surface of the elongated member and is located approximately 300 degrees or less of the periphery of the elongated member leaving a posterior surface free from protruding into or from contacting with or abrading a surface of the eye including the cornea or conjunctiva and wherein said elongated central member is shaped to position the posterior surface away from a surface of an eye, said elongated central member and said collapsible flared section being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctum of an eye.

An implant comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends and an outer surface wherein one of said pair of ends includes a shaped distal tip forming a starting tip having an outer surface and the other of said pair of ends includes a thin elongated lip which protrudes beyond the outer surface of the elongated member and is located approximately 300 degrees or less of the periphery of the elongated member leaving a posterior surface free from protruding into or from contacting with or abrading a surface of the eye including the cornea or conjunctiva, said thin elongated lip being located on said elongated member to position the thin elongated lip in a generally anterior direction upon insertion in to a punctum opening to position the posterior surface away from a surface of an eye, said elongated member and said shaped distal tip being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctum opening of an eye.

An implant comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends wherein one of said pair of ends terminates in a tip insertion section having a distal starting tip having a cross-sectional dimension that penetrates a punctal opening defined by a fibrous tissue and wherein said distal starting tip has a selected length to pass through the punctal opening to enable the tip insertion section to gently expand the sphincter muscle defining the punctum opening into a generally oval shape.

A method for treating an external eye condition due to a deficiency of tears including the steps of

• testing the eye to determine if a tear deficiency exists;
• and
• if a tear deficiency is determined to exist, inserting into the punctum opening an implant having an elongated central member and a pair of ends and an outer surface wherein one end of said pair of ends has a starting tip and wherein said starting tip includes a tip insert section having predetermined cross-sectional dimension and has an offset distal starting tip which is smaller in cross-sectional dimension than said tip insert section and the other of said pair of ends has a thin elongated lip being located on said elongated member which protrudes beyond the outer surface of the elongated member and is located approximately 300 degrees or less of the periphery of the elongated member leaving a posterior surface free from protruding into or from contacting with or abrading a surface of the eye including the cornea or conjunctiva to position the thin elongated lip in a generally anterior direction upon insertion in to a punctum opening wherein the starting tip dilates and passes through the punctum opening and into the canaliculi interior of an eye to occlude the punctum opening and the vertical portion of the canaliculus.

A punctum plug comprising

• an elongated central member having a central axis and a pair of ends wherein one of said pair of ends includes an enlarged collapsible annular shaped section terminating in a starting tip wherein said starting tip is inserted into and dilates the punctal opening for receiving and passing said enlarged annular shaped section through the dilated punctual opening, said elongated central member and said enlarged annular shaped section being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctual of an eye, and wherein the other of said pair of ends has a lip for engaging the punctum opening and positioning said enlarged annular shared section in a canaliculus adjacent a punctual of an eye.

An implant comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends wherein one of said pair of ends includes a shaped distal tip forming a starting tip having an outer surface and the other of said pair of ends includes a thin elongated lip having a posterior surface and wherein said shaped distal tip is in the form of a collapsible flared section located between the starting tip and said thin elongated lip, said thin elongated lip being located on said elongated member to position the thin elongated lip in a generally anterior direction upon insertion in to a punctum opening to position the posterior surface away from a surface of an eye, said elongated member and said shaped distal tip being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctum opening of an eye.

A punctum plug comprising

• an elongated central member having a central axis and a pair of ends wherein one of said pair of ends includes an enlarged annular shaped section terminating in a starting tip and has one side which has a greater slope towards said starting tip and wherein said starting tip is inserted into and dilates the punctal opening for receiving and passing said enlarged annular shaped section through the dilated punctual opening, said elongated central member and said enlarged annular shaped section being formed of a dimension to pass through a punctual of an eye.

A lacrimal occluder comprising

• an elongated member having a pair of ends wherein one of said pair of ends terminates in a tip insertion section in the form of a collapsible flared section and having a distal starting tip having a cross-sectional dimension that penetrates a punctal opening defined by a fibrous tissue and wherein said distal starting tip has a selected length to pass through the punctal opening to enable the tip insertion section to gently expand the sphincter muscle defining the punctum opening to a dimension and shape sufficient for passing the tip insertion section.