Stiffenable capsule clamping ring
OwnerPaul Rolf Preussnerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capsule clamping ring for implantation in the emptied capsule of the human crystalline lens which can permanently counteract a shrinkage of the capsule thanks to the fact that it can be stiffened after implantation. The open ring—as required for implantation—is designed in such a manner that it can be welded inside the eye. For this purpose, the open ends must touch, the area of contact must be visible through the pupillary opening and thus accessible for the laser, and the colour of the material and the surface geometry must be designed in such a manner that, when irradiated with a laser, locally circumscribed, merging melting zones can form.
Claims15
A capsule clamping ring for implantation into a capsule sac of a human crystalline lens of an eye, the capsule clamping ring comprising:
- an unclosed ring body having first and second end regions, the ring body being structured such that the first and second end regions of the ring body contact one another at an optically accessible area of contact when the ring body is implanted into the capsule sac of the human crystalline lens, the first and second end regions of the ring body being colored to permit light of a CW laser to be absorbed by the first and second end regions at the contact area to weld the first and second end regions together after the ring body is implanted into the capsule sac of the human crystalline lens;
- the ring body has a center, the first and second end regions of the ring body are flag-shaped in a direction toward the center of the ring body, the flag-shaped end regions of the ring body have respective front sides adapted to face a cornea of the eye and have respective rear sides adapted to face away from the cornea of the eye, the first flag-shaped end region of the ring body overlaps the second flag-shaped end region of the ring body at the contact area such that the rear side of the first flag-shaped end region faces the front side of the second flag-shaped end region at the contact area when the ring body is implanted into the capsule sac of the human crystalline lens.
A method of inserting a capsule clamping ring into a capsule sac of a human crystalline lens of an eye, the method comprising:
- inserting an unclosed ring body having first and second end regions into the capsule sac of the human crystalline lens, such that the first and second end regions of the ring body contact one another at an optically accessible area of contact when the ring body is inserted into the capsule sac of the human crystalline lens;
- and
- welding the first and second end regions of the ring body together using light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.