Scleral prosthesis for treating presbyopia and other eye disorders and related devices and methods

A system comprising:

• a scleral prosthesis configured to be implanted into scleral tissue of an eye, the scleral prosthesis comprising:
• an elongated body having a first free end and a second free end opposite the first end along a length of the body, a maximum width of the body at each end wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends, the width of the body between the ends measured from a first side of the body to an opposing second side of the body;
• the body comprising multiple first portions that form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends, the first portions separated lengthwise along at least half of a total length of the body from the first free end to the second free end by empty space, the first portions meeting at a point between the ends of the body and being unconnected from each other between that point and the first end of the body;
• the body further comprising multiple second portions that form the second end of the body and another part of the body between the ends, the second portions separated lengthwise along the body by empty space;
• wherein the first portions of the body are biased to maintain separation from one another without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other to reduce the width of the first end so that the second end is wider than a remainder of the body;
• and
• a threader tube configured to receive at least part of the first portions of the body, the threader tube also configured to be transported through a scleral tunnel in the scleral tissue of the eye and to release the scleral prosthesis for implantation of the scleral prosthesis in the scleral tunnel.

A method comprising:

• inserting at least part of a first free end of a scleral prosthesis into a threader tube, the scleral prosthesis comprising:
• an elongated body having the first free end and a second free end opposite the first end along a length of the body, a maximum width of the body at each free end wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends, the width of the body between the ends measured from a first side of the body to an opposing second side of the body;
• the body comprising multiple first portions that form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends, the first portions separated lengthwise along at least half of a total length of the body from the first free end to the second free end by empty space, the first portions meeting at a point between the ends of the body and being unconnected from each other between that point and the first end of the body;
• the body further comprising multiple second portions that form the second end of the body and another part of the body between the ends, the second portions separated lengthwise along the body by empty space;
• wherein the first portions of the body are biased to maintain separation from one another without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other to reduce the width of the first end so that the second end is wider than a remainder of the body;
• pulling the scleral prosthesis into a scleral tunnel in scleral tissue of an eye using the threader tube;
• and
• removing the scleral prosthesis from the threader tube for implantation in the scleral tunnel.

A scleral prosthesis comprising:

• an elongated body having a first free end and a second free end opposite the first end along a length of the body, a maximum width of the body at each end wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends, the width of the body between the ends measured from a first side of the body to an opposing second side of the body;
• wherein the body comprises multiple first portions that form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends, the first portions separated lengthwise along a substantial portion of the body by empty space, the first portions meeting at a point between the ends of the body and being unconnected from each other between that point and the first end of the body;
• wherein the body further comprises multiple second portions that form the second end of the body and another part of the body between the ends, the second portions separated lengthwise along the body by empty space;
• wherein the first portions of the body are biased to maintain separation from one another without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other to reduce the width of the first end so that the second end is wider than a remainder of the body;
• and
• wherein the scleral prosthesis is configured to be implanted into scleral tissue of an eye.

A system comprising:

• a scleral prosthesis configured to be implanted into scleral tissue of an eye, the scleral prosthesis comprising:
• an elongated body having a first free end and a second free end opposite the first end along a length of the body, a maximum width of the body at each end wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends, the width of the body between the ends measured from a first side of the body to an opposing second side of the body;
• the body comprising multiple first portions that form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends, the first portions separated lengthwise along at least about half of a total length of the body from the first free end to the second free end by empty space, the first portions meeting at a point between the ends of the body and being unconnected from each other between that point and the first end of the body;
• the body further comprising multiple second portions that form the second end of the body and another part of the body between the ends, the second portions separated lengthwise along the body by empty space;
• wherein the first portions of the body are biased to maintain separation from one another without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other to reduce the width of the first end so that the second end is wider than a remainder of the body;
• and
• an insert configured to be placed between the first portions of the body to maintain the separation of the first portions.

A method comprising:

• pushing first portions of an elongated body of a scleral prosthesis towards each other, the body of the scleral prosthesis having a first free end and a second free end opposite the first end along a length of the body, a maximum width of the body at each free end wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends, the width of the body between the ends measured from a first side of the body to an opposing second side of the body, wherein the first portions form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends, the first portions separated lengthwise along at least about half of a total length of the body from the first free end to the second free end by empty space, the first portions meeting at a point between the ends of the body and being unconnected from each other between that point and the first end of the body;
• inserting at least part of the first portions of the body into a scleral tunnel in scleral tissue of an eye;
• releasing the first portions of the body, the first portions of the body biased to maintain separation from one another without external interference but, when the first portions are pushed towards each other, the width of the first end is reduced and the second end is wider than a remainder of the body;
• and
• placing an insert between the first portions of the body to maintain the separation of the first portions of the body;
• wherein the body further comprises multiple second portions that form the second end of the body and another part of the body between the ends, the second portions separated lengthwise along the body by empty space.